Aquatennial, ArtCars, Night Markets: This Week’s Best Events

Welcome to Event Horizon, your weekly roundup of the best events in Minneapolis, St. Paul, and beyond. 

TUESDAY 7.23

Wesli

Cedar Cultural Center

On his 2022 album, Tradisyon, this Haitian-born Canadian shows off a sweet voice with a Caribbean roughness to its grain while adapting to a broad range of rhythms. Wesli’s upcoming album, Tradisyon Volume 2, due out this year, ha been preceded by the sinuous single “Blackman Samba.” This is part of the “Summer at the Cedar” series, which means it’s outdoors, and in addition to the regular Cedar concessions, there will be food from Tamu Grill and desserts from Nader Persian Restaurant. On the right day, sounds like just the way to make a Tuesday something special. Free. 6 p.m. 416 Cedar Ave., Minneapolis; find more info here.—Keith Harris

NE Farmers Market After Dark

Bauhaus Brew Labs

If you’re a night owl like me, it can sometimes be difficult to rally at the butt crack of dawn for a farmers market. So this monthly event at Bauhaus is for us, folks! The Northeast Farmers Market gang is hosting this summer series, so there should be a good mix of locally grown greens and other garden goods, artisan pantry eats, tasty treats (including vegan oatmeal cream sammies), and creative makers. Best of all, you can do it with a beer in hand and there’s usually live music at this thing. Upcoming dates: August 27, September 24, October 22. Free. 6-9 p.m. 1315 Tyler St. NE, Minneapolis.—Jessica Armbruster

WEDNESDAY 7.24

Minneapolis Aquatennial

Various Locations

Minneapolis’s big old love letter to water is back for another three days of fun. Although the theme is “water,” most events are pretty dang dry. There's the Torchlight Parade (Wed.), a night-time illuminated march through downtown. There’ll be free yoga in the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden (Fri.) and Carifest (Sat.), a festival celebrating Caribbean culture. There will be markets, sporting events, a family fair in Loring Park (Wed.), and AquaJam (Sat.), featuring skateboarder tricks (near the water, natch). It all ends with a big fireworks show on the Mississippi on Saturday. Events are free; check out aquatennial.com for more details. Through Saturday—Jessica Armbruster

THURSDAY 7.25

Catalyst Birthday Bash

The Garage

Like a lot of us, the folks at Catalyst Music, who operate the all-ages space The Garage in Burnsville and provide all sorts of youth music education programs, have had a rough couple years. There was, you know, the pandemic. And not only did their attempt at a second venue in St. Paul, The Treasury, closed shop after a short run, but equipment was stolen from the joint as they were shutting it down. They’re celebrating their ninth year as a non-profit tonight, but this party is also a much-needed fundraiser—they’re looking to raise $20K by the end of the month, and they’ve got a matching donor, so every buck you give is actually $2. The lineup tonight includes Stunt Horse Drama, FINICK, and Sam Joson. $6.18. 6:30 p.m. 75 Civic Center Parkway, Burnsville; find more info here.—Keith Harris

Sheila E. and the E-Train

Dakota

Though she’ll always be associated with Prince (an association she’s never shunned), Sheila Escovedo remains a great drummer and a great bandleader in her own right. She released the first Spanish language album of her career, Bailar, in April, and it’s a hot salsa affair with guest vocalists including eminences such as Rubén Blades and Gloria Estefan. Let’s try to set aside that recent incident where she wasn’t let in to Paisley Park and just get into the groove, OK? $65-$75. 6:30 & 9 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. 1010 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis; find more info here. Through Saturday—Keith Harris

FRIDAY 7.26

Palmfest

Palmer’s

Fests! They’re not just for superstars on sprawling concert grounds! The West Bank’s last-dive-standing is set to cram 40 bands into three days, and unless it rains, you’ll get to lounge and carouse on the lovely Palmvillion. (I just came up with that term for the Palmer’s patio myself, and am willing to license it for a small fee.) The names will be familiar to most Palmers-goers: Cindy Lawson, Monica LaPlante, Shaq-approved Murf, Christy Costello, the Black Widows, Racket-approved Scrunchies, and more. Am I just listing performers here? I am! They’re worth listing! There are no advance tickets sold—pay when you get to the door. $10 each day. 5 p.m. to midnight Fri.; 11:30 a.m. to midnight Sat.-Sun. 500 Cedar Ave., Minneapolis; find complete listings and other info here. Through Sunday—Keith Harris

