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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.

Tuesday
Sep222015

Pilot Design Experiments Connect Midtown Greenway and Nearby Destinations

Via a September 22 Hennepin County e-newsletter:

Pilot design experiments connect Midtown Greenway and nearby destinations

Colorful signage and other temporary design experiments have been attracting the attention of bicyclists and pedestrians at four key access points on the Midtown Greenway in Minneapolis:

  • 26th Avenue South
  • Bloomington Avenue South
  • 10th/11th avenues (at the adjacent greenspace)
  • Nicollet Avenue South

Developed by the urban design team at the City of Minneapolis in collaboration with staff from Hennepin County, the Midtown Greenway Coalition and the Lake Street Council, the pop-up improvements include:

  • Creative wayfinding signage on fences and bridges over the greenway
  • Painted icons and other designs on the pavement
  • Bike racks
  • Seating and games

Food icons and fence signage at the Nicollet Avenue access point. 

The installations, which went up in August and September, are designed to point greenway users to destinations along Lake Street and in nearby neighborhoods. The main goal is to build on the success of the greenway, which has more than 1.5 million users annually, in order to enhance and strengthen nearby residential and business communities. Other goals include making greenway spaces more welcoming and friendly, and helping people in neighborhoods navigate to the greenway.

“Riding or walking on the greenway, especially where it’s below street level, can be disorienting,” says Lisa Middag, a Hennepin County planner. “But so many destinations are literally just a minute away, which makes it convenient to hop off the greenway to grab a bite, run errands, or do other activities. We are working on effective strategies to support and encourage that.”

Data and feedback about the installations will be collected through October through various means, including an online survey. This information will be put to use in developing recommendations for permanent improvements and a wayfinding strategy all along the greenway.

About Hennepin County’s Midtown Community Works program

Over the past 20 years, the county has partnered with the City of Minneapolis, the Midtown Greenway Coalition, the Lake Street Council, and other organizations to develop and support the Midtown Greenway, and to plan for and leverage economic growth in the area. Midtown is the longest-running program of Hennepin County’s Community Works initiative, a collaborative approach to redevelopment in key county corridors that launched in 1994.

Monday
Sep212015

You Kids Get Down From There!

This picture was featured in a recent MinnyApple article about the LoLa Art Crawl(in the Longfellow neighborhood). It's by John FairHolton of Just Photos For Humans.  He organizes his work by Over-the-Ground, On-the-Ground (indoors and outdoors), and Underground.  He has captured some fantastic images - many in our downtown and riverfront neighborhoods.

John named this picture PillsBuddies (they're sitting in framework of the iconic Pillsbury's Best Flour sign).  But the first thing that popped into my mind was "You kids get down from there!"

Sunday
Sep202015

Reminder: Final city-wide Closing the Gap meetings resume next week

Residents invited to help plan the future of Minneapolis Parks

On Monday, Sept. 21, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) will hold the next series of city-wide meetings to share information and gather feedback on what may be the most comprehensive planning effort in its 130 year history. Minneapolis residents are encouraged to get involved and help the MPRB with three distinct, yet deeply intertwined projects: Closing the Gap: Investing in our Neighborhood Parks, RecQuest, and Service Area Master Plans.

RecQuest and Service Area Master Plans focus on what Minneapolis residents want in parks over the next 25 to 30 years. Closing the Gap is about funding these needs.

The final “wrap-up” meetings will continue throughout September:

  • Monday, Sep. 21, 6:30-8:30 pm, Farview Recreation Center, 621 29th Ave. N
  • Tuesday, Sep. 22, 6:30-8:30 pm, Bryant Square Recreation Center, 3101 Bryant Ave.
  • Thursday, Sep. 24, 6:30-8:30 pm, Audubon Recreation Center, 1320 29th Ave. NE
  • Monday, Sep. 28, 6:30-8:30 pm, Keewaydin Recreation Center, 3030 E 53rd St.

Minneapolis residents can learn more about Closing the Gap by watching a short video and share their opinions by taking a 15-minute survey at www.surveymonkey.com/r/ourparks. The survey is open through September 30.

Residents are also invited to attend a public forum to learn how other cities facing similar challenges funded their neighborhood parks:

Closing the Gap: Insider Insights for Park Funding, Tuesday, Sep. 29, 6-8:30 pm, Walker Art Center, 1750 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis

Seating is limited; please RSVP by noon Monday, September 28. Email name and number attending to closingthegap@minneapolisparks.org or call 612-313-7789.

Anyone requiring a modification in order to participate should contact ewolfe@minneapolisparks.org or 612-230-6415 in advance.

Details about each project are available at www.minneapolisparks.org/closingthegap.

Sunday
Sep202015

Frey Calls for Action on Downtown Violence

Council Member Jacob Frey was on the agenda of the Public Safety, Civil Rights & Emergency Management Committee to call for action on the increasing level of violence at bar closing time in the Warehouse District.

Watch the entire session:

Sunday
Sep202015

Week 20 at the 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

September 19 was an especially fun day at the Market. Highlights included the Heritage Bread Festival, hosted by Marty and Darrold Glanville of Sunrise Flour Mill, featuring presentations from professional bakers and samples and discussions with local bakers. OHK Grange provided kids with the opportunity to create seed art, and we met a Peruvian weaver at the ArtAndes booth.

September 19, 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

Look for a separate post on the Heritage Bread Festival, including a video of the presentation, later this week on our Farmers Market blog.

September 19, 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

September 19, 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

September 19, 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

September 19, 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

Below is Engracia, a skilled Quechua weaver from Peru.  Next weekend at the Market, she will be joined by her fellow weaver, Pascuala.

September 19, 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

September 19, 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

September 19, 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

Melanie shows how multiple panels (like the one Engracia is working on) can be combined to create a large blanket.

September 19, 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

Compatible Technology International was the day's Community Booth.  They are a nonprofit organization that alleviates hunger and poverty in the developing world by designing and distributing simple, life-changing food and water technologies.

September 19, 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

September 19, 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

Ornamental gourds - love these little works of art!

September 19, 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

September 19, 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

Paula Foreman of Encore Farm returned to the Market with her heirloom beans.

September 19, 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

September 19, 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

The potato peeler nightmare:

September 19, 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

September 19, 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

September 19, 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

September 19, 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

September 19, 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

September 19, 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

September 19, 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

Another fruitful trip to the Market for these shoppers.

September 19, 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

September 19, 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

September 19, 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

Beautiful food...

September 19, 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

September 19, 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

September 19, 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

September 19, 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

September 19, 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

September 19, 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

September 19, 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

September 19, 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

September 19, 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

September 19, 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

September 19, 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

September 19, 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

September 19, 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

September 19, 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

Did you notice Black Cat's new digs? Cookin' in style!

September 19, 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

September 19, 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

September 19, 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

September 19, 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

The goat!

September 19, 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

Saturday
Sep192015

Final Sculpture Installed at Gold Medal Park "Ordovician Pore" by Tony Cragg

As reported earlier this year, Gold Medal Park will will be hosting 3 sculptures from the Walker Art Center during its remake of the sculpture garden. On Wednesday the 3rd and final was installed.

Ordovician Pore by Tony Cragg

Trained as a scientist, Tony Cragg creates art that investigates the natural world. Yet if his sculptures comment on such topics as molecular structure, the human vascular system, or the Newtonian light spectrum, it is his use of man-made forms (either found or constructed) that transforms them into complex meditations on contemporary life. Here Cragg has constructed steel elements on a granite base—two smooth-surfaced concave cylindrical forms and two elemental biomorphic shapes—that comment on the Ordovician geological era of 500 million years ago, when oxygen was introduced into the atmosphere. While the oxygen gave rise to terrestrial life, it simultaneously killed off the species of algae that had produced it. The close resemblance of the cylinders to the cooling towers of nuclear power plants perhaps suggests an analogous life-death conundrum for our own technological age.

"Ordovician Pore" by Tony Cragg - Final Sculpture Installed at Gold Medal Park

Friday
Sep182015

Parkway Closures for September 20

The following parkways will be temporarily closed September 20 for the Minneapolis Bike Tour, 7:30am-2:00pm

Grand Rounds, including - West River Parkway –Nokomis Parkway – Minnehaha Parkway – Lake Harriet Parkway – Lake Calhoun Parkway –Cedar Lake Parkway – Theodore Wirth Parkway – Webber-Victory Memorial Parkway – St Anthony Parkway – William Berry Parkway.

