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.
FRIDAY
Airship Caravan, Birdhole, Timisarocker
Alternative rock. 8 p.m. White Squirrel Bar, 974 W. Seventh St., St. Paul.
The Pan-handlers Steel Drum Band
7 p.m. Minnehaha Falls, 4801 Minnehaha Ave., Minneapolis.
Nokomis Days
This sprawling event features sidewalk sales, tap takeovers, parking lot parties, food truck popups, free music concerts, sporting events, and tons more. You can find the complete schedule at nokomiseastba.com/nokomisdays2022. 5000 34th Ave. S., Minneapolis. Friday through Sunday.
Beer Garden Music: Molly Brandt & Mary Traxler
6-8 p.m. Utepils Brewing, 225 Thomas Ave. N., Minneapolis.
The Hub Bike Coop’s 20th Anniversary
Featuring music by Pyrrhic Victories, The Port Authority, Dog and Tony Show Ollo11 DJ. It’s free, but please RSVP online: thehookmpls.com/event/the-hub-bike-co-op-20. 6 p.m. The Hook and Ladder Theater & Lounge, 3010 Minnehaha Ave., Minneapolis.
Dan Ferstenou
Classic rock. 7 p.m. Fat Pants Brewing Co., 8335 Crystal View Rd., Eden Valley.
St. Anthony VillageFest 2022
Featuring a parade, fireworks, bounce houses, petting zoo, bag tosses, bands, beer, food trucks, meat raffle, car show, baseball, bingo, and more. Find the complete schedule at stanthonyvillagefest.com. 4:30-8 p.m. Friday; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday. 3301 Silver Lake Rd. NE, Minneapolis.
Cool Summer Nights feat. DJ Advance
RSVP for free entry before midnight here. 10 p.m. Hyde Kitchen & Cocktails, 24 University Ave. NE, Minneapolis.
Encanto
7:30 p.m. Staring Lake Amphitheatre, 14800 Pioneer Trail, Eden Prairie.
Beast Barbecue House Proud 11 Years
House DJ sets with Jeff Swiff, Bryan Gerrard, and Monte Hilleman. 9:45 p.m. to 1 a.m. Beast Barbecue, 825 E. Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis.
58th Annual Uptown Art Fair
Featuring over 300 artists, food vendors, activities, demonstrations, beverages, and more. Noon to 7 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Uptown, aim for Hennepin Avenue and Lake Street, Minneapolis.
NDY
Rock ‘n’ roll. 9 p.m. The Dog House Bar & Grill, 2029 Woodlyn Ave., St. Paul.
Life Without Parole
Oldschool, outlaw, and other country tunes. 7-10 p.m. 612 Brew, 945 Broadway NE, Minneapolis.
Is This Thing On?, The KEY KIDS, Jeweler
21+. 9 p.m. 331 Club, 331 13th Ave. NE, Minneapolis.
Respect
Movie is preceded by music by DJ Shannon Blowtorch and Annie Mack. 7:30 p.m. tunes; dusk for movie. Lake Harriet Bandshell, 4135 W. Lake Harriet Pkwy, Minneapolis.
P.O.P at 50th & France: Corpse Reviver / Annie Fitzgerald
Singer/songwriter tunes. 5-8 p.m. 3945 Market St., Minneapolis.
Friday Art-Making in the Garden
Featuring free art-making activities for kids ages 4 and up. 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Walker Art Center, 725 Vineland Place, Minneapolis.
Friday Night Open Mic
21+. 10 p.m. The Comedy Corner Underground, 1501 S. Washington Ave., Minneapolis.
Adult Game Night
Featuring drunk specials, DJ tunes, and games, including giant Jenga, Uno, Connect 4, dominoes, and more. There’s also karaoke every 1st and 3rd Fridays of the month. Hyde Kitchen & Cocktails, 24 University Ave. NE, Minneapolis.
Farmers’ Markets
House of Hope Farmers’ Market
1:30 to 5 p.m. Fridays through October 28. House Of Hope Presbyterian Church, 797 Summit Ave. (parking lot on Portland Ave.), St. Paul; stpaulfarmersmarket.com.
Minneapolis Farmers Market
Arguably the city’s largest and most famous market, with hundreds of vendors weekly. 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. daily, EBT hours 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thu.-Sun. June through Oct. 312 E. Lyndale Ave. N. (near International Market Square), Minneapolis; mplsfarmersmarket.com.
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 Fridays, through October 28. 1225 S. Robert St., St. Paul; stpaulfarmersmarket.com.
West Broadway Farmers Market
Featuring local foods, arts, and community development, promoting healthy food access for North Minneapolis, with fresh produce, artisanal goods, grab-and-go eats, and locally grown plants. 3 to 9 p.m. Fridays, June 17 through Oct. 14. The Plaza @ the Capri, 2027 W. Broadway Ave. N. (Broadway and Oliver Street), Minneapolis; appetiteforchangemn.org/wbfm.
SATURDAY
Powderhorn Art Fair
Look, we know there’s a bigger art event happening in Uptown this weekend, but the Powderhorn Art Fair gets our hearts and our precious time this weekend. Now in its 31st year, this big fun fest features over 150 artists working in just about every medium, including colorful pottery, practical woodwork, wearable leather pieces, sparkling jewelry, and pastoral stitching. Art installations include Robin P. Hickman’s “Soul Living,” a collection of diverse Barbie-like dolls living their best Black lives and a therapeutic/meditative light prism piece by Boo McCaleb. There will also be a dozen or so food vendors, from Venezeulan arepas to homemade ice cream (we definitely rec La Loma’s delicious tamales) and Reverie will host a beer garden with DJ/radio tunes both days. Find all the deets at powderhornartfair.com. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Powderhorn Park, 3400 15th Ave. S., Minneapolis. –Jessica Armbruster
Summer Cypher
Featuring beats, rhymes, dance, graffiti, and more. 2-10 p.m. Outside at Chicago and Lake, 740 E. Lake St., Minneapolis.
Gravity Still Sucks
Featuring an alleyway skatepark with 3rd Lