Welcome to Event Horizon, your weekly roundup of the best events in Minneapolis, St. Paul, and beyond.
MONDAY 7.14
Bastille Day
Alliance Française
Barbette’s Bastille Day festival gets all the press, but I’m more intrigued by the lineup here: accordion-violin-voice combo the Francine Roche Trio, immigrant roots preservationists Siengkane Lao MN, and, most of all, the tribute to French ’60s pop Ye Ye Pow, fronted by Stephanie Winter of Mere Kats and Autumn Leaves, and featuring members of the Flamin’ Oh’s, Run Westy Run, Kinda Kinky. The event will also include all kinds of French food, beer and wine, kids’ activities, and a market. Très something or other, bien sûr. Free. 5-9 p.m. 227 Colfax Ave. N.; find more info here.—Keith Harris
TUESDAY 7.15
Built to Spill and Yo La Tengo
Palace Theatre
Really, what is there to say about this show? If you want to see a Built to Spill/Yo La Tengo double bill in 2025, you know exactly who you are. These two bands of indie lifers don’t even have new albums to plug. But BTS guitarslinger Doug Martsch has a great new (and young) rhythm section in Melanie Radford on bass and drummer Teresa Esguerra. They rocked the hell out of First Ave when celebrating the 30th anniversary of There’s Nothing Wrong With Love last year, and they also juiced up Martsch’s best new album in years, When the Wind Forgets Your Name. Yo La Tengo, of course, has had the same three members for over 30 years now. “A Yo La Tengo show has solidified into a tradition without calcifying into a ritual,” I wrote about their 2023 show at First Ave—if you’re on the fence, check out this setlist. 18+. $50.16-$56.82. 6 p.m. 17 Seventh Place W., St. Paul; find more info here.—Keith Harris
THURSDAY 7.17
Shakespeare at the Pub: Much Ado About Nothing
Sociable Cider Werks
Since 2022, the Gray Mallard Theater Company has staged a summer Shakespeare production in the parking lot at Sociable Cider Werks. Previous “Shakespeare at the Pub” showings have included Richard III, Twelfth Night, and, in 2024, Romeo and Juliet, which one local publication praised for its fun, easygoing tone—nothin’ like wearing flip flops and eating a burger while you watch a play. This year, Gray Mallard is staging Much Ado About Nothing, which should be a perfect fit for Sociable; the zany rom-com is full of lies, lust, missed connections, and second chances. Love Island who? Free, but donations are welcome. 7 p.m. Thu., Sat., and Sun. 1500 NE Fillmore St., Minneapolis; more info here. Through August 3—Em Cassel
Meet at Mia: Dog Day
Mia
We can’t make Racket’s Keith Harris apologize, formally, for his shit-stirring take that Superman’s dog is bad. Our lawyer looked into it—something about the First Amendment. To make amends, please accept our howling endorsement of Dog Day at Mia, where you’re invited to bring your damn dog to the museum (courtyard, this ain’t Iowa). Among the arf-tastic activities planned for you and your best friends: live music from Laura Hugo; fun with Trivia Mafia; an appearance from Mexico City artist Ivonne Yáñez; pup and human cups from MN Nice Cream; and Wow Mobile Metal Lab will be pouring molten metal which, sure, we’ll say fits the canine theme. Once you’ve sent your dog home, head inside for a specialized tour of all the dogs featured throughout Mia’s sprawling collection. Free. 5-9 p.m. 2400 Third Ave. S., Minneapolis; find more info here.—Jay Boller
FRIDAY 7.18
DisabiliTease Festival 2025
Capri Theater
Now in its fifth year, the DisabiliTease Festival showcases burlesque, drag, and cabaret artists with disabilities, demonstrating that with a few extra rhinestones (for your cane) or the right type of spin (from your wheelchair) anyone can be sexy and confident onstage if they want to. “I started in heels and ended up on wheels,” DisabiliTease cofounder Minda Mae told Racket last year before the fest. “It's because I saw another performer, Jacqueline Boxx, that I realized that [performing in a wheelchair] is not something that's holding me back, it's something that helps me do things that other people can't. I can spin in it. I can go upside down and shake my boobs—that's my favorite move.” Hell yeah. Once again, this year’s event will be a mix of online and Zoom, workshops and performances. Learning sessions include topics like dealing with microaggressions and “mastering the stationary sizzle.” Evening performances will include headliner Alyssa Kitt, features Opiumm Hayze and Bea Lissima, and sets from Boobs Radley, Dizzy Tunt, Neon Calypso, and others. Check online at disabiliteasefestival.com for a complete schedule; tickets include both online and in-person options. $20-$25. 8 p.m. Fri.-Sat. Performances (workshops are Sat. this week and next). 2027 W. Broadway, Minneapolis. Also July 26—Jessica Armbruster
