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MILL CITY FARMERS MARKET
With over 100 local farmers, food makers and artists, MCFM strives to build a local, sustainable and organic food economy in a vibrant, educational marketplace.
Maximizing the visitor experience of Minneapolis for the economic benefit of our community, making Minneapolis the destination of choice among travelers.
Covering life, work, and play in the Historic Mill District and Downtown Minneapolis Riverfront neighborhoods. Have an opinion, local news or events to share? Contact us.
The Commons is more than just a huge expanse of luxurious grass to run your toes through. Check out all the programming scheduled for this summer and fall. FUN! :D
Daily Amenities – Free and open to the public:
• Umbrellas – Colorful umbrellas provide shade at amenity areas and within program rooms.
• Games Cart – A variety of favorite lawn and board games, including Corn Hole, ladder ball, bocce, chess, checkers, Connect Four, etc. Available free of charge, to borrow from our games cart. Opens June 1.
• Reading Cart – Explore best sellers and titles from local publishers as well as daily newspapers, available for use in the park. Make The Commons your stop over lunch to read up on news. Opens June 1. With support from Bond & Devick Wealth Partners.
• Ping Pong – Challenge your friends, family and colleagues to a game. Free paddles and balls available for use in the park. Opens June 1.
• Public Art Installation - Orbacles by MINN_LAB is presented as part of the City of Minneapolis Creative City Challenge. The winning submission by MINN_LAB addresses how climate change affects birdlife in Minnesota, and launches in conjunction with the Northern Spark Festival June 10.
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Series – Free and open to the public
• Kubb Lessons • Hip Hop Dance • Fly Feet HIIT & Run • Silent Disco • Summer Extravaplaza • Spoken Word Workshops • Sing Play Learn – Early Childhood • Film Festival • Mill City Farmers Market • Bike with a Ranger
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Single Events – Free and open to the public
Storytime with Nancy Carlson • Northern Spark • German Student Orchestra Performance • Lit Community Picnic • Storytime with John Coy & Wing Young Huie • Make Music Day Twin Cities • Aquatennial Yoga with CorePower Yoga • Storytime & Sing-A-Long with Trisha Speed Shaskan and Stephen Shaskan
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External Events
Badass Dash - X Games Concerts - Vikings Activations
Minneapolis has the best park system in the United States, according to The Trust for Public Land's 6th annual ParkScore® index, which was released today by the non-profit organization.
Minneapolis narrowly edged out cross-town rival Saint Paul to earn top honors for the second consecutive year. San Francisco climbed into third, pulling ahead of Washington, DC, and Arlington, VA, mostly because of improved access to basketball courts at schoolyards now open after hours and on weekends. Portland, Irvine, New York, Madison, and Cincinnati rounded out the top 10.
Fresno shook up the bottom of the ParkScore rankings, vaulting from last year's 97th to a tie for 90th place (with Hialeah and Jacksonville, FL). Fresno's climb stemmed mostly from the creation of "joint use" agreements that open school playgrounds and athletic fields for public use after school hours and on weekends. Fresno had been the lowest ranking ParkScore city from 2012-2015.
"Joint use of school facilities is a major national trend, and a very positive development. Keeping playgrounds and athletic fields open to the public when schools are closed helps cities significantly increase park access at relatively low cost. The Trust for Public Land enthusiastically supports joint use, but it does not replace the need for new park acquisition and open space preservation," said Will Rogers, President of The Trust for Public Land.
"Everyone in America deserves to live within a 10-minute walk of a park. Parks are proven to improve physical and mental health, increase property values, and bring neighbors together to nurture the personal bonds that make our communities special," said Charlie McCabe, Director of The Trust for Public Land's Center for City Parks Excellence.
ParkScore rankings are based on three factors: Park Access, which measures the percentage of residents living within a 10-minute walk of a park (approximately ½-mile); Park Size, which is based on a city's median park size and the percentage of total city area dedicated to parks; and Facilities and Investment, which combines park spending per resident with the availability of four popular park amenities: basketball hoops, off-leash dog parks, playgrounds, and recreation and senior centers.
In addition to ranking park systems in the 100 most populous U.S. cities, ParkScore also provides a one-to-five park bench rating summary that provides a snapshot of local park quality. In 2017, three cities received the highest possible 5-bench rating: Minneapolis, Saint Paul, and San Francisco.
