Welcome to Event Horizon, your weekly roundup of the best events in Minneapolis, St. Paul, and beyond.
MONDAY 8.4
Fringe Festival
Various Locations
Theater fanatics: Your marathon awaits you. Every August, the Fringe Fest brings us a metric crapton of theater meant to be consumed buffet-style. Nearly 100 theater orgs, troupes, and houses are coming to town, so it’s not really cliché to say there’s a little bit of everything here. There will be comedies, there will be musicals, there will be biting social satires and silly puff pieces. There will be gems and there will be bombs. These are quickie productions, mostly under one hour each, so if you find yourself in the latter situation, it will be blessedly short. But oh, when you find a gem it’s truly magic. The fest opened last week, so be sure to ask people in line about what they’ve seen and liked to help you find the good stuff. (Or ask Racket; I spent about 18 hours at Fringe this weekend and plan to get a review up soon!) Find more info about the fest at minnesotafringe.org. Through Sunday—Jessica Armbruster
TUESDAY 8.5
Horsegirl
Fine Line
Horsegirl are maybe the best current example of what critic Michael Tedder has called “the ‘cool parents and after-school music programs to Matador Records’ pipeline.” They’re no longer high school wunderkinden (2/3 of this Chicago trio are now NYU English majors) and if they don’t necessarily sound more adult on their latest, Phonetics On and On and On (produced by Cate LeBon), they do sound more assured. There’s plenty of Sonic Youth in their chiming clamor, more than a little Stereolab in their bobbing vocals, and lyrically they say a lot with a little: “In Twos” wafts along with a plaintive repetition of “I Try” and if you could even say “Julie” is about the limitations of language (“Julie/Da, da, da, da/Julie/I wish I could tell you what you want”). Considering their influences, it won’t be surprising if there are as many indie dads as arty young femmes at this show. With Lifeguard and Godcaster. All ages. $28.54/$53.66. 7 p.m. 318 N. First Ave., Minneapolis; find more info here.—Keith Harris
THURSDAY 8.7
Meet at Mia: Pop/Rocks
Minneapolis Institute of Arts
Happy birthday, Andy Warhol. If you hadn’t died 38 years ago, you’d be 97 today—so it goes. The folks at Mia aren’t letting a high-profile artsy b-day go to waste, however, with this evening-long celebration of both pop and rock. Among the courtyard to-dos: DJ Diane Miller of 89.3 the Current fame spinning Factory-appropriate tunes (gotta think the Velvet Underground, Blondie, etc.), Highpoint Center for Printmaking providing guests with—you guessed it—printmaking opportunities, Trivia Mafia doing their thing, and Brick Oven Bus selling pies. (Did Warhol like pizza? Enough to make it into pop art.) Inside the museum, guests are invited to browse actual Warhols inside the Print Study Room. Free. 5-9 p.m. 2400 Third Ave. S., Minneapolis; find more info here.—Jay Boller
FRIDAY 8.8
The 45-minute Documentaries of Werner Herzog
The Trylon
Did you know that throughout the ’70s and ’80s, acclaimed filmmaker Werner Herzog made a bunch of 45-minute documentaries for German television? He did! And now that you know, don’t you kind of want to go watch a bunch of them? You can! This weekend, the Trylon is screening a selection of these newly restored films, all of which “embody Herzog’s awe of nature and the fringes of society,” according to the south Minneapolis cinema. The films are The Dark Glow of the Mountains (mountaineers Reinhold Messner and Hans Kammerlander attempt to climb Gasherbrum II and Gasherbrum I), God’s Angry Man (a profile of bizarre American televangelist Gene Scott), La Soufrière (Herzog visits an evacuated town near an active volcano), How Much Wood Would a Woodchuck Chuck (documenting the World Livestock Auctioneer Championship in New Holland, Pennsylvania), and The Great Ecstasy of Woodcarver Steiner (about woodworker and ski jumper Walter Steiner). $8. 7 p.m. Fri.-Sat.; 3 p.m. Sun. 2820 E. 33rd St., Minneapolis; more info here. Through Sunday— Em Cassel
Lakeside Guitar Festival
Como Lakeside Pavilion
This often-overlooked two-day event is one of my favorite summer traditions, with a lineup that spices up a sharp selection of local strummers, wailers, and pluckers with some out-of-state ringers. In the past the festival has brought in Jamaladeen Tacuma and James Blood Ulmer, names that won’t mean something to everyone but will mean everything to those who recognize them. This year’s highlights include Mexican guitarist Ehekatl Arizmendi, whom you can hear in action here, and local mainstay Mason Jennings, who just released a new album, Magnifier, in June. And the Como Pavilion is just a great place to spend a nice summer day, period. Most shows are free, some are ticketed. 6-9:15 p.m. Fri.; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sat. 1360 Lexington Pkwy. N., St. Paul; find more info here. Through Saturday—Keith Harris
Mark Mallman Album Release
The Parkway Theater
