Welcome to Event Horizon, your weekly roundup of the best events in Minneapolis, St. Paul, and beyond.
MONDAY 7.21
Oso Oso
Underground Music Venue
Long Island's Jade Lilitri is eternally beloved by Pitchfork, particularly critic Ian Cohen, who tells us that last year’s Life Till Bones is a “darker” addition to the Oso Oso catalogue. From my less-immersed vantage point, I hear choruses about ordinary relationship difficulties (“I got a lot to apologize for”) expressed simply but memorably, though it’s true that Lilitri does confess “I can’t be happy every day.” The horror! With Born Without Bones. $15.58. 7 p.m. 408 N. 3rd Ave., Minneapolis; find more info here.—Keith Harris
WEDNESDAY 7.23
Minneapolis Aquatennial
Various Locations
Over the next four days, Minneapolis will celebrate water with events in and around our lakes, rivers, and mostly water-free downtown (that’s probably for the best). Events of note include the nighttime Torchlight Parade (Wed.); ski stunts on the Mississippi River from the Minneapolis River Rats (Thu.); Alley Jam, featuring skateboarders (Fri.); free yoga in the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden (Fri.); Carifest, a festival celebrating Caribbean culture (Sat.); and a vintage market out by the Guthrie (Sat.). It all ends with a big fireworks show overlooking the Mississippi on Saturday. (And never forget Aquatennial's anti-labor origins!) Most events are free; check out aquatennial.com for more details. Through Saturday—Jessica Armbruster
Karen Babine Presents: The Allure of Elsewhere
Magers & Quinn Booksellers
If you’ve ever thought to yourself, “Man, I’d really love to get a camper, pack up my stuff, and head into the Canadian wilderness with my two cats,” then Karen Babine’s new book is going to speak to you with stunning specificity. In The Allure of Elsewhere: A Memoir of Going Solo, the two-time Minnesota Book Award-winning author hitches up her Scamp camper and heads for Nova Scotia, joined by feline companions Galway and Maeve, with the goal of exploring the place where her French-Acadian ancestors first settled in North America. Does the road reveal questions about history, identity, and belonging? You’d better believe it. Tonight, she’s in conversation with Star Tribune books editor Chris Hewitt, of whom we’re also quite fond. Free, but registration is required. 7 p.m. 3038 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis; find more info and register here.—Em Cassel
THURSDAY 7.24
Dan Licata
Parkway Theater
A former SNL writer who's a close collaborator of Conner O’Malley's and Joe Pera’s—what more could you possibly want? Check out his latest special, For the Boys, which we're told is actually for everyone despite being filmed in front of 15-year-old dudes at Licata’s alma mater, Amherst Central High School in Buffalo, New York. Writes a Paste Magazine reviewer: “Much like Jackass, Licata’s comedy is oddly wholesome because rather than in spite of its all-out grossness. This is some funny shit.” $18-$23. 6:30 p.m. 4814 Chicago Ave, Minneapolis; find more info here.—Jay Boller
FRIDAY 7.25
Open Mike Eagle
7th St Entry
Now 44, with a premature midlife crisis behind him, this L.A.-based underground-rap lifer simply goes about the day-to-day on his latest, Neighborhood Gods Unlimited. The album opens with a “stone cold idiot” announcing that they “Woke Up Knowing Everything,” but the tracks that follow are deliberately more quotidian. Mike is the only employee at the Daily Planet to be halfway curious about what Clark Kent is up to; Mike swipes Tims from the Mephisto he works at; Mike loses a handful of tracks when his phone gets run over by car. (It’s like when RZA’s basement flooded, wiping out hundreds of beats, he says, “but less, less devastating.”) When pals Video Dave and Still Rift (whom Mike records with as the I-swear-better-than-its name trio Previous Industries) pop in, it’s clear that this is primo hangout rap, just a bright guy free-associating with a comic’s understated delivery over just-memorable-enough beats. With Cavalier and Rhys Langston. $26.88. 8:30 p.m. 701 N. First Ave., Minneapolis; find more info here.—Keith Harris
Palmfest
Palmer’s
Yes, with Palmer’s soon going the way of too many great dive bars before it, this will be the last Palmfest, so let’s make it a great one. The stacked lineup includes many Palmer’s regulars and I could shout out some of the names I’m looking forward to—the Silent Treatment and Unstable Shapes, Christy Costello and the Gated Community—but my picks might not be yours. What really matters here is that anyone with a passing interest in local rock will find 10 bucks worth of music here over the course of three days. Plenty of drunken tears will be shed, and hopefully no one will make off with any mementos. $10 for all three days. 500 Cedar Ave., Minneapolis; find full lineup, set times, and more info here. Through Sunday—Keith Harris
SATURDAY 7.26
Inside Out Day
Pillsbury Creative Commons
Pillsbury House + Theatre is rebranding with a new name, new programs, and a new area for public events. Makes sense that it’s time for a reno, as Pillsbury has existed in one form or another for over 140 years. Now known as Pillsbury Creative Commons, the organization will continue to host theater productions, its Naked Stages fellowship program, and all kinds of community services, from education to free tax-filing. New this year is the Technical Arts Training Program (TAT@P), where folks can learn about furniture-making, electrical work, welding, and more, while hyper-local radio station KRSM (98.9 FM) is also moving in. At Saturday's block party, guests can tour the new spaces, listen in on live broadcasts, enjoy music from Give Get Sistet, and shop at a makers market. 1-5 p.m. Corner of 35th Street & Chicago Avenue, Minneapolis; find more info here.—Jessica Armbruster
Night Moves
First Avenue
