Freeloader Friday is your weekly guide to having fun no matter what your budget looks like. Each week we have a list of 100% free events like gallery parties, music, and films in the park, as well as free admission events like special happy hours, markets, and more. For our picks of the week's best events, cost be damned, click here.
FRIDAY
Ghosting Merit, Robyn Jamner, A Sunken Ship Irony
10 p.m. 331 Club, 331 13th Ave. NE, Minneapolis.
The NightCaps
7 p.m. Padraigs, 945 Broadway NE, Minneapolis.
The Mary Cutrufello Band
6-8 p.m. White Squirrel Bar, 974 W. Seventh St., St. Paul.
No Antics
Tunes from St. Louis, MO. With Glitterpit, Hello Blue. 9-11:30 p.m. White Squirrel Bar, 974 W. Seventh St., St. Paul.
Emilia Bendler
Singer-songwriter tunes. 6-9 p.m. Heavy Rotation Brewing Co., 9801 Xenia Ave. N., Minneapolis.
Millennial Falcon, VivPiston
Rock. 6:30 p.m. 56 Brewing, 3055 NE Columbia Ave., Suite 102, Minneapolis.
Chelsea Lloyd
7-9 p.m. Urban Forage Winery and Cider House, 3016 E. Lake St., Minneapolis.
Lili Horizon
Pop. 7 p.m. Minnehaha Falls Park Pavilion, 4825 Minnehaha Ave., Minneapolis.
Tangoso
Tango tunes. 7:30 p.m. Lake Harriet Bandshell, 4135 W. Lake Harriet Pkwy., Minneapolis.
Just Luv, Inc.
8-11:30 p.m. Schooner Tavern, 2901 27th Ave. S., Minneapolis.
Cool Runnings
Jamaican. Bobsled. Team. Dusk. Central Village Park, 457 Central Ave. W., St. Paul.
LaLa Land
With drinks from Rail Werks Brewing Depot (cash only) and free popcorn while supplies last. 8 p.m. Huset Park East, 3965 Jefferson St. NE, Minneapolis.
Wicked
With Spanish subtitles. 8:10 p.m. Corcoran Park, 3334 20th Ave. S., Minneapolis.
Name & Gender Marker Change Clinic
A free seminar with Ash Tifa through every step of the legal name and gender marker change process. Find more info here. 2-4 p.m. Queermunity MN, 3036 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis.
Friday Night Drag Show
8-10 p.m. Modist Brewing Company, 505 N. Third St., Minneapolis.
Open Skate
Join Twin Cities Skaters for an open skate with free rentals and disco jams from DJ Presto. 5:30-8:30 p.m. Fri. through September 26 (no skate Sep. 5). Rice Park, 109 W. Fourth St., St. Paul.
Night Street Eats
Food trucks in a parking lot! 4:30-9 p.m. Fri. through Sep. 12. 1570-1590 White Bear Ave. & Hoyt Ave. E., St. Paul.
Grunge Unplugged
6-9 p.m. Steel Toe Brewing, 4848 35th St. W., St. Louis Park.
Steve Ryan & Pearl Monkey
6:30-9 p.m. Forgotten Star Brewing, 38 Northern Stacks Dr., Fridley.
LAAMAR
Americana/soul. With FINICK. 5:30-7:15 p.m. 50th & France, Edina.
“ALEBRIJES: Keepers of the 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. Raspberry Island, 2 Wabasha St. S., St. Paul. Through October 26—Jessica Armbruster
FriGAY
Drag performances, a dance party, and $2 specialty shots—sounds like a party! 21+. 9 p.m. RSVP recommended; do it here. LUSH Lounge & Theater, 990 Central Ave. NE, Minneapolis.
Friday Night Open Mic
21+. 10 p.m. The Comedy Corner Underground, 1501 S. Washington Ave., Minneapolis.
Free, once inside the fairgrounds:
Church of Cash
10:30 a.m. & 11:45 a.m. MN State Fair Bandshell.
Davina and The Vagabonds
1 p.m. & 2:30 p.m. MN State Fair Bandshell.
MPLS the band
3:45 p.m. & 4:45 p.m. MN State Fair Bandshell.
Rachel Platten
8:30 p.m. MN State Fair Bandshell.
TigerByteFace
3:15 p.m., 4:30 p.m., 5:45 p.m. Summit Stage at the Bazaar.
Sounds of Santana Starring Joe Cruz
8 p.m. Summit Stage at the Bazaar.