Each road section will open as the last biker rides through.

Course Map


*Please note that the duration of the closures is subject to change based on the event's start and finish times.

*A complete list of current and upcoming parkway closures is available online.

Wednesday
Sep162015

2nd Sculpture Installed at Gold Medal Park "Molecule" by Mark di Suveros

As reported earlier this year, Gold Medal Park will will be hosting 3 sculptures from the Walker Art Center during its remake of the sculpture garden. Yesterday the second was installed.

Molecule by Mark di Suveros

The monumental scale and sweeping gestures of this red-painted sculpture are characteristic of the enormous outdoor structures Mark di Suvero has been making since the 1970s, using cranes to manipulate the massive industrial materials with which he works. Here, a pair of enormous steel beams meet at their ends, creating a triangular form that tips at an alarmingly improbable angle. At the point of the beams’ juncture are sections of two flat, centerless discs. A longer beam forms the final leg of the tripod, but travels on some 38 feet into the air, piercing a third disc interwoven with the other two at the point of intersection. The cumulative effect recalls all the visual and emotive force we attach to the atomic world: dynamic, red-hot, powerful, and strangely elegant. Molecule, like all of di Suvero’s large-scale sculptures, invites the viewer to inspect its lines and spaces from every angle.

Molecule by Mark di Suveros at Gold Medal Park

Wednesday
Sep162015

Thursday Morning Artist Series Moves to MacPhail Center for Music for the 2015-2016 Season

Thursday Musical Announces its 2015-2016 Season
Thursday Morning Artist Series and Home Programs

MINNEAPOLIS/ST PAUL - Thursday Musical announces its 124th season for the Thursday Morning Artist Series, including Living Concert Notes with MPR announcer Steve Staruch and composer Libby Larsen, and the Home Programs.
 
HOME PROGRAMS
 
A time-honored tradition, the Home Programs are the heart of the organization’s membership community. Members of Thursday Musical on October 29, 2015 and April 26, 2016 will open their homes for a total of six programs to season subscribers/members for an intimate, “salon-style” concert experience. Programs will feature several returning performing members and one Thursday Musical debut by Jon wood, who recently has graduated from the University of St. Thomas in guitar performance. Complete schedule of Home Programs.
 
THURSDAY MORNING ARTIST SERIES

The Thursday Morning Artist Series has been presented since 1892 at 10:30 am on Thursdays. It is the organization’s longest-running recital and chamber music series with a legacy of featuring some of the most talented classical musicians in Minnesota. Programs are currently being held in the acoustically impressive Antonello Hall at MacPhail Center for Music and inside the beautiful architecture of the Wayzata Community Church, Wayzata.  Free coffee and donuts are provided in the lobby starting at 10:00 am served by members of Thursday Musical. Detailed program information will be announced throughout the season.

Kicking off the season is a free concert on October 8 that includes a preconcert reception at 9:30 am. On the program is French Canadian pianist Gabriel Quenneville-Bélair, who will have his Thursday Musical debut performing works by David McIntyre, Maurice Ravel, and Frédéric Chopin. Judith Ranheim, flute, and Dee Ann Crossley, piano, will perform Paul Hindemith’s Sonata for Flute and Piano. The sonata was composed in 1936 following Hindemith’s personal conflict with the Nazi regime and has been described as “laden with political innuendo and sarcasm.” The Lake String Quartet (Carol Margolis, violin, Nanette Scott Goldman, violin, Ingrid Koller, viola, and Daryl Carlson, cello) will perform one of only three string quartets composed by Brahms, the String Quartet No. 2 in A minor, Op. 51, No. 2.

Born in Montreal, Canada, Gabriel Quenneville-Bélair is a French Canadian pianist with a master’s degree in piano performance from the Conservatoire de Musique de Montréal. He is currently pursuing his Doctor of Musical Arts in piano performance at the University of Minnesota. Gabriel regularly performs in Canada and United-States, giving solo and chamber recitals, along with lectures on pianism. A fierce defender of contemporary music, Gabriel has premiered numerous works by living composers, including some that were dedicated to him. He has performed for festivals both in Canada and United-States and has frequently won top prizes and scholarships in several competitions.