ParkScore champion Minneapolis scored strongly on all ParkScore rating factors. In Minneapolis, 97 percent of residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park, and 15 percent of city area is reserved for parks. Second-place finisher Saint Paul nearly matched Minneapolis for park access, amenities, and investment but ceded the top spot due to its smaller median park size (3.7 acres vs. 6.6 acres). Third place San Francisco outperformed both Minnesota cities for investment and access, but was third overall, mostly because of its comparatively small median park size, 1.6 acres. Boise, ID, led the nation with 7.2 dog parks per 100,000 residents and tied for 35thposition overall (with Raleigh).
"You can't have a great city without a great park system," said Adrian Benepe, Senior Vice President and Director of City Park Development for The Trust for Public Land. "Our top-ranked park systems are terrific, but all cities have room to improve. ParkScore is a tool that city leaders can use to guide park improvement, helping planners identify where they should focus their efforts, so more residents can live within a 10-minute walk of a well-planned and well-maintained park."
According to The Trust for Public Land, the 10 highest-ranking park systems in the United States are:
Rank
City
Park Bench Summary
Raw Score (Max 100)
1.
Minneapolis
5.0 park benches
87.5
2.
Saint Paul
5.0 park benches
82.5
3.
San Francisco
5.0 park benches
80.0
4.
Washington, DC
4.5 park benches
79.0
5.
Portland, OR
4.5 park benches
77.5
6.
Arlington, VA
4.5 park benches
76.5
7.
Irvine (tie)
4.5 park benches
74.0
7.
New York (tie)
4.5 park benches
74.0
9.
Madison, WI
4.5 park benches
73.5
10.
Cincinnati
4.0 park benches
71.5
The lowest-ranking park systems are:
90.
Fresno (tie)
1.5 park benches
33.5
90.
Hialeah, FL (tie)
1.5 park benches
33.5
90.
Jacksonville, FL (tie)
1.5 park benches
33.5
93.
Laredo, TX (tie)
1.5 park benches
32.5
93.
Winston-Salem (tie)
1.5 park benches
32.5
95.
Mesa, AZ
1.5 park benches
31.5
96.
Louisville
1.5 park benches
31.0
97.
Charlotte
1.0 park benches
29.0
98.
Fort Wayne (tie)
1.0 park benches
28.5
98.
Indianapolis (tie)
1.0 park benches
28.5
Gilbert, AZ was not ranked because the city did not provide parks data to The Trust for Public Land.
ParkScore uses advanced GIS (geographic information system) computer mapping technology to create digital maps evaluating park accessibility, making it the most realistic assessment system available. Instead of simply measuring distance to a local park, ParkScore's GIS technology takes into account the location of park entrances and physical obstacles to access. For example, if residents are separated from a nearby park by a major highway, ParkScore does not count the park as accessible to those residents (unless there is a bridge, underpass, or easy access point across the highway). Esri and The Trust for Public Land collaborated on GIS design and implementation, helping to make ParkScore the most comprehensive park evaluation tool ever created.
ParkScore is free and open to the public to use as a roadmap to guide park improvement efforts. Users can browse interactive maps and zoom in and study park access on a block-by-block basis, pinpointing the neighborhoods where parks are most needed.
For more information about ParkScore, visit www.tpl.org/parkscore and join the discussion on Twitter @TPL_org, #ParkScore.
The Trust for Public Land creates parks and protects land for people, ensuring healthy, livable communities for generations to come. Millions of people live near a Trust for Public Land park, garden, or natural area, and millions more visit these sites every year. To support The Trust for Public Land and share why nature matters to you, visit www.tpl.org.
On Thursday, May 18, Preservation Award partners Preserve Minneapolis, AIA Minneapolis, and the Minneapolis Heritage Preservation Commission announced the recipients of 2017 annual Minneapolis Heritage Preservation Awards during a luncheon at International Market Square.
The following honors were presented at the 27th Annual Minneapolis Heritage Preservation Awards:
Historic Restoration, Rehabilitation, or Adaptive Reuse Project
700 Central
Hewing Hotel
New Addition to an Historic Building
Residence on Emerson
Charles Frederick Keyes House
Grassroots: Advocacy & Education
4Word Homes and Design, LLC/Robin O’Brien’s Home Restoration
The Steve Murray Award
Robert M. Frame, III
The Minneapolis Preservation Awards annually recognize projects, individuals, and organizations that celebrate the heritage and historic character of Minneapolis. Nominations are selected based on their careful attention to the quality of design, architecture, workmanship, and materials as well as the positive impact on the surrounding neighborhood and community.