Mother Banjo
12:30 p.m., 1:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m. West End Market Stage at Schilling Amphitheater.
Nicholas David
4 p.m., 5 p.m., 6 p.m. West End Market Stage at Schilling Amphitheater.
Deke Dickerson & The Whippersnappers
8 p.m. West End Market Stage at Schilling Amphitheater.
FARMERS MARKETS
House of Hope Market
1:15-5 p.m. Fri. through October 31. Hope Church, 760 Summit Ave., St. Paul; stpaulfarmersmarket.com.
Minneapolis Farmers Market
Arguably the city’s largest and most popular market, with hundreds of vendors weekly. 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesdays through Fri.; 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sat.-Sun. through October; 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Labor Day. 312 E. Lyndale Ave. N., Minneapolis; mplsfarmersmarket.com.
Minneapolis Parks Markets: Minnehaha Regional Park
4-8 p.m. Fri. through August 29. 4801 S. Minnehaha Dr., Minneapolis; more info here.
Signal Hills Farmers Market
Featuring fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables sold direct from producer to consumer, located in the lot of West St. Paul’s Signal Hills Mall. 8 a.m. to noon Fri. through October 31. 1225 S. Robert St., St. Paul; stpaulfarmersmarket.com.
SATURDAY
Urban Art Village
Shipping containers don’t just make great pools; they can also become an art gallery, a performance space, or a resource center. This summer, you’ll find five shipping crates being used as all of these things (minus the pool, sorry gang) at the Urban Art Village. Since July, local print artist Luis Fitch has been hosting a bimonthly pop-up featuring queer, Black, and Latinx artists on the lot next to Midtown Global Market. Past events have included a makers’ market with jewelers, painters, knitters, and beadworkers, and you should expect a good mix this Saturday, too. Free workshops coming up include sessions on stencil storytelling, papercutting protest banners, and wheatpaste techniques to get your messages out there. (Find a complete schedule here.) It’s also free to sell, exhibit, and host events during Urban Village hours; sign up here. Other dates: Sep. 6 & 20, Oct. 2 & 18. Free. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. 730 E. Lake St., Minneapolis. Through October 18—Jessica Armbruster
Bethany Larson and the Bee’s Knees, Andy Ulseth
10 p.m. 331 Club, 331 13th Ave. NE, Minneapolis.
Dogpile
Folk. With Cowboy Thoughts, Lone Rock Bride. 1-4 p.m. White Squirrel Bar, 974 W. Seventh St., St. Paul.
The Flying T
Acoustic fingerpicking. With the Danger Pins. On the patio stage. 6-10 p.m. White Squirrel Bar, 974 W. Seventh St., St. Paul.
Broken Wrist Records Show
With Valors. 9 p.m. to midnight. White Squirrel Bar, 974 W. Seventh St., St. Paul.
Open Mic Comedy Night
With Joe Addict. Every Sat. on the patio. 7-9 p.m. The Cabooze, 917 Cedar Ave. S., Minneapolis.
Necessary Diversion
Rock. 7:30 p.m. Lake Harriet Bandshell, 4135 W. Lake Harriet Pkwy., Minneapolis.
Irish Diplomacy
8 p.m. Merlin’s Rest Pub, 3601 E. Lake St., Minneapolis.
The Wreck
8 p.m. Schooner Tavern, 2901 27th Ave. S., Minneapolis.
Jazz on the Prairie Big Band
Jazz. 7 p.m. Water Works at Mill Ruins Park, 425 W. River Pkwy., Minneapolis.