Judith Ranheim, flute, is an active teacher, musician, and adjudicator. She holds undergraduate degrees from Luther College and graduate degrees from the University of Iowa. She served four years as the president of the Young Peoples Symphony Concert Association and has served on the board of directors of the Minnesota Orchestra.

Dee Ann Crossley has degrees in piano, choral music education, and music history from Cornell College and Smith College, with post graduate study in organ at Boston University and in Montreal. She taught piano at St. Paul Academy and Summit School for several years. For thirty-eight years, she was co-director of music and organist at Augustana Lutheran Church. Crossley is currently on the board of directors at the American Composers Forum and the Twin Cities Chapter of the American Guild of Organists.

Based in the Twin Cities, the Lake String Quartet (Carol Margolis, violin, Nanette Scott Goldman, violin, Ingrid Koller, viola, and Daryl Carlson, cello) has been an ensemble for more than 25 years.

Carol Margolis, violin, is a 25 year member of the Lake String Quartet and is currently the concertmistress of the Civic Orchestra of Minneapolis. She has performed with the Minnesota Opera, The State Fair Orchestra, Ruperts Club, Viennese Strings, and for several Broadway shows. She is a graduate of Grinnell College with a minor in violin performance, and has additional study in performance and pedagogy at the University of Minnesota with Shirley Santoro and Mary West.

Nanette Scott Goldman, violin and viola, is a long-time member of the Lake String Quartet. She currently performs with the Minnesota Sinfonia and, periodically, for the Guthrie Theater, Northrup Auditorium’s Ballet Series, and touring shows at the State Theater, Orpheum Theater, and Ordway Center for the Performing Arts. She has been a member of the Kenwood Symphony Orchestra and the Saint Paul Civic Symphony, serving six years as principal viola. Nanette has played with nationally recognized artists, ranging from classical to popular, including: Charlotte Church, Luciano Pavarotti, Sarah Brightman, Lyle Lovett, Led Zeppelin, The Who, Josh Groban, and Prince. Nanette can be heard on several TV and radio commercials, as well as the recordings of local artists the Honeydogs and the Hornheads. Nanette is a professor of classical languages at Macalester College.

Ingrid Koller, violin and viola, has been a member of the Lake String Quartet for 17 years. She has previously performed with the Saint Paul Civic Symphony, First Unitarian Society Orchestra, and the Anoka Opera Ensemble. Ingrid is a founder and co-director of the Early Bird String Academy and a member of the rock group EDGE. She holds a BM in viola performance from the University of Minnesota.

Founder of the Lake String Quartet, Daryl Carlson, cello, has performed with several ensembles and orchestras in the Twin Cities area, including as principal cellist with the Augsburg College Orchestra, the Little Symphony of Minneapolis, and Allegro Sinfonia and as section cellist with the Civic Orchestra of Minneapolis and Bloomington Symphony. He has also performed in the Schubert Club’s Metropolitan Artist Series, and in various films, audio, and stage productions for Prince, the Dixie Chicks, and the former Theatre de la Jeune Lune. As a teacher, he maintains an active private studio of cello students.

FULL SCHEDULE (Unless noted otherwise, venue is MacPhail.)

Thursday, October 8, 2015
Opening Concert - Free admittance
Judith Ranheim, flute and Dee Ann Crossley, piano
Gabriel Quenneville-Bélair, piano* (Thursday Musical debut)
Lake String Quartet
Carol Margolis, violin, Nanette Scott Goldman, violin, Ingrid Koller, viola and Daryl Carlson, cello

Thursday, October 22, 2015
Christina Waldron, piano - Young Artist Scholarship Competition Winner 2015
The WolfGang
Stanley King, classical oboe, Mary Sorlie, classical violin, Jennifer Kalika, classical viola and Laura Handler, classical cello
Jeana Ogren, piano
Colleen Meier, soprano

Thursday, November 5, 2015
Living Concert Notes with Moderator Steve Staruch, MPR
Anastasiya Nyzkodub, clarinet - Young Artist Scholarship Competition Winner 2015
Mark Bussey, guitar
Coca Bochonko, viola
Susan Hellerud, piano