If you’ve not checked in on Mark Mallman in some time, you might be surprised to learn the prolific local piano rocker has blown up on TikTok. You might not know he published a memoir, The Happiness Playlist: The True Story Of Healing My Heart With Feel-Good Music, in 2019. It could catch you off guard to discover that, in 2021, he wrote a song for Rick & Morty. Yet all of this Mallman lore is the god’s honest truth, as is this next bombshell: He’s celebrating his new album, Magic Time, tonight at the Parkway. Littered with references to horror, cryptids, and witches, the brand-new LP "is a supernatural concept record chronicling the weird, gritty, and mythic reality of life as a touring musician in America," according to promo material. Single “Freaks Me Out” is Mallman at his over-the-top best, leaning into campy theatrics while showing off his technical chops. $20-$25. 7 p.m. 4814 Chicago Ave., Minneapolis; find more info here.—Jay Boller
SATURDAY 8.9
Downtown Minneapolis Street Art Festival
Nicollet Mall
Is downtown Minneapolis dead? Not during this street fest, at least. For the next two days, folks can wander along Nicollet Mall and watch tons of artists creating street art in a variety of mediums, including sidewalk chalk, graffiti art, and large-scale murals. Watch people at work or find a group project to help out with. In addition to art creation there will be a vendors’ market hosted by Jackalope Arts, where sidewalk shops will sell all kinds of wares, from upcycled fashion to paper goods. Add in food trucks and easy access via several bus lines, and you’ve got yourself a solid event. Free. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sat.-Sun. Nicollet Mall, downtown Minneapolis; find more info here. Through Sunday—Jessica Armbruster
Asian Street Food Night Market
Downtown St. Paul
Some festivals are all about the stage, others do kids’ stuff best. Asian Street Food Night Market is all about the eats. And it really is some of the best street food of the summer, whether you’re looking for giant noodle bowls, a sushi burrito, vegetarian dumplings, or things on sticks like potstickers, satays, and candied fruit (tanghulu!). Sweettooths will be sated with halo halo, shaved ice, macarons, and mochi, and yes, there will be beer and other adult beverages at this thing too. In addition to a vendors’ market featuring items ranging from traditional imports to kawaii overload, there will be a talent show and lion dance performances. The event has expanded to four nights this summer; this is the second leg of the event so it's the last call for the summer. Follow the org’s Facebook page for updates on what’s coming up. Free. 3-11 p.m. Sat.; 2-10 p.m. Sun. 425 Rice St., St. Paul. Through Sunday—Jessica Armbruster
Flavor Fest
Indeed Brewing Co.
It’s been a big year for Flavor World, the artist collective founded by Drew Kinkaid. After years of hosting events, and about a year of publishing Flavor Mag, they went full brick-and-mortar in 2025, moving into a spot in Loring Park at 1218 Harmon Place with the help of Minneapolis’s city's Arts & Culture Vibrant Storefronts program. So this year’s Flavor Fest should be extra celebratory. Part music fest, part arts event, part carnival, the day will feature a market showcasing dozens of Twin Cities creatives, as well as demos and live art making. Onstage things kick off with an open jam, followed by sets from Reiki, TABAH, and League Two. Food trucks, carnival games (or at least a dunk tank), and prizes for attendees round out the party. Free. 1-10 p.m. 711 15th Ave. NE, Minneapolis.—Jessica Armbruster
Omni Brewing Co. 10th Anniversary Party
Omni Brewing Co.
It’s hard out there for breweries, man. So when one makes it to the big 1-0, like Maple Grove’s Omni Brewing Co., that milestone is worth celebrating. The celebration actually spans all week, with 10 drinker-voted archival beers returning to the taps, trivia, live music, and cofounders Zack Ward and Justin Walsh dropping in for bartender duty. The pizza team has reportedly been training hard for Saturday’s main event. "After hours of training montages and dramatic, slow-motion running, our team is ready to sling ‘za at speeds never seen by a mere mortal," organizers write, adding that food trucks (Egg Roll Queen, Chili Lime) have been enlisted for additional help. Other activities include a raffle, cornhole tourneys (plus "other throwing-related yard games"), and a bounce house for the kids. Live music kicks off at 1:30 p.m. with Generation Radio, followed by Half Step at 4 p.m. and headliners Sugar Buzz at 7 p.m. Who knows, Maple Grove’s most famous resident might even* make an appearance. (*We have no reason to believe Sisqó will be visiting the brewery.) Free. 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. 9462 Deerwood Ln. N., Maple Grove; find more info here.—Jay Boller
SUNDAY 8.10
Labor Cookout
Lucy Parsons Center
Join the MN Anti-War Committee, MN Immigrant Rights Action Committee, MN Labor for Palestine, and MN Workers United at this labor cookout! Will there be grilling, chilling, and community? Oh, yes. But this is a community social and skill share, with a series of organizer-led workshops that will focus on defending immigrant rights from the increasingly militant Trump administration; workplace organizing, especially in the face of anti-labor legislation; and advancing the struggle for a free Palestine here in Minnesota. (Someone should sell prints of the comrade glizzy waving a Palestinian flag who appears on the event poster.) Gluten-free and vegan options will be available; beverages will be served. Free. 1 p.m. 4100 S. 28th St., Minneapolis; more info here.—Em Cassel
ONGOING
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
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
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