A jury comprised of two Minneapolis Heritage Preservation Commissioners, two members of the American Institute of Architects Minneapolis Chapter, and two board members from Preserve Minneapolis reviewed the nominations.
For more information about the award program and details of the 2017 recipients, visit the AIA Minneapolis website.
Northern Spark’s 7th year kicks off with the Launch Party from 7 – 9 pm on Saturday, June 10 at Thresher Square.
Start your adventure with artful food created by 8 amazing local restaurants, beer from Fulton Brewing, a Northern Spark specialty cocktail crafted by Crooked Water Spirits, and musical guests ZULUZULUU! The historic Thresher Square building is just steps from The Commons, Northern Spark’s downtown Minneapolis neighborhood, so as the sun sets at 8:59 pm, you’ll already be in the prime spot for the festival’s opening celebrations.
Featured restaurants: Mercy, Cafe Alma, Eastside, Red Stag Supperclub, French Meadow, Handsome Hog, Silhouette Bakery & Bistro, Cafe Latté
$50 Adapt Ticket - Entrance to the Launch Party from 7-9pm along with two hours of hosted libations, the specialty Northern Spark Launch Party cocktail, and a concert by stellar artists ZULUZULUU
$100 Sustain Ticket - Entrance to the Launch Party from 7-9pm along with two hours of hosted libations, the specialty Northern Spark Launch Party cocktail, and a concert by stellar artists ZULUZULUU, plus artistic hors d'oeuvres from 8 local restaurants
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The Launch Party is presented by the Northern Spark Host Committee and is the annual fundraiser for Northern Lights.mn, the producers of the Northern Spark festival. The launch party funds a large portion of Northern Spark activities.
A look at hidden gems along the Minneapolis Riverfront
Through the course of this series on placemaking, we’re visiting parks, areas of green space and locations of interest along the upper river and the Minneapolis Riverfront.
But as you’re driving along Marshall St. NE, you might miss this spot. It’s at a busy intersection of Marshall and Lowry, where we’ve already written about Stormwater Park and there’s even more to discover than can be covered in this piece. So you might be forgiven if Edgewater Park has receded into the background for you so far.
I’m here to change that.
Edgewater Park sits on the southwest corner of Marshall and Lowry. The park is, of course, at the edge of the water, but the name also comes from the Edgewater Inn, which was a popular music spot on the site. The city acquired the land in 1993 and Edgewater Park was built as part of the Above the Falls Master Plan in 2006 thanks in part to funding from the Mississippi Watershed Management Organization. The park was dedicated in the spring of 2007.
This space was envisioned as parkland as far back as 1883, among Horace Cleveland’s initial suggestions to the city of Minneapolis, but it was not originally developed as such.
The park itself features a small picnic area and a walking path, but you might easily miss its key feature if you’re not aware of it coming in. The layout of Edgewater Park mimics the flow of the Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers through the area, with the Mississippi (pictured) heading out of the park toward Lowry and the Minnesota headed out toward Marshall. An aerial viewwill give you the best perspective.
While you’re there, also take note of how the park is divided into two distinct pieces, with planting and grasses distinguishing the metro area from the prairie.
At the midpoint of the park, near the confluence, as it were, of the two paths, is a lookout, mimicking the view Fort Snelling has on the actual rivers themselves.
This lookout is a great spot, too, to observe what is going on across the river. In two years we’ll have Northern Metals shutting down and starting to head out, removing some of the heavy industrial work. So when you visit, take a few minutes to envision what a mixture of parkland, trails and housing or light industrial use might look like on the river’s west bank.
So, the next time you’re taking a Nice Ride bike along the East Bank trail, continue up Marshall for a few more blocks and check out Edgewater Park. Drop off your bike and head into Tony Jaros Rivergarden for a greenie, or check in at Betty Danger’s. It’s a good time of year to hit the Ferris Wheel.