Thursday, November 19, 2015
Jared Waln, guitar - Young Artist Scholarship Competition Winner 2015
Ona Pinsonneault, clarinet
Marion Judish, violin
Herbert Johnson, piano

Thursday, December 3, 2015
Wayzata Community Church
David Holmes, cello
Diana Lee Lucker, organ
Monica Murray, soprano

Thursday, January 21, 2016
Bach Concert
Timothy Perry, cello
Gail Olszewski, harpsichord
Jennifer Sylvester, soprano

Thursday, February 4, 2016
MacPhail Center for Music
Living Concert Notes with Moderator Libby Larsen, composer
Semada Trio
Dana Donnay, oboe, Matthew Bertrand, bassoon and Seth Engelby, piano
Nicolla Melville, piano
Charles Wazanowski, tuba

Thursday, February 18, 2016
Arjun Ganguly, viola - Young Artist Scholarship Competition Winner 2015
Northern Lights String Quartet
Carolyn Liptak, violin, Kathryn Christie, violin, Jennifer Thomas, viola and David Holmes, cello
Debra Gilroy, soprano
Megan Wallace, piano

Thursday, March 3, 2016
Amanda Chan, piano - Young Artist Scholarship Competition Winner 2015
Beth Winterfeldt, piano
The Bishop String Trio
Meredith Vaughan, violin, Katie Ekberg, viola and Carlynn Savot, cello
Karen Rognsvoog - music and film

Thursday, March 17, 2016
Faith Farr, cello
Beth Blackledge, flute
Suzanne Kennedy, mezzo-soprano

Thursday, April 14, 2016
Rie Tanaka, piano - Young Artist Scholarship Competition Winner 2015
Mitch Blatt, clarinet
Melissa Culloton, mezzo-soprano
Mimi Tung, piano

Thursday, April 28, 2016
Elizabeth Kleiber, flute - Young Artist Scholarship Competition Winner 2015
Amy Morris, flute
Robin Helgen, soprano
Elliott Wilcox, piano

Detailed program information will be released throughout the season. Programs and artists are subject to change.

Tuesday
Sep152015

CenterPoint Energy's 4th Street Update

Crews from Michels Corporation, an authorized CenterPoint contractor, continue installing natural gas distribution pipe along 4th Street in the following locations:

From 1st Avenue N. to Hennepin Avenue:
• Beginning today, the northern and southern parking lanes and one southern driving lane will be closed.
• Crews will begin installing pipe along this block tomorrow, Wednesday, September 16.
• Please anticipate crews to return to the intersection of 1st Avenue N. and 4th Street N. this coming weekend.
 
From Marquette Avenue S to Nicollet Mall:
• Crews completed current pipe installation along this block. Please expect construction to resume in the coming weeks.
• Beginning today, crews will begin construction at the intersection of 4th Street S. and Nicollet Mall.

Three lanes of traffic on 4th Street, from 2nd Avenue N. to Marquette Avenue S., will remain open during rush hour and reducing to two lanes between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.

Please drive slowly and use caution in the areas of construction. Please note that businesses will be open during construction. For more information, please visit our website. Thank you.

Tuesday
Sep152015

This is the Last Week of Summer Activities and Events at the Piazza on the Mall!

Piazza on the Mall

Thanks everyone for another great summer full of fun, free community activities and events at the Piazza!  We hope you will come join us for our last week with a Social Jam Session and Yoga fitness class.  Thank you to all of our performers, instructors and attendees who contributed to the Piazza's summer success.

Social Jam Session - Thursday, September 17, 7:00-9:00pm

Come join Ross Hackenmiller Music for the eighth and last summer Social Jam Session. These sessions are a fun way to do some outdoor improvised music-making at the Piazza!  We'll have a stack of random percussion and noisemakers waiting to be played. Please feel free to bring your own too.

Free Yoga! - Saturday, September 19, 10:00-11:00am

Interested in free outdoor yoga?  Come out for the sixteenth and last of our weekly yoga classes each Saturday morning, brought to you by Yess Yoga.  All skill and experience levels are welcome.  Please bring your own yoga mats.

For more information contact Max Musicant at max@musicantgroup.com or 612-584-9442.