SATURDAY 7.27

ArtCars + ArtBikes Parade

Lyndale Park Rose Gardens

Beep beep! That, my friends, is the sound of art cars parading around the Rose Gardens as they’ve done for 29 years. We’re talkin’ cars festooned with crazy crap like corks, keyboards, seashells, oceans of paint, and even antlers; we’re talkin’ bikes that appear more like fish, and tall bikes as towering as four standard, non-tall bikes. Or, as organizers MPLSART put it ahead of the 30th annual parade: "ArtCars and ArtBikes are a symbol of the freedom of expression. The car and the bike are the canvas! Driving an ArtCar or riding an ArtBike encourages people to express themselves on a daily basis, these works of art open up dialogues and create community connections." Sounds agreeable to us! Free. 4 p.m. 4124 Roseway Rd., Minneapolis; find more info here.—Jay Boller

Remember 1934

Wabun Picnic Area

If you’re an annoying occasional labor reporter like me, you talk about Bloody Friday any chance you get, and you’re surprised by how few Minneapolitians are even aware of the deadly labor movement flashpoint that happened in our own backyard. That’s what this collection of events commemorating the 90th anniversary of the truckers’ strike is all about. Things kick off Friday with a film screening and discussion at St. Paul’s East Side Freedom Library. On Saturday, the marquee remembrance event—a pro-labor picnic near Minnehaha Falls—will feature speakers (including descendants of the strikers), food, music, and exhibits. And on Sunday a fundraiser bike ride for  Socialist Alternative will take riders from strike HQ at 1900 Chicago Ave. to the plaque commemorating Bloody Friday in the heart of the now-bougie North Loop. The “1934 & Now” gallery exhibit at Minneapolis Central Library, which opened in early June, is now in its final week. But hey, if you miss it, this beautiful piece is readily accessible and shareable 24/7. Find more info on all Remember 1934 events here.—Jay Boller 

Inside Out Block Party 

Pillsbury House + Theatre

It’s not a summer weekend in the Twin Cities unless you’ve stopped by a free parking lot party, and this Pillsbury House event is a good one. Now in its third year, at Inside Out (no relation to the Pixar flick) guests will be able to snack on free food, shop at the local artists’ market, do some roller skating, and listen to live broadcasts from KRSM Radio. They’re also celebrating construction this Saturday, which may seem counterintuitive, but it’s the good kind of construction: Soon the space will be expanding and rebranding as Pillsbury Creative Commons, with a focus towards nurturing the local arts economy and further investing in creative endeavors. Free. 1-5 p.m. 3501 Chicago Ave., Minneapolis.—Jessica Armbruster

Dog Days of Summer

Broken Clock Brewing Collective

If your pup is friendly and well-behaved, they’ve probably already attended a few festivals this summer. But this event at Broken Clock isn’t just dog-friendly, it’s for dogs. Paws-on activities throughout the day include a doggie painting station, where pets will be making art; a dog olympics, where pups will compete in silly feats like plate cleaning and bobbing for apples; kiddie pools to keep furry friends cool; and a costume contest for fashionable canines. Human activities include beer, a hot dog bar, more beer, a pet vendors’ mart, more beer, adoptable dogs, and beer. Free. Noon to 6 p.m. 3134 California St. NE, Minneapolis.—Jessica Armbruster

Loring Park Art Festival

Loring Park

For years, these three art shows were a summertime juggernaut, coming together like a massive art Voltron set on taking over our neighborhoods. But things are changing, and the band is (kinda) breaking up. Loring Park has struck out on its own the past few years, moving its date up a week. Over the next two days, visitors will be able to shop from 150 artists and makers, and there will be a culinary arts market as well. Kids’ activities will abound throughout the park, and multiple stages in the park will host music and performances. Find more info on the event here. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sat.; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sun. 1384 Willow St., Minneapolis. Through Sunday—Jessica Armbruster