Hmong 50 Festival
Don’t confuse this celebration of Hmong people arriving in the U.S. 50 years ago with June's Hmong International Freedom Festival, which drew thousands to St. Paul’s Como Park (Sahan Journal has some wonderful photos of that event). When you come from war-torn Laos starting in 1975, seek refuge in the Twin Cities, and create the largest urban Hmong population in the country? You get to party all summer long, baby. Thus the Hmong 50 Festival at the Capitol, whose event poster, featuring jumbo stuffed chicken wings, an aura-soaked pop star, and splashy ’00s fonts, I can’t say enough good things about. Among the scheduled activities: fashion shows (traditional and contemporary), cultural exhibits, artist booths, kids’ games, live music, and loads of food vendors serving up those stuffed chicken wings (among other tasty offerings). Free. 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sat.; noon to 6 p.m. Sun. Minnesota State Capitol, 75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., St. Paul; find more info here. Also Sunday—Jay Boller
Bike-to-Farm Tour
If you’ve ever wondered about getting involved with an urban farm (or starting your own), join the Phillips neighborhood associations and Tamales y Bicicletas on this second-annual tour of Phillips farms and gardens. Cyclists of all abilities are welcome to sign up for the 3.6-mile ride, which starts on the Greenway and ends, as all of the best bike rides do, with a delicious taco lunch (this one provided by El TacoTorro). Along the way, you’ll learn about six urban farms and gardens and how they contribute to Phillips’s foodways. Organizers note that they’ve exhausted their supply of borrowable bikes and helmets, so you’ll need to BYO. Free. 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. 1000 Midtown Greenway, Minneapolis; register and find more info here.—Em Cassel
Stories Through Movement: Indian Classical Dance
Chandreyee Basu Thakur presents a 25-minute Bharatanatyam showcase. 7-8 Graco Park, 15 Eighth Ave. NE, Minneapolis.
“The Shadow Aspect”/”Motion Blur”
Two group photography shows. 6-8 p.m. Praxis Gallery & Photo Arts Center, 2601 27th Ave. S., Minneapolis.
Warehouse District Live Block Party with Ayybo and Carl Craig
Is Warehouse District Live… cool? The much-maligned opportunity to hang out with Council Member Michael Rainville and a lot of cops has transformed into a real electronic music mini-fest for this weekend. Carl Craig is a bona fide techno legend who for nearly four decades now he’s expanded upon the Detroit blueprint set by pioneers like Derrick May and Kevin Saunderson, and he’s matched with a younger headliner, tech house DJ/producer Ayybo. In addition, there will be other festy accoutrements, including a vintage market, food trucks, and “lots more activations!” Cool? With Sheltron, Nick Gunz, and Brownie. Free. 7 p.m. First Avenue North, between S. Third St. & S. Fifth St., Minneapolis; find more info here.—Keith Harris
316 Vintage Vendorfest
A sidewalk sale with hot dogs and Hamms beer. 3 p.m. 316 Vintage, 316 S. 42nd St., Minneapolis.
AudreyRose Makers Market
Artists, makers, a barber, iced coffee, and bouquets. Inside and out. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. AudreyRose Vintage, 3508 Snelling Ave., Minneapolis.
Outdoor Vintage Market
With 20+ vintage sellers, baked goods, plants, makers, and more. Noon to 5 p.m. The Glass Poppy, 10931 Baltimore St. NE, Blaine.
Stillwater Flea Market
Featuring nearly 200 vendors and crafters every month. Other dates: Sep. 27-28. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sat.-Sun. Washington County Fairgrounds, 12300 40th St. N., Stillwater.
“Synaptic Bloom”
Artists Charlie Haataja and Katie Monroe explore the strange beauty of organic forms. 5-8 p.m. Cryptid Hair Parlour, 2358 Stinson Pkwy., Minneapolis.
Manchester City FC vs. Spurs (PL)
6:30 a.m. Brit's Pub, 1110 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis.
Beer Choir Twin Cities
6-8 p.m. Como Lakeside Pavilion, 1360 Lexington Pkwy. N., St. Paul.
K-Pop in the Sunset
Featuring a dance party, fan-made merch, a K-Pop market, and food trucks. 5:30-9:30 p.m. The Commons, 425 Portland Ave. S., Minneapolis.
Ordway Inside Out: Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra
7-9 p.m. Rice Park, 109 W. Fourth St., St. Paul.
4th Annual White Bear Craft Fair
Featuring over 80 booths. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Hippodrome Ice Arena, 4855 Bloom Ave., White Bear Lake.
Jason Bradley
‘90s Seattle sound. 7 p.m. Boom Island Brewing Company, 5959 Baker Rd., Minnetonka.
Rediscover Southdale Center: Back-to-School
Featuring a school-themed fashion show plus pop-ups featuring freebies and giveaways. Noon to 3 p.m. Southdale Center, Center Court, 10 Southdale Ctr., Edina.
Pilates for the People
A free pilates class. RSVP here. 10:15-11 a.m. Lowertown St. Paul Farmers Market, 290 Fifth St. E., St. Paul.
Free Yoga
Studio 9-to-5 hosts free yoga sessions Mon., Wed., and Sat. Sign up here. 9 a.m. Union Depot, 214 Fourth St. E., St. Paul.
