Music
Emilia Mettenbrink and the Eclectic Whirlwind will perform from 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, July 21, under the north end of the bridge that carries Hamline Avenue over Ayd Mill Road. Admission is free. Bring a lawn chair or blanket, and enjoy the tunes.
Summer Sunlight, a series of free outdoor concerts, is being presented on West Seventh Place in downtown Saint Paul. Cosponsored by Park Square Theatre and the Saint Paul Downtown Alliance, the schedule includes Full Circle Theater Company in a remake of Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Mikado at noon July 22; and Ready Freddie in “A Queen Experience,” at 4:30 p.m. August 5. Visit parksquaretheatre.org.
Music as free as the fresh air in which it is performed is being presented at 7 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays in Minnehaha Falls Park, 4801 S. Minnehaha Drive. The schedule includes Mother Banjo on July 22; Eli Gardiner, July 23; Yo Jimbo Jazz, July 29; Trevor McSpadden, July 30; the Strum Brothers, August 5; and Kung Fu Hippies, August 6. Visit mplsmusicandmovies.com.
Como Lakeside Pavilion, 1360 N. Lexington Pkwy., will host the following free concerts. The shows are free unless otherwise indicated: Minnesota Sinfonia, 7 p.m. July 22; Hopkins Westwind Concert Band at 3 p.m. and Open Pages Presents Lydia Wagner at 7 p.m. July 25; Vox Nova Chorale, 7 p.m. July 26; Saint Anthony Park Community Band, 7 p.m. July 27; John Philip Sousa Memorial Band, 6:30 p.m. August 1; Twin Cities Show Chorus, 7 p.m. August 3; Minnesota State Band, 7 p.m. August 4; WindJammer Concert Band, 7 p.m. August 5; and Choir-aoke with Kith + Kin, 7 p.m. August 6 ($5 donation).
Music from the Porch, a four-week series of free concerts from the front porch of Landmark Center, will return at noon on Wednesdays. Bring a lawn chair, a bag lunch, and enjoy the music of multi-instrumental folk artist Michael Monroe, July 21; Red Hot Django Peppers, July 28; and singer Lee Engele, August 4. In case of rain, the concerts will be held in Landmark Center’s atrium. Visit landmarkcenter.org.
Live from Louisiana, the Cajun band Jourdan Thibodeaux et des Rodallieurs will perform from 7-10 p.m. Thursday, August 5, at the Eagles Club, 2507 E. 25th Street in Minneapolis. The doors open at 6:30 p.m. Admission is $15.
Books
A free poetry workshop will be offered from 10 a.m.-noon on Saturday, August 7, outside of the East Side Freedom Library, 110 Greenbrier St. Bring a lawn chair or blanket and about five copies of a poem to the workshop, which is sponsored by Cracked Walnut. For more information, email Donna Isaac at donna@donnaisaacpoet.com.
Family
Madagascar: A Musical Adventure Jr., a stage adaptation of the film, will be performed outside from July 27 through August 8 on Seventh Place between Saint Peter and Wabasha streets. The SteppingStone Theatre production tells of four friends who embark on a high-stakes adventure. Performances are at 10 a.m., noon, 2 and 4 p.m. on select Saturdays and Sundays. Tickets are $12 and $16. Visit steppingstonetheatre.org.
Circus Juventas’ summer spectacular, the outer space adventure Galaxium will blast off from July 30 through August 15 under the big top at 1270 Montreal Ave. In 16 public performances, the circus’ most advanced students will lead audiences to a lush planet on the edge of the universe where they uncover the answer to an age-old question. Show times are 1 and 7 p.m. Thursdays through Sundays. Ticket are $30-$50, free for children age 2 and under on a lap. All CDC COVID safety protocols will be followed. Visit circusjuventas.org.
Film
Free movies are rolling at dusk this summer in Minneapolis parks. The schedule includes Harriet (PG-13) on July 23 at the Lake Harriet Bandshell; The Goonies (PG-13), July 29, Keewaydin Park, 3030 E. 53rd St.; and Little Shop of Horrors (1986, PG-13), August 6, Lake Harriet Bandshell. Visit mplsmusicandmovies.com.
Theater
Hair: The Concert Experience, a joyous concert version of the 1960s musical drama that launched Theatre 55 three years ago, will return at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday, July 23-25, in the amphitheater of Caponi Art Park, 1220 Diffley Road in Eagan. Bring your own lawn chair or blanket, beverages and snacks and sing and dance to the live soundtrack performed by the cast and a four-piece band. Tickets are $8 for individuals, $20 for car loads and $50 for van loads. For reservations, visit theatre55.org.
Minnesota Fringe Fest, the 28th annual performing arts festival, returns August 5-15 with over 125 shows, including 13 in-person, 27 live-streamed and 65-plus recorded online shows. For ticket information, the complete schedule and links to the online shows, visit minnesotafringe.org.
Dance
South Minneapolis’ Zorongo Flamenco Dance Threatre and School will present a free show at 7 p.m. Friday, July 23, at Como Lakeside Pavilion, 1360 N. Lexington Pkwy. “Volvemos (We Return)” will feature Twin Cities flamenco guitarists, singers and dancers from Zorongo Flamenco, Anda Flamenco and Sachiko “La Chayí” Flamenco.
Exhibits
“After Promontory: 150 Years of Transcontinental Railroading,” historical photographs that illustrate the lasting impact of the transcontinental railroads in the American West, are on view through August 31 in the Head House of Saint Paul’s historic Union Depot, Fourth and Sibley streets. More than 60 images by such photographers as William Henry Jackson, Timothy H. O’Sullivan and Carleton E. Watkins are included in the free exhibit. A photographic history of Union Depot and railroading in Minnesota is also featured. Visit uniondepot.org.
Free walking tours in and around downtown Saint Paul are being offered at 10 a.m. on Wednesdays this summer by Landmark Center. The schedule includes the Rice Park area on July 21, August 4 and 18; and the Great River Tour on July 28, August 11 and 25. Tours are limited to 10 participants. Reservations are required. Visit landmarkcenter.org or call Sydney at 651-292-3063.
Photographer Joe Linn is displaying his landscapes, cityscapes, astrophotography and macrophotography through August 1 at the Argyle Zebra Gallery, 308 Prince St. The gallery is open from 5-8 p.m. on Fridays and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Linn will be in the gallery to discuss his art from 1-3 p.m. Sunday, August 1. Visit theazgallery.org or joelinnphoto.com.
The Truly Unruly Fiber Art Collective is displaying its diverse creations through August 29 in the North Gallery of Landmark Center. “Following the Thread” combines traditional and contemporary quilting stitchery with unique fabric treatments. Admission is free and open to all during regular building hours. Visit landmarkcenter.org or call 651-292-3063.
The Catherine G. Murphy Gallery at Saint Catherine University is displaying the creations of 17 members of the 2021 Women’s Art Institute Summer Studio Intensive. Participating artists include Courtney Miller Bellairs, Heather Abel Kemper, Tina Chagnon Anderson, Shannon Dallenbach Durbin, Kylee Danks, Christy Dickinson, Blue Edwards, Mary Gallagher, Susan Gangsei, Georgia A. Greeley, Alyssa Hahn, Lin Lacy, Ellie Leonard, Megan McNinch, Sydney Ockenga, Rebecca Oehler and Amy Usdin. Their art is on view from 1-6 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays through July 31. Visit gallery.stkate.edu.
“Many Waters: A Minnesota Biennial,” illustrating the ways in which artists across the state are engaging with water, will be displayed from July 24 through October 2 in the Minnesota Museum of American Art’s window galleries at Robert and Fourth streets, at its skyway entrance and at NewStudio Gallery, 2303 Wycliff St. Zamara Cuyun’s kaleidoscopic painting “Midwife” reflects on the relationship between women and water as life givers and sustainers. Karen Goulet’s quilt honors the journeys of her Ojibwe, Métis and Sámi-Finnish ancestors.Presley Martin’s sculpture is made up of hundreds of pieces of foam collected from the banks of the Mississippi. An opening reception will be held from 5-8 p.m. Saturday, July 31, at NewStudio Gallery. Visit mmaa.org and newstudiogallery.com.
Mill City Museum, 704 Second St. S. in Minneapolis, is offering a series of programs on the history of the area. Guided walking and bike tours of the Minneapolis riverfront, historic Main Street, local labor history and Codswallop: Fact vs. Fiction are being held on weekends through September. The tours cost $14-$20. Open Courtyard Family Days with hands-on activities, exhibits, puppet shows and take-home crafts will answer the question, What Makes Minneapolis Minneapolis?, on August 14 and 15. Visit millcitymuseum.org.
Et cetera
Highland’s old pool house at Montreal Avenue and Edgcumbe Road will be the site of a summer celebration from 6-11 p.m. on Thursday, August 5. Cosponsored by the Highland District Council (HDC) and the Highland Business Association, the free event will feature lawn games, live music by Lena and the Love Kills, hands-on art activities, Open Eye Figure Theater’s The Amazing Cowboat puppet show, and the 2020 movie The War With Grandpa. Refreshments will be offered by the Rustic Chef food truck and the Cold Front ice cream shop. Attendees should bring their own lawn chairs. Changes due to inclement weather will be posted on the HDC’s Facebook page.
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