RiffTrax Live

State Theatre

You know you love the locally launched boys—Michael J. Nelson, Kevin Murphy, and Bill Corbett—from Mystery Science Theater 3000. Tonight, they’ll riff live on 1991’s indispensable surfing thriller, the Kathryn Bigelow-directed Point Break. “Point Break is possibly the most ’90s movie ever made and undoubtedly the pinnacle of the ‘FBI infiltrates bank robber gang through surfing’ genre,” the RiffTrax crew writes of the Swayze/Reeves joint. “We promise the laughs will be as extreme as the action.” Hard to argue with that. Want some homework before the show? Read this recent New Yorker reappraisal of Point Break, in which critic Jackson Arn argues: “By pushing plot, image, and language to their limits, the film reveals the fundamental strangeness of the American action movie.” As a recent Point Break re-watcher myself, I gotta agree. $49.75-$139.75. 7 p.m. 805 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis; find more info here.—Jay Boller 

SUNDAY 7.28

Twin Cities Plant-Based Bike Crawl

Reverie Cafe + Bar

Vegan, veggie, and plant-curious bike riders: This crawl is for you. Hosted by Compassionate Action for Animals as a benefit for Veg Fest, this recreationally paced ride will take folks on a short (12 miles) or longer (30 miles) jaunt to sample plant-based eats around town, including stops at Reverie, Herbie Butcher’s Fried Chicken, Trio, and, if you take the longer route, Francis Plant-Based Burgers. A free afterparty is open to everyone; guests can shop plant-based vendors, play carnival games, and enjoy rock tunes from the Sunshapes. $75; $150 VIP; free afterparty. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; 3 p.m. after party. 1517 E. 35th St., Minneapolis; find more details here.—Jessica Armbruster

ONGOING

Liz Goes Boom!

The Heights

In the mid ’60s, dissatisfied with her career and ready to take chances, Elizabeth Taylor began actively seeking out directors she wanted to work with and roles she wanted to play. This effort resulted in what the Heights is calling her ”five insane masterpieces.” The earliest of these you probably know: Watching a middle-aged, alcoholic wife and husband (Taylor and her frequent husband, Richard Burton) joust with each other and torment a younger couple over the course of an evening in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? remains a wonderfully excruciating experience. The other four films in the series rarely screen anywhere. Reflections of a Golden Eye is a John Huston film adapted from a Carson McCullers novel that places Taylor opposite Marlon Brando. Andy Warhol appears in The Driver’s Seat (Identikit), a 1974 adaptation of a Muriel Spark novella that broke audience brains at the time. Secret Ceremony is one of two collaborations with director Joseph Losey that will be screening, the other of which, BOOM!, is John Waters’s favorite movie. An exciting series. $12. 3951 Central Ave. NE, Columbia Heights; find dates, showtimes and more info here. Through July 31—Keith Harris

The Long Take

Trylon

This series brings you just what it says: movies featuring long, uninterrupted takes. And fittingly, it’s a long series, running throughout the summer. But though they all include at least one bravura sequence, these films offer much more than just flashy technique. Orson Welles’s Touch of Evil (showing again tonight and tomorrow) got things rolling over the weekend, and in the weeks to come you’ll get a chance to check out international arthouse champs like Tarkovsky and Antonioni, modern Asian greats like Hong Kong action master Johnnie To and Park Chan-wook, and movies you can never see too often, like Children of Men and Goodfellas. Let me put in a special word for the elegant The Earrings of Madame de…, directed by the incomparable Max Ophuls, a man so in love with long takes that James Mason once wrote a poem about him that began *extremely James Mason voice* “A shot that does not call for tracks/Is agony for poor old Max.” 2820 E. 33rd St., Minneapolis; find complete showtimes and more info here. Through August 27—Keith Harris