For 15 years now (lord, the passage of time…) these local psych-rock greats have been pulling off a neat trick by evoking Todd Rundgren and Gram Parsons while sounding vital and contemporary. The release of their first album in six years, Double Life, is being celebrated tonight in the Mainroom. Swinging and shimmering lead single “Hold On to Tonight” is perhaps the most fully realized distillation of the Night Moves sound to date, with frontman John Pelant’s old-soul wail hitting harder than ever. Tonight’s release show should feel like a victory lap. Shady Cove and Good Doom open. $27. 6:30 p.m. 701 N. First Ave., Minneapolis; find more info here.—Jay Boller
Black Business Week Street Mall
Capri Theater
To cap off the 2025 installment of Minneapolis's Black Business Week, swing by this “dynamic celebration of Black excellence,” where you can shop all kinds of wares from local Black-owned businesses. The 2025 Black Business Week Street Mall will also have live music, art, food, and family-friendly activities. “It's a day to honor the creativity, resilience, and entrepreneurial spirit of our community,” organizers write, and we love the sound of that. Free. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. 2027 W. Broadway, Minneapolis; more info here.—Em Cassel
Pickup Truck Opera Volume Five: The Return of King Idomeneo
Various Locations
Now in its 17th season, Mixed Precipitation’s Pickup Truck Opera is going old school this summer in more ways than one. This year’s production is a take on Idomeneo, re di Creta (Idomeneo, King of Crete), Mozart’s 1781 opera about a general who encounters a wild sea storm on his way back from the Trojan War. Mixed Precipitation first performed their take on this classic piece in 2012, mixing opera tunes with more familiar hits from the 1950s and '60s (think doo-wop and girl groups). Bring a lawn blanket and some drinks—it’s gonna be a bumpy ride. You can find a list of locations and make reservations at mixedprecipitation.org; the show is in previews July 26 through August 3. $5-$45 suggested donation. Through September 13—Jessica Armbruster
Loring Park Art Festival
Various Locations
This weekend, Loring Park becomes an outdoor art gallery of sorts as its annual summer art festival takes over. Over two days, 150+ artists will display, create, and sell work in just about every imaginable medium. A culinary market featuring over 20 vendors will have a variety of offerings, including sauces, spices, syrups, and cocktail kits. Entertainment will abound as well, with live music on two different stages, a live painting competition, hands-on kids fun, and aerial artists. Find more info at loringparkartfestival.com. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sat.; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sun. Loring Park, 1382 Willow St. S., Minneapolis. Through Sunday—Jessica Armbruster
Nate Bargatze
Xcel Energy Center
Bargatze has quietly become one of the biggest comics on Earth. Raised in a devoutly Christian household in Nashville, this 46-year-old arena headliner, who works clean but isn’t a cornball, began slugging it out in the club circuit after moving to Chicago in 2002. Plugs from Marc Maron and Jimmy Fallon helped Bargatze break out around 2017, and hosting SNL for the first time in 2023 represented a "giant, giant leap" in his career, he says. “Low-key and G-rated, his comedy traffics in comfortably relatable stories about the foibles of family life, his confusion with modern living and being a bit of a dim bulb,” explains a recent New York Times Magazine profile of Bargatze, who’s been enlisted by CBS to host the Emmys in September. His memoir, Big Dumb Eyes: Stories from a Simpler Mind, dropped in May. $45-$187. 7 p.m. Sat.-Sun. 199 W. Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul; find more info here.—Jay Boller
SUNDAY 7.27
Unicorn and Llama Races
Canterbury Park
When this unusual racetrack event came across my feed, I asked my wife, “So, are they just, like, sticking horns on normal horses?” She didn’t have answers, but the Canterbury website more or less confirmed that, yes, they’ll be sticking horns on normal horses for this daylong celebration of mythical beasts and very real llamas. In Llama Heat 1, we like Llama Del Rey; in Unicorn Heat 2, we like Rainbow Dash. (Click here for all the wacky names and bios.) Your kids will surely like ancillary Family Day programming like pony rides, face painting, kid races, arts 'n' crafts, arcade games, and, of course, llama meet 'n' greets while ol’ dad gets his Bukowski on at the bar and betting booth. Upcoming Family Days at the track include: miniature doodle races (August 3), corgi races (August 17), the Battle of the Breeds dog race (August 31). 1 p.m. $8.71 adults, $5.49 kids. 1100 Canterbury Rd., Shakopee; find more info here.—Jay Boller
Butcher & the Boar Patio Kickoff Party
Butcher & the Boar
Have you heard about Butcher & the Boar’s huge new patio bar and restaurant? The Butcher’s Backyard, as they’re calling it, seats a whopping 150 people, and they’ll let ya hang out on the grassy spot past the patio, too. “You’re living in North Loop, you don’t have a back yard, so this is gonna serve as that,” Brent Frederick of Jester Concepts, the restaurant’s parent company, tells the North Loop Neighborhood Association. To help christen the new outdoor space, B&TB is hosting a kickoff party with Ruff Start Rescue. From 4-6 p.m. there’s a happy hour meet raffle and a chance to meet some of Ruff Start’s adoptable dogs—I’m biased, but my wonderful/chaotic canine Knox came from Ruff Start, so I’m a big fan. From 7-9 p.m. there’ll be live music and food and drink specials, including “tiki-themed libations” and margaritas. Free. 4-10 p.m. 901 N. Third St. Suite 195, Minneapolis; more info here.—Em Cassel
ONGOING
"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
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
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