Minnesota Yacht Club
Harriet Island
Do you remember the ’90s? Festival bookers are betting big that the generation with the most disposable income (or, failing that, the most torpedoed dreams of saving for home ownership) have love for Clinton-era music, because that’s the dominating trend for fests like the second-annual Yacht Club. This year promoter C3 Presents (Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits) deviated from the format with the top-of-bill acts for opening day, the inexplicably popular Hozier and the appropriately popular Alabama Shakes, followed by Train (yeesh!), Sheryl Crow (sure!), and Father John Misty (new album, Mahashmashana, rocks). Saturday brings headliners Fall Out Boy and Weezer, two deathless holdouts from rock’s last commercially viable period, and then you’ve got O.A.R., Remi Wolf, Cory Wong, Silversun Pickups, and Minneapolis-launched synthy emo stars Motion City Soundtrack. Finally, on Sunday, the reliably rocking Green Day co-headline with Sublime, which is now fronted by the surviving son of the original frontman, Bradley Nowell; 311, Garbage, Beach Bunny, the Beaches, and Blind Melon round out perhaps the fest’s deepest day. Among the locals scattered throughout Minnesota Yacht Club: Mike Kota, Maygen & the Birdwatcher, Raffaella, Laamar, and Landon Conrath. $295 GA three-day passes; $150 GA one-day passes; VIP upgrades abound. 49 Harriet Island Rd., St. Paul; find more info here.Through Sunday—Jay Boller
Minnehaha Falls Art Fair
Minnehaha Regional Park
This local art fair features chill vibes on both sides of Minnehaha Falls. Over by Sea Salt, you’ll find over 150 artists booths, with folks selling a little bit of everything, including gig posters, handmade candles, pottery, and jewelry. Cross the bridge to the other side and there’s a whole ‘nother world of vintage shops to explore. Along the way there will be food trucks, covered patios for sun breaks, lots of friendly dogs, live music onstage, and several blessedly fast-moving beer lines. Free. 3-8 p.m. Fri.; 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sat.; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sun. Minnehaha Falls, 4825 Minnehaha Ave., Minneapolis; find more info online.—Jessica Armbruster
SATURDAY 7.19
Twin Cities Vintage Fest
North Loop Green
Old clothes are pretty rad—both in a “cool” and a “radical” sense. They’re better for the environment, they can be easier on the wallet, and, if done well, they look pretty damn fashion-forward. So shout out to the neighborhood garage sales, the old items in your closet you still wear and love, and the thrift and vintage shops offering unique wares that are old but new to you. This summer, the folks behind Totally Rad Vintage mega events will be hosting a free monthly market offering sweet secondhand finds that need a new home. Think T-shirts for things time forgot, sports jerseys from past seasons, and costume jewelry that has survived the test of time. Vendors will have items from just about every decade except this one, with fashions ranging from high to low, and plenty in between. Free. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. 350 N. Fifth St., Minneapolis; find more info at tcvintageflea.com. Also Aug. 16 and Sep. 20—Jessica Armbruster
WrestleVérité: Art of Death
Hopkins Center for the Arts
“Wow, a fight to the death? Really?” you might say. Yes! (Just go with the fantasy here.) According to WrestleVérité, this is Minnesota’s “first ever deathmatch tournament,” so get ready for some blood and gore, and dramatic death scenes. Tonight’s offerings will include four fights: a thumbtacks deathmatch, pit of glass deathmatch, a barbed wire and barricade deathmatch, and an ice fishing deathmatch with hooks, fishing lines, and dry ice. That’s a lotta dying for $25! 6:30 p.m. 1111 Mainstreet, Hopkins; find tickets here.—Jessica Armbruster
HOPtacular
Luce Line Brewing
If you’ve never been out to Luce Line Brewing, here’s a fun reason to make the trip—the Plymouth beer makers have organized a fest that’s bringing five stellar MN breweries out to celebrate. Arbeiter Brewing Co. (Minneapolis), Back Channel Brewing Co. (Spring Park), Haggard Barrel Brewing Co. (St. Louis Park), Junkyard Brewing Co. (Moorhead), and Lupulin Brewing Co. (Big Lake) will all be on hand at the first ever HOPtacular, and you can try beers from all of ‘em (along with Luce Line, of course) in the Beer Grotto beginning at 4 p.m. From 6-9:30 p.m. they’ll have live music from Green Day tribute band Longview and Weezer tribute band Pleezer, and Sandy’s Grill & Hana Bistro will have food for ya. Free. 1-10 p.m. 12901 16th Ave. N., Plymouth; find more info here.—Em Cassel
SUNDAY 7.20
Burgertopia
Modist Brewing Co.