Lowertown Sounds

Mears Park

Proper, functioning cities should rock. With the annual, free, weekly, outdoor Lowertown Sounds program St. Paul is privy to this in ways Minneapolis could really learn from. When this year’s lineup was announced, organizers noted that over half of the acts are new this summer. Non-musical offerings include great beer from Wabasha Brewing Co., Dual Citizen Brewing Co., Utepils Brewing, and MetroNOME Brewing, plus wine from Alexis Bailly Vineyard and a rotating cast of 20 food trucks. Free. 6-9:30 p.m. 221 5th St. E., St. Paul; find more info here. Weekly through August 29—Jay Boller

TC River Rats

Mississippi River

What is Ratagascar? It’s not a place (we checked); it’s not a movie about a vermin chef (we think). It’s this summer’s thematic show from the Twin Cities River Rats, the local water skiing crew that has been carving up the Mississippi River since 1979. Specifically, the Rats say, “Ratagascar is filled with adventure, including high-flying jumps, tall pyramids, powerful balancing acts, and barefoot tricks.” Hm, sounds a lot like all River Rats shows, but there ain’t a damn thing wrong with that. As always, this team of rivertop tricksters performs for free and for the whole family. Bring some chairs and blankets, buy some concessions, and enjoy a Minneapolis summertime institution. Free. 6:30 p.m. 1758 West River Rd. N., Minneapolis; find more info here. Thursdays through August—Jay Boller 

Keith Haring: Art Is for Everybody

Walker Art Center

Keith Haring was a hugely influential artist in the 1980s and, whether you know it or not, he still is today. The Pennsylvania-raised, NYC-based artist first gained notoriety in the early ‘80s for his subway graffiti art, adorning unused black ad space with crawling babies, barking dogs, and UFOs. A year or two later, he would emerge with projects above ground, including a billboard in Times Square, a mural on the Lower East Side, and the covers of Vanity Fair and Newsweek. His friends and collaborators included Madonna, Grace Jones, and Jean-Michele Basquiat. Regardless of his meteoric rise, Haring wanted his art to be approachable, accessible, and affordable, so he kept most of his pieces in the public sphere. Though his work was crowd pleasing, it was also political, whether it was celebrating queer love, calling for an end to apartheid in South Africa, or promoting safe sex. Though Haring died in 1990 from complications from AIDS, his prolific collection and enduring messages live on. For “Art Is for Everybody,” over 100 works and archival pieces will be on display at the Walker, including ephemera from his 1984 residency at the museum. 725 Vineland Place, Minneapolis. Through September 8—Jessica Armbruster

Skyline Mini Golf

Walker Art Center

Speaking of stuff to do on rooftops, Skyline Mini Golf is also back this week. While some putt-putt courses aim for putting green realism others go full spectacle. At the Walker, it’s all about the latter, with holes featuring giant hot dogs, mirrored surfaces, tiny odes to the cities, and wacky opportunities to become an obstacle for putters yourself. Don’t expect to work on your handicap here; this course takes mini golf almost to the point of parody as you’ll find yourself testing your skills at ping pong, pool, and Plinketto. Just roll with the chaos–that’s part of the fun. $12 ($10 Walker members and ages 7-18); free for ages 6 and under with paid adult. 725 Vineland Place, Minneapolis. Through October 6—Jessica Armbruster

Warehouse District Live

Downtown Minneapolis

The fate of Open Streets may be uncertain this season, but every weekend a part of First Avenue will be closed to cars—and not just for construction reasons. Described as “an enhanced pedestrian zone,” Warehouse District Live will offer things that big cities normally have in their downtown areas: food trucks, extended seating areas, and more public bathrooms. Wow! So do some bar-hopping, sit outside and eat, walk in the middle of the street, and wonder why so many exurban Twitter users are so scared of downtown. Free. 7 p.m. to 3 a.m. Fri.-Sat. First Avenue, between Fifth and Sixth Streets, Minneapolis; find more info here. June 7 through October —Jessica Armbruster