Kathleen Boe is Executive Director of the Minneapolis Riverfront Partnership. She can be reached at kathleen.boe@minneapolisriverfront.org via email, or minneapolisriverfront.org on the web.
A 1965 TV commercial for Pillsbury Flaky Biscuits featuring one of the first appearances of the Pillsbury Doughboy (Poppin' Fresh) who was voiced by the legendary Paul Frees.
The Central Minneapolis Riverfront is not only the birthplace of the Minneapolis, but also gave rise to many iconic brands, some of which have endured for over a century. Alas, some have not. Selling Mill City is a series highlighting brands that arose on the riverfront and surrounding neighborhoods.
We will meet on Saturdays, beginning on May 27 and ending on September 2nd. Each session will begin at 9:00am and end before 10:00am. Grab your mat (or a towel) and a neighbor, and meet us by the orange sculpture. The sessions are free of charge and sponsored by the Friends of the Mill District. Come salute the sun and enjoy the beauty of our neighborhood with your friends and neighbors.
I’m sure all of you have been inconvenienced by a car repair. That moment always happens when you realize how much of life depends on a reliable car. How do you get groceries? How do you make appointments? How do you get to work?
I first met Cathy Heying on a Saturday in May when she agreed to come in an hour early to share the story of The Lift Garage with me. Her enthusiasm and passion for the work she does is amazing. Cathy is funny, kind, smart, and has a laser focus.
Cathy had spent most of her career working at St. Stephens. She held multiple positions during her 15 years working with people experiencing homelessness. Her clients told her over and over again about the obstacle of not having a dependable car. How do you get to work if your car isn’t working? How do you afford car repairs if you can’t get to work?
Cathy said she was plagued with the recurring thought that ‘somebody should do something about it’. While she struggled to ignore that voice, she took a tour of Dunwoody College of Technology in 2008 and was told that applications were due by the end of the week. After coming to terms with the idea of a 2 year program and more student loans,she sent in her application, was accepted and began in the fall of 2008.
Armed with a master’s degree in pastoral ministry, Heying assumed the training would be a ‘piece of cake’. That’s not how it turned out. The training was rigorous and difficult, and Cathy persisted, working full time at St. Stephens while attending classes full time at Dunwoody. She graduated 2 years later with an AAS degree in auto technology.
Cathy said she was plagued with the recurring thought that ‘somebody should do something about it’.
For all of 2013, the garage was open 1 day a week, and customers flocked to it. On the 3rd Saturday they were open, Cathy got a call from a woman in Lakeville who needed her help. She was calling because she had seen the information on a flyer...but there was no flyer!! Word of mouth was powerful and swift. Within a very short time, they were booked out 3 months, and Cathy knew she needed help. She had volunteers to help her with the office and the repairs, but more was needed.
By January of 2014, The Lift Garage was able to expand business hours to Wednesdays through Saturdays, and by the summer had hired both full time and part time staff. There are now 4 full time employees and the garage is open 50 hours a week. A mobile van has just been added with the goal of going out to assess repair issues to determine if it can be fixed or not. The Lift Garage still has a 3-month waiting list.
The service is for all Minnesotans who meet the 150% Federal Poverty Guideline. They charge only $15 per hour plus the cost of parts at no mark-up, serving all counties in Minnesota.
The goal is getting cars safe and back on the road, so they work on brakes, suspension and steering, starting and charging systems, fuel systems, exhaust systems, and heating and cooling systems (not air conditioning). They do not do work on transmissions or the body. They are also not able to do significant engine repairs such as head gaskets or engine rebuilds, and are no longer able to offer payment plans.
The Lift Garage costs approximately $30,000/month to run. Earned income for most months is $8,000-$10,000. Help is needed!
How can you help?
• Learn more at https://www.theliftgarage.org/ • Donate at https://www.theliftgarage.org/donate. Please take note of the supplies needed. • Volunteer! Currently they are in need of: - Mechanics: Insurance requires certified or formally trained techs to work on cars. - Office assistants: Staffing phones, intakes, and payment. - Committee members to serve in areas of fundraising and finance. • If you are a caseworker you can fill out The Lift Garage – Income Verification Form and email it to info@theliftgarage.org or mail to PO Box 6992, Minneapolis, MN 55406. Once you send a referral the customer needs to call to set up an appointment.