Monday
Sep142015

Nosy Neighbor Tour - Eastside  Restaurant

Reader Julie Craven toured the soon to open Eastside Restaurant on a "Nosy Neighbor" tour with Mill City Commons, here's the inside scoop from Julie:

Eastside restaurant isn't quite open for business, but Executive Chef Remy Pettus and General Manager Tyler Lineburg gave Mill City Commons members a sneak peak last week. The restaurant, located at 3rd and Washington Avenue, in the Latitude 45 building, is the latest project by Ryan Burnet, known for Minneapolis restaurant favorites that include Barrio, Bar La Grassa and Burch Steak & Pizza.

The centerpiece for the 164 seat restaurant is a wood-burning brick oven, so large it was installed first, and the restaurant was then built around it. There are two private dining areas, one adjacent to the kitchen called the Chefs Table and the other, larger room features street views and seats 30.  Windows lining the bar area will open to the outside for patio dining guests. Pettus highlighted the seating, including two, high top tables in the center of the restaurant that he described as "the kitchen tables and the best seats in the house."  Pettus went on to describe the fare as fresh and simply prepared for what he described as a "fun, young American take on a brasserie."

The website is being finalized and Eastside will begin taking reservations on September 21st. Opening date is set for September 29th.

Sunday
Sep132015

Week 19 at the 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

September 12 was hands down one of the loveliest days weather-wise of the 2015 season.  Plenty of sun with just a hint of fall in the air.

September 12, 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

September 12, 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

September 12, 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

September 12, 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

September 12, 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

Wedge Community Co-op was the September 12 Community Booth.  They sampled a Brussels Sprout and Celeriac Slaw with Maple Glazed Pepitas. Leah Korger, Catering Kitchen Supervisor, also prepared the slaw at the Mill City Cooks demo.

September 12, 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

September 12, 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

September 12, 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

September 12, 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

September 12, 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

September 12, 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

Chef Heather Hartman was busy working on food prep for the annual Mill City Farmers Market Harvest Social, taking place September 13 in the train shed.

September 12, 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

September 12, 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

September 12, 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

September 12, 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

September 12, 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

September 12, 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

September 12, 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

The multigrain bread from Salty Tart is a work of art.

September 12, 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

September 12, 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

September 12, 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

September 12, 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

September 12, 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

September 12, 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

September 12, 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

September 12, 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

September 12, 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

September 12, 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

September 12, 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

September 12, 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

September 12, 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

September 12, 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

Got my eye on a new winter wrap from ArtAndes.  Meet the women weavers and watch them work their craft at next week's Market!

September 12, 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

September 12, 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

September 12, 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

September 12, 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

Every baby needs a hat!

September 12, 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

September 12, 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

September 12, 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

The goat!

September 12, 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

Be sure to attend the 10a Heritage Bread Festival at the September 19 Market! Learn about bread-making and taste samples. Sponsored by Sunrise Flour Mill.

September 12, 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

Saturday
Sep122015

1st Sculpture installed at Gold Medal Park "Prophecy of the Ancients" by Brower Hatcher

As reported earlier this year, Gold Medal Park will will be hosting 3 sculptures from the Walker Art Center during it's remake of the sculpture garden. Late this week the first was installed.

Prophecy of the Ancients by Brower Hatcher

Brower Hatcher was trained in engineering and industrial design before he turned to sculpture in the early 1970s. In his stone and steel-mesh sculpture for the Garden, he melds the logic of an engineer with a visionary’s impulse to transcend time and space. A futuristic dome, composed of thousands of flexible wire polyhedrons, rests atop six mock-Egyptian columns in a blend of ancient and modern architectural styles. Embedded within the structure and seeming to hover in space are an assortment of common objects and abstract forms: a table, a ladder, a chair, a turtle (whose patterned shell recalls the gridded structure of the dome), random letters, numbers, discs, and dashes. Hatcher offers up these private symbols for universal interpretation, as viewers are inspired to construct their own meanings from the galaxy of images suspended above them.