Free, once inside the fairgrounds:
Sweet Colleens
10:30 a.m. & 11:45 a.m. Sat.-Sun. MN State Fair Bandshell.
Jason Scott & The High Heat
1 p.m. & 2:30 p.m. Sat.-Sun. MN State Fair Bandshell.
Jon Cleary & The Absolute Monster Gentlemen
3:45 p.m. & 4:45 p.m. Sat.-Sun. MN State Fair Bandshell.
Arrested Development
8:30 p.m. Sat.-Sun. MN State Fair Bandshell.
Jack Brass Band
10:45 a.m., noon, 1:15 p.m. Sat.-Sun. Summit Stage at the Bazaar.
PanAtics
3:15 p.m., 4:30 p.m., 5:45 p.m. Sat.-Sun. Summit Stage at the Bazaar.
The Belfast Cowboys
8 p.m. Sat.-Sun. Summit Stage at the Bazaar.
Ken Valdez
4 p.m., 5 p.m., 6 p.m. Sat.-Sun. West End Market Stage at Schilling Amphitheater.
Jonah Marais
8 p.m. Sat.-Sun. West End Market Stage at Schilling Amphitheater.
FARMERS MARKETS
Apple Valley Farmers Market at the Government Center
8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sat. through October 25. 7100 147th St. W., Apple Valley; stpaulfarmersmarket.com.
Burnsville Farmers Market at the Senior Center
8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sat. through October 25. 200 Burnsville Pkwy., Burnsville; stpaulfarmersmarket.com.
Lowertown St. Paul Farmers Markets
Lowertown’s pride and one of the state’s largest markets. Find free parking on Prince Street. 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sat.; 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sun. now through Nov. 23. 290 Fifth St. E., St. Paul; stpaulfarmersmarket.com.
Lakeville Farmers’ Market at the Arts Center
Noon to 5 p.m. Wed. through October 22; 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sat. through September 20. 20965 Holyoke Ave., Lakeville; stpaulfarmersmarket.com.
Midtown Farmers Market
Urban market serving produce and more to Powderhorn, Phillips, and Longfellow. Featuring an electronics recycling program, live music, fitness classes, puppet theater, and more. The first hour of each event is quiet for special needs shoppers. EBT accepted. 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sat. through October 28. Be sure to park in the Hennepin County lot, not the B-side parking (follow the signs). 2225 East Lake St., Minneapolis; facebook.com/MidtownFarmersMarket.
Mill City Farmers’ Market
This long running market in the shadow of Mill Ruins Park features local, sustainable, and organic groceries and produce. 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sat. through Sep.; 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. through Oct. 750 Second St. S., Minneapolis; millcityfarmersmarket.org.
Northeast Farmers Market
Seasonal market featuring food vendors, local produce, and artisanal goods. 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sat., through October 11. St. Boniface Church parking lot, 629 Second St. NE (corner of University and Seventh Ave. NE), Minneapolis; northeastmarket.org.
Richfield Farmers Market
7 a.m. to noon Sat. through Aug.; 8 a.m. to noon Sep.-Oct. Veterans Park, 6335 Portland Ave., Richfield; find more info here.
Southwest Farmers Market
Formerly known at the Fulton Farmers Market, the gang has moved to a new location with traditional and heirloom vegetables, fruits, breads, and pastries. 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Sat. through October 25. 5025 Knox Ave., Minneapolis; neighborhoodrootsmn.org.
St. Luke’s Farmers Market
Locally grown produce, baked goods, plants, flowers, honey, pickles, and more. EBT, debit, credit cards, and Market Bucks accepted. 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sat. through October 4. St. Luke Lutheran Church, 1807 Field Ave., St. Paul; saintlukechurch.org/farmers-market.
SUNDAY
Wren + Wilde
Country. 2 p.m. Lake Harriet Bandshell, 4135 W. Lake Harriet Pkwy., Minneapolis.
Cabin Fever
Acoustic. 5:30 p.m. Lake Harriet Bandshell, 4135 W. Lake Harriet Pkwy., Minneapolis.
The Real Chuck NORAD
7 p.m. 331 Club, 331 13th Ave. NE, Minneapolis.
Mike Munson
3-5 p.m. 331 Club, 331 13th Ave. NE, Minneapolis.
Jonah Paul
With Lars Carlson Trio, Isaac Paulsrud. 1-4 p.m. White Squirrel Bar, 974 W. Seventh St., St. Paul.
The Grieving Pines
With Cain & Co. On the patio stage. 6-8 p.m. White Squirrel Bar, 974 W. Seventh St., St. Paul.
Agony In The Living Room
Alt-rock tunes. With Iodine, Velvet Ghoul. 9 p.m. to midnight. White Squirrel Bar, 974 W. Seventh St., St. Paul.
Cult Cinema Classics Presents: SLC Punk
Free movies and popcorn. 7 p.m. Roxy's Cabaret, 1333 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis.
New Words: A Variety Open Mic
All forms of open mic welcome: comedy, poetry, fiction reading, music, etc. Send a message to @newwordsopenmic on Instagram to sign up or check in after 5 p.m. in person. 5:30 p.m. The Black Forest Inn, 1 E. 26th St., Minneapolis.
Fix-In Clinic
You read that right. Volunteers from Minnesota Tool Library are at Fulton this Sunday to help you fix stuff. RSVP here. 2-5 p.m. Fulton Taproom, 414 Sixth Ave. N., Minneapolis.
Kitty Revolution Used Book Sale
All funds raised support rescue cats and their medical needs. 1-4 p.m. Broken Clock Brewing Cooperative, 1712 Marshall St. NE, Minneapolis.
HORA: Sounds of Romania–Exploring a Rich Musical Heritage
1-3 p.m. HORA MN, 75 Fifth St. W., St. Paul.
The Arcane Assembly
A dark academia back-to-school market. 1-5 p.m. The Lodge of Lazarus, 560 Seventh St. W., St. Paul.
Skate-the-Park
What if a park became a skatepark? That’s the idea behind this afternoon skate party open to all. Sure, you can skate around Silverwood any time you wish, but today will be extra skate friendly, with beautiful nature to see and things to do along the trail. That includes retro art making activities at the Visitor Center plus DJ tunes and dancing at the amphitheater. No skates? No problem. This event is organized with the help of Twin Cities Skaters (aka the folks who run the Uptown rink in the former CB2 space), and they’ll be on hand with free skate rentals in sizes toddler through men’s 14—what a range! Free. 3-6 p.m. Silverwood Park , 2500 County Rd. E., St. Anthony.—Jessica Armbruster
Thai Sunday Market
Featuring food, artists and artisans, and entertainment. 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Aug. 24. Wat Promwachirayan, 2544 Hwy. 100 S., St. Louis Park.
Drag Discovery Night
An open stage night for drag, hosted by Luna Muse and mentored by Rose Nylon. Sign up here. 7 p.m. LUSH Lounge & Theater, 990 Central Ave. NE, Minneapolis.
FARMERS MARKETS
The Big Red Barn Farmers Market
9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sun. June-Sep. Maplewood Area Historical Society, 2170 Cty. Rd. D East, Maplewood; find more info at maplewoodmuseum.org/farmers-market.
Inver Grove Heights Farmers Market
8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sun. through October 26. 8055 Barbara Ave., Inver Grove Heights; stpaulfarmersmarket.com.
Kingfield Farmers Market
Featuring a large selection of local produce, artisanal crafts, and prepared foods. 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sun. through October. Kingfield Farmers Market, MLK Park, 4055 Nicollet Ave. S. (in the parking lot off of 40th St.), Minneapolis; neighborhoodrootsmn.org.
Linden Hills Farmers Market
Featuring ethical meats, baked goods, ready-to-eat items, locally grown veggies and fruits, and live musical entertainment. 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sun., through October 26. Settergrens of Linden Hills, 2813 W. 43rd St., Minneapolis; lindenhillsfarmersmarket.org.
Market in the Valley
9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sun. through September. 7800 Golden Valley Rd., Golden Valley; marketinthevalley.org.
Markets on Main
A new farmers market?! Yep! This weekly event includes locally sourced foodstuffs, goods from farmers and florists, vintage shopping, and Minnesota makers on the plaza. Now through mid-October. 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sun. Riverplace, 1 SE Main St., Minneapolis; find more info at marketsonmainmpls.com.
Minneapolis Parks Markets: Lake Harriet
2-7 p.m. Sun. right by the bandshell through August 31. Lake Harriet, 4135 W. Lake Harriet Parkway, Minneapolis; more info here.
Savage Farmers Market
8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sun. through October 26. 4800 W. 123rd St., Savage; stpaulfarmersmarket.com.
Woodbury Farmers Market
8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sun. through October 26. Red Rock Elementary, 3311 Commonwealth Ave., Woodbury; stpaulfarmersmarket.com.