Cathy Heying reminded me that fixing the problems we find in this world is about doing it. Don’t argue with that thought that ‘someone should do something about that’. Dig deep, ask yourself what you can do, take a deep breath, and get to work!
On May 17, 2017, Michelle Snider, executive director of the Minnesota Recreation and Park Association (MRPA), presented Jayne Miller, superintendent of the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB), with a 2016 Award of Excellence.
Each year, the MRPA recognizes agencies or organizations throughout Minnesota for a range of outstanding achievements, including communications, parks and facilities, programming and events, sponsorships and partnerships, sustainability and volunteer initiatives.
MPRB was awarded for its 2016 adoption of the 20-Year Neighborhood Park Plan (NPP20), in the Administrative and Management Strategies category.
"We are thrilled to receive this award," said Superintendent Miller. "It affirms how essential neighborhood parks are to the livability and the vitality of Minneapolis. We hope other park systems can use NPP20 as a model to find ways to fund and carry out much-needed repairs, replacements and updates."
NPP20 is the MPRB's response to a problem facing heavily used urban park systems across the country: a combination of chronic underfunding and overall aging of neighborhood parks.
MRPA Executive Director Michelle Snider and MPRB Superintendent Miller with the 2016 MRPA Award of ExcellenceA historic agreement between MPRB and the City of Minneapolis, NPP20 was approved as an ordinance in 2016 to accomplish the goal of revitalizing the city’s 160 neighborhood parks for current and future generations of park users. The plan protects current levels of park funding received from city and state sources and provides an additional $11 million annually for 20 years, with those funds dedicated to three areas: park maintenance, rehabilitation and capital investments.
Just as important, NPP20 addresses disparities within a city that has grown far more racially and ethnically diverse in the past 20 years. An equity ordinance accompanying the NPP20 agreement ensures that funding for rehabilitation and capital investments is prioritized using a set of data-driven criteria that are focused on racial and economic equity.
About the MRPA
The Minnesota Recreation and Park Association is a professional membership association serving nearly 900 members statewide. Its mission is to improve the quality of life in Minnesota by enhancing the profession of parks, open space, recreation, and leisure services.
Enjoy these outdoor activities at Hennepin County Government Center South Plaza, 300 S 6th Street (June 1 – August 31):
Tuesdays (12 pm – 1 pm) Stop by for piano performances each Tuesday throughout the summer during your lunch hour! Through Pianos on Parade program, a partnership between mdc, mpls downtown improvement district & Keys 4/4 Kids, a piano at South Plaza will include programmed musical performances each Tuesday. Grab some food and enjoy a gift of music each week. You never know who will be tickling the ivories!
Wednesdays (11:30 am – 1:30 pm) Every Wednesday, South Plaza will be transformed into an outdoor recreation room! The space will feature a food truck each week, yard games (bean bags, connect four, etc.), an art card (adult and youth coloring, bubbles, plado, yarn, paper, wasabi tape), a meditation area with colorful blankets and yoga mats there for you to enjoy a brief get-away, and the Pianos on Parade piano if you’d like to play a song or two yourself.
Thursdays (6 am – 6 pm) Beginning May 5 and running through October, the Downtown Farmers Market will be on site at South Plaza again in 2017. The farmers market moved here during the Nicollet Mall Project, and it provides a great way to bring people together on the South Plaza lawn to browse fresh produce, flowers and more. The farmers market has a wide variety of friendly local vendors that have great products to share.
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Enjoy these outdoor activities at Target Field Station, 335 N 5th Street (June 1 – August 31):
Tuesday trivia nights Trivia has always been a fun and trendy after work activity! We are bringing trivia outside at Target Field Station on select Tuesdays this summer. Gather a group of colleagues, friends or family and test your knowledge. Questions will be read aloud along with use of the big screen.
Thursday movie nights On select Thursdays throughout the summer, you can enjoy outdoor movie nights at Target Field Station. Bring a lawn chair or blanket, find a spot on the green grass outside the Twins’ ballpark and enjoy an evening watching a movie under the stars and the downtown skyline.
Family events, outdoor fitness & more Throughout the summer, you’ll be able to enjoy family events like our Most Epic Family Day, fitness classes outdoors on the Target Field Station grass and much more. Our Monday fitness nights in September will coincide with National Yoga Month.