We imagine a real Burgertopia, if such a place exists, is similar to Homer Simpson’s vision of Germany but, ya know, with burgers instead of chocolate. Failing that, your best bet is the Burgertopia event going down at Modist, where a murderers’ row of cow murderers will be serving all-you-can-eat burgs for a good cause. We’re talkin’ Burger Daddies and Angry Line Cook (both past RacketCast guests), Hammies (once profiled by Racket, complete with a quote from Simpsons legend Bill Oakley), and Yia Vang (once spoke to Racket for non-burger purposes), plus 328 Grill, Private Sector, and Totally Rad. That good cause? Yang’s Help the House nonprofit, which aims to help food-service workers by “providing a safety net, fostering community care, and advocating for lasting change within the hospitality industry.” Seems like the sort of stuff a halfway respectable country could handle with basic social programs and universal health care, but we live the nightmare culmination of a 60-year right-wing project to make life miserable for almost everyone, so folks need all the help they can get. Uh… yum-o, burgers! Three award-winning knife makers—Maumasi Fire Arts, Patterson Forge, Northstar Forge—will be on hand, providing blade theatrics. $40 adults; $20 kids; $100 VIP. Noon to 4 p.m. find more info here.—Jay Boller
ONGOING
“Embracing Fallibility: A Neon Exhibition”
Foci - Minnesota Center for Glass Arts
Humans are imprecise, messy, and flawed, and Brooklyn-based neon/glass artist James Akers wants us to celebrate this. “In today's era of surveillance and automation to enhance business objectives, human fallibilities are often framed in a negative light, to be replaced by seemingly infallible ‘machine intelligence,’” he says. So while neon work is often clean and precise, Akers creates sculptures that are chaotic, haphazard, and, sometimes, even smudged; an overpacked machine with a giant red button or an electric rat’s nest. It’s an absolute mess, and it’s wonderful. 2213 Snelling Ave., Minneapolis; more info here. Through July 19—Jessica Armbruster
"Creation.Story"
All My Relations Arts
For this group show, artists blend the oral histories of the Očhéthi Šakówiŋ (Sioux Nation’s Lakota, Nakota, and Dakota tribes) with the modern-day people, ideas, and language. Think portraits featuring computer tech flourishes or fluffy felt buffalos rendered as collectible figurines. Co-curated by Keith BraveHeart and David Meyer, this touring exhibition changes with each location, inviting local artists to contribute works that make each event gallery specific. Fourteen artists will be showcased here, including James Star Comes Out, Dyani White Hawk, Jaida Grey Eagle, and others. 1414 E. Franklin Ave., Minneapolis; find more info here. Through July 26—Jessica Armbruster
Lowertown Sounds
Mears Park
Downtown St. Paul could use a flicker of good news, and that's what we're here to provide: Lowertown Sounds, the reliably terrific—and free!—summertime concert series at Mears Park is back for 2025. More than half of this year's genre-spanning local performers are LTS first-timers, according to organizers, and as always they’ll be joined throughout the summer by craft bev vendors (Gambit Brewing, Pryes Brewing, Utepils Brewing, Alexis Bailly Vineyard) and a rotating fleet of "almost 10 food trucks” (we’re guessing that means eight or nine). Free. 6-10 p.m. Thursdays. 221 Fifth St. E., St. Paul; find more info here. Through August 14—Jay Boller
Twin Cities River Rats
Mississippi River
Fresh off their hit 2024 show, Ratagascar, the River Rats return with another spoof, this time of The Office. The cartoon poster appears to depict Dwight Schrute and Michael Scott being pulled behind a speedboat captained by a rat, suggesting at least some high-concept hijinks will be related to the beloved NBC sitcom. Here’s what organizers tease: “With high flying jumpers, towering pyramids, and our ballet ladies there is something for everyone! It’s a show you won’t want to miss.” 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. 7 p.m. 1758 West River Rd. N., Minneapolis; find more info here. Thursdays through August—Jay Boller
Skyline Mini Golf
Walker Art Center
Putt-putt is all about the challenge of using a stick to control a tiny ball amid quirky chaos. Sometimes you scoot right though without a problem, other times you end up hitting a hot dog too hard and bounce off course. Is that a metaphor for life? Maybe! All I know is that mini golf is back at the Walker, and playing it well requires a mix of patience, a light touch, and preparation for worst-case scenarios. This year’s course is 10 holes, all familiar hits that pay tribute to the Twin Cities and local culture with a few nods to the museum’s collection thrown in. Sometimes the obstacles are a bump in the road, sometimes it's a giant French fry, and sometimes the obstacle is you. Hey, this game really is a metaphor for life! $12. 725 Vineland Place, Minneapolis; find more info here. Through October 5—Jessica Armbruster
“ALEBRIJES: Keepers of the Island”
Raspberry Island
Alebrijes are a Mexico City folk-art tradition born out of a fever dream—literally. In 1936, artist Pedro Linares fell ill and found himself hallucinating a forest filled with magical creatures that were shouting “alebrijes!” at him. Once better, he knew that he had to recreate what he had experienced. Nearly 90 years later, Mexican artists continue this tradition, using papier-mâché to create beautifully surreal neon beasts—think chicken-fish-unicorns and butterfly-dog-frogs—ranging from four to 15 feet tall. This summer and fall, alebrijes will be at Raspberry Island thanks to four Mexico City-based artists who have created 16 large-scale papier-mâché sculptures for an installation organized by the Minnesota Latino Museum. You can venture through this colorful wonderland during the park’s regular hours (dawn to 11 p.m. daily). For more info, visit mnlatinomuseum.org/alebrijes. 2 Wabasha St. S., St. Paul. Through October 26—Jessica Armbruster