Prophecy of the Ancients by Brower Hatcher at Gold Medal Park

Friday
Sep112015

Parkway Closures for September 12

The following parkways will be temporarily closed September 12 for Mill City Suds Run - 8:30am-1:00pm:

Main Street - From Hennepin Ave to 6th Ave SE
West River Parkway - From Portland Ave to Plymouth Ave
Plymouth Bridge and Stone Arch Bridge

Course Map

Thursday
Sep102015

2015 Ramen Attack: Heroes Edition

Zen Box Izakaya presents 2015 Ramen Attack: Heroes Edition

Date: Sunday, September 27
Location: Mill City Museum Train Shed
Time: 12:00pm to 5:00pm (Rain or Shine)

What is Ramen Attack?
Ramen Attack is a free festival for all ages celebrating a unique combination of both Japanese and Twin Cities food and culture. The event donates net proceeds from food and beverage sales to the Children’s Cancer Research Fund, a Minnesota-based nonprofit organization.

Why should I attend Ramen Attack: Heroes Edition?
Delicious food, great drinks, and amazing entertainment are all unique parts of our event. But the most important reason to attend is to be a hero for children with cancer and support Children’s Cancer Research Fund.

Do I need a ticket to attend?
No - event entry is free! Food and beverage, however, are not free.
(Regular admission required to visit Museum exhibits)

How much do food & beverage cost?
Food and beverage tickets will be sold in Ramen Attack Passports.

Ramen Attack Passports are on sale for $40 (a $55 value) and contain:
•2 Ramen tickets
•1 Street Snack ticket
•2 Beverage tickets (soda for all, beer for 21+ - must show valid ID)
•Up to 2 alcohol wristbands for 21+ attendees (must show valid ID to receive wristband)
•1 Dessert ticket
•1 free Mill City Museum Exhibits entry
•Entry form for Ramen Attack prize giveaways

Do I need to buy a Passport in advance?
Yes! Due to space, time, and travel, our guest chefs will produce a finite amount of delicious food. We can’t guarantee that ramen or street snacks will still be available for purchase on the day of the event, so purchasing a Passport is the only way to ensure you won’t miss out.

How do I pick up my Passport?
Passports will be available for pick up at Mill City Museum beginning at 11:30 am on the day of the event. A photo ID is required to pick up Passports. A photo ID is also required for anyone 21+ who intends to use his or her Beverage tickets for alcohol.

Please note that Passports will not be available for pick up anytime before 11:30 am on Sunday, September 27. While you are welcome to arrive early, we will not begin Passport distribution until 11:30 am and you will be asked to wait in line until distribution begins.

Will tickets be available to purchase at the event?
We can’t guarantee that ramen or street snacks will still be available for purchase on the day of the event. A limited number of tickets may be available, but we wouldn’t risk it - we highly recommend that attendees pre-purchase a Passport. Beer, soda, and water will be available for purchase onsite.

What else should I know about drinking alcohol at the event?
In order to comply with liquor licensing laws, attendees ages 21+ will be required to wear a wristband. We are requesting a $1 cash donation to CCRF to cover the cost of wristbands.
 
What is the weather policy?
Rain or shine! There are no refunds on tickets or Passports and we will celebrate regardless of weather.

Who will be cooking?
We have an amazing group of guest chefs from across the country:
•Keizo Shimamoto, Ramen Shack in New York City
•Justin Carlisle, Red Light Ramen by Ardent in Milwaukee
•Jorge Guzman, Surly Brewer's Table in Minneapolis
•Jack Reibel, Il Foro & Paddy Shack in Minneapolis
•John Ng, Zen Box Izakaya in Minneapolis

Several chefs will also offer cooking demonstrations:
•Kenshiro Uki, Ramen Lab & Sun Noodle in New York City
•Diane Yang, Spoon & Stable in Minneapolis
•Thomas Boemer, Corner Table & Revival in Minneapolis

Attendees who have purchased passports are required to use the Mill City Museum Exhibits entry ticket in their passports to view the chef demonstrations. Attendees without passports will be required to purchase Mill City Museum Exhibits entry to view these demonstrations.

What else can I find at the festival?
•Artisan ice lollies from FrioFrio MN
•Brews from Asahi Beer and Surly Brewing Co.
•Kaishin Dojo Japanese Fencing Group
•Mu Daiko Drum Performance Group
•Seven Dragons Japanese Swords Group
•Music by DJ Steez

Is my registration/ticket transferable?
Yes! Feel free to transfer it to a friend, as long as they have the printed ticket. The recipient of the transferred ticket must also be 21+ and present their valid photo ID.