Per Above the Falls Sports: "No longer doing trike tours but we do have a variety of Trident Trikes for sale! Still running kayak tours on the Mississippi! Contact us via email at info@abovethefallssports.com or call us at 612-825-8983!"
Above the Falls Sports, 120 N 3rd Avenue, now offers a Downtown Historical Trike Tour- discover the history of Downtown Minneapolis on a recumbent trike alongside the shores of the Mississippi. From flour mills, to beautifully sculpted parkland, this trip encapsulates what Minneapolis was and what it came to be.
The tour is approximately 3 hours and the cost is $60 per person + tax/optional gratuity.
The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) and philanthropic partner, the Minneapolis Parks Foundation (MPF) are excited to request expressions of interest from food vendors seeking to create a food experience for Water Works on the downtown Minneapolis riverfront.
A project of the RiverFirst Initiative, Water Works is a transformational park development project in Mill Ruins Park overlooking St. Anthony Falls. The project includes creation of a new café space built into excavated mill walls with an address on West River Parkway and indoor/outdoor dining spaces.
The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) and Minneapolis Parks Foundation (MPF) invite interested food vendors to submit an expression of interest communicating their food concept along with team and financial details. Find more information and the formal Request for Information by visiting MPRB's Business Opportunities page.
Starting Friday, May 26, the Film Society of Minneapolis St. Paul celebrates the brilliance and creativity of the singular auteur, David Lynch, with presentations of the new documentary on Lynch’s formative years and early artistic career, DAVID LYNCH: THE ART LIFE.
This screening will be presented as a Double Feature with THE SHORT FILMS OF DAVID LYNCH, a digitally restored collection of six short films crafted by Lynch between 1967-1974, plus a one-minute film from 1995.
40th Anniversary: Eraserhead
Also screening will be the 40th Anniversary DCP restoration of ERASERHEAD, David Lynch’s debut monochrome masterpiece and cult sensation.
Northern Spark Community Art Making Party Saturday, May 20; 6-9pm MCBA's print studio
Join us as we screen print t-shirts, cut out paper leaves, and fold tiny letterpress books for TransitionNOW!, a Northern Spark project dedicated to sharing ways to reduce your carbon footprint and create a sustainable future.
TransitionNOW! is also looking for 100 people to wear the screenprinted t-shirts on June 10th for Northern Spark. A few shirts will be available on the evening of May 20th for you to screenprint, or you can bring your own pre-washed black or darkly colored t-shirt to print on. To learn more about TransitionNOW! and ways to reduce your carbon footprint, visit the Twin Cities Transition website.
Northern Spark 2017 is a free, all-night art event exploring the effects of climate change through participatory projects in neighborhoods along Metro Transit’s Green Line.
Call for Zines! MCBA and Twin Cities Zine Fest are seeking submissions for the upcoming Free For All Zine Lounge, which will be featured in the 2017 Book Art Biennial's exhibition programming. Zines can be mailed to Aaron King c/o Boneshaker Books, 2002 23rd Ave S, Minneapolis MN 55404. Submissions are due May 22. The Zine Lounge will be open May 29 thru Aug 13. Donated zines will be added to MCBA's James and Marilynn Alcott Library.
The weather is warming up! Is your family ready for summer? MCBA is proud to partner with a series of fantastic arts and cultureal centers across the Twin Cities to offer camps and classes for kids and tweens. Have fun experimenting with the book arts, plus dabble in clay, photography, theater, writing, and more! Give your child the opportunity to expand their creativity and experience many different art forms in a fun, hands-on environment.
For a complete listing of summer camps and to register, visit our Youth Camps website. Spots are filling up fast. Reserve yours today!
Join our team! We are currently accepting applications for a full-time Marketing and Communications Coordinator to create and coordinate our print, digital, and social media communications.
The deadline to apply is next Friday, May 26 at 5pm CST. For a complete position description and to submit your application, please visit our website.
The sultry lament of the bandoneon, the thrilling atmosphere, alluring tango dancers, and a wildly acclaimed cast new to Twin Cities opera audiences, will take the stage for Mill City Summer Opera’s 2017 chosen production Maria de Buenos Aires, by famed tango composer, Astor Piazzolla.
The stellar cast and creative team for this year’s production includes the key casting of Colombian soprano Catalina Cuervo in the leading role of Maria. As Maria, Cuervo has performed the role worldwide and is often referred to as the Fiery Soprano. Starring with her is baritone Luis Alejandro Orozco who has been hailed for his vocal and dramatic presence in the signature role of El Payador.
Opening night is Friday, July 14, with additional performances July 16, 18, 19 and 20.
With a ticket to the opera, attendees will be guided through dance instruction by professional tango dancers prior to the performance. After watching the tango performed as part of the opera performance, those that wish may join in the be dance with the cast to the splendid music that compliments the dangerous dance that is the tango.
Doors open at 7:00pm with tango dancing, the show begins at 8:00pm and more tango dancing at 9:30pm.
In light of the Ruins Courtyard’s extensive renovation throughout the Summer of 2017, MCSO is taking the opera across the Stone Arch Bridge for our sixth season. The shift in venue to the Machine Shop, 300 2nd Street SE, is temporary as restoration work continues in the Ruins Courtyard.
Mother's Day was the focus of the May 13 Mill City Farmers Market, and many of them were treated to personal flower containers created by their little ones.
Pam from Prairie Hollow Farm never disappoints when it comes to morel mushrooms!
Superior Switchel is a new vendor for the 2017 season. Melina Lamer crafts her version of this tangy ginger-infused beverage that was popular with farmers in the 19th century.
Hippy Feet and YouthLink 501(c)3 are collaborating on a project that aims to raise awareness about the needs within the homeless community.
For this program, youth clients of YouthLink who are interested in additional income opportunities will be given disposable cameras and asked to take photos that document their day to day experiences as a homeless or formerly homeless individual. In conjunction with taking pictures, they will write a quick journal about each photo. When the individual has filled the entire camera roll, they'll return the camera and a copy of their journal entries to YouthLink, where they will be awarded varying forms of compensation for their work.
The Hippy Feet team will then develop the photos and prepare them for a “gallery” event. This event will be held at Lake Monster Brewing in St. Paul, and will act as a fundraising event for YouthLink and for Hippy Feet’s efforts to employ homeless youth. Tickets will be sold for this event, and each ticket will include a pair of socks, a beer, a pulled pork sandwich, and admittance to the fundraising event. The photos that are displayed at the event will be sold/auctioned off to the attendees.
The proceeds from photo sales will be divided in 3 ways. An equal percentage will be donated to YouthLink and Elpis Enterprises, a non-profit partner of Hippy Feet that provides employment and job training to homeless youth. The remainder of the proceeds will be given back to the individual artist who took the photos as a form of commission.
The goal for this project is to provide a $100 value as an invective for youth to participate in this project, and for them to return the camera in a timely fashion with a full film roll of high impact photos. This $100 per participant will be paid via gift cards, bus tokens, and a cash stipend.
The gallery event will be hosted at Lake Monster Brewing because of its convenient location next to Elpis Enterprise. Photographs will be displayed and sold, food and beer will be available, and additional items will be up for auction. Tickets for the event will be sold at the door and online via Eventbrite.
The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) and the Minneapolis Parks Foundation recently unveiled an evolved concept for Water Works. Water Works is a transformative park development project overlooking St. Anthony Falls and the Stone Arch Bridge that will bring significant new historic, cultural, and recreational amenities to one of the most iconic locations in Minneapolis.
The updated concept embeds a new park pavilion into the historic ruins of the Bassett and Columbia mills, as well as expands naturalized gathering spaces with direct access to public amenities. Click the link below for an in-depth tour of the updated concept and share your thoughts:
May 19 is Bike to Work Day, and all over the city theMinneapolis Bicycle Coalition will have pit stops set up for participating riders. Bike commuters will be greeted with coffee, high-fives, free food, and other giveaways during both the morning and afternoon commute.
Enter the Twin Cities Bike to Work Day Sweepstakes Pledge to ride to work on Twin Cities Bike to Work Day and be automatically entered for a chance to win some great prizes, including $500 gift cards to Cherry Cycles, Farmstead Bike Shop and Tangletown Bike Shop.
You can also volunteer as a pit stop captain. The Coalition is looking for enthusiastic people to keep the energy alive throughout the morning and afternoon commute. Volunteers receive a free T-shirt! Click here for more info.
Wednesday, May 24, 2017 at 9:12AM
40th Anniversary: Eraserhead