What other information do I need to know about Ramen Attack: Heroes Edition?
In the event that ramen and/or street snack tickets are available for purchase onsite, these sales will be CASH ONLY. All onsite beverage sales for beer, soda, and water will also be CASH ONLY. There is one ATM at Mill City Museum in the Gift Shop. We recommend that you bring cash if you plan to purchase additional beverages onsite.

Ramen options and availability are subject to change without prior notice and on a first-come-first-served basis, while supplies last.

Limited metered street parking is available near the event. There are also several parking ramps. Detailed parking information is available at http://www.millcitymuseum.org/directions

No pets are allowed on Mill City Museum property. (Only Certified Service Animals are allowed in the Museum grounds)
No outside food or beverage is allowed.

Please send an email with your questions to info@zenboxizakaya.com

Wednesday
Sep092015

CANCELED: Tonight's DMNA Meeting

NOTICE OF CANCELLATION - TONIGHT'S MEETING AT OPEN BOOK

From the DMNA (Downtown Minneapolis Neighborhood Association):


- The September 9th & 10th engagement meetings have been canceled.

- The September 21st vote on the proposal to form two independent neighborhood associations has been canceled.

Based on feedback received during the August engagement meetings as well as lack of board consensus on how to proceed, it has been decided that the process to hold a vote on forming two independent neighborhood associations will be suspended indefinitely.

From Chad DiDonato, DMNA Chair: "I listened to feedback from our members during the first two outreach and engagement meetings. After working directly with City of Minneapolis NCR on a potential solution which included a vote on a potential boundary change, I presented it to the Board. In order to move forward I believed an unanimous consensus from the Board was needed. We almost had full consensus but since we did not, I recommended we stop the process immediately. I want to thank every member who became involved in the process as we truly value your opinions."

Wednesday
Sep092015

New Design Details for "The Commons" [Download]

Recently presented to the planning commission, download here (note: 12mb file size)

Tuesday
Sep082015

Thursday Night at Piazza on the Mall

Thursday, September 10th, 5:30pm, FREE Tango Dance Lessons and Argentine Music with Lois Donnay.

Come out on Thursday evening and join us for live Argentine tango music and performances. Enjoy the sultry dance of tango and watch as both traditional and modern tango are presented.  During and following the dance and performance, dancers will be providing group tango lessons for the audience so be sure to bring your dance shoes!

Piazza on the Mall is located at 1221 Nicollet Avenue.  Like the Piazza on Facebook, follow the Piazza on Twitter.

Tuesday
Sep082015

Creative City Market: Celebrating the Art of Making in Minneapolis

The final Creative City Market will be held on Thursday, September 10, 4-9pm, at the Minneapolis Convention Center Plaza (1301 2nd Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55403).

Creative City Market is a free monthly experience in the heart of downtown that celebrates the act of making. Each month the public is invited to the Minneapolis Convention Center Plaza to participate in an evening under the setting sun surrounded by Minnesota-made art, wares, and interactive experiences.

•Learn how to preserve food through fermentation and discuss self sufficiency with Jess Hirsch and Ginny Sims
•Listen to neo-soul by singer PaviElle
•Watch Somalia's Balloon, a storytelling play about Somalia's colonial history by Ifrah Mansour
•Enjoy a screening of MN Made MSPIFF film Medicine of the Wolf, where filmmaker Julia Huffman travels into the wolf country of Minnesota to pursue the deep intrinsic value of brother wolf and our forgotten promise to him, presented by the Film Society of Minneapolis St. Paul
•Hang out at mini_polis, winner of the 2015 Creative City Challenge
•Browse original goods created by local artists and creators
•Enjoy craft beer selections on the lawn from the Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild and the Craft Bar & Lounge
•A grill station and fresh MN-grown roasted corn
•Experience live music and performances
•Relax, play, and linger on the central lawn

Survey seekers
We are looking for survey seekers for these events. A small stipend will be available on a first-come-first-served basis. If you are interested in being a survey seeker, please contact volunteers@northern.lights.mn for more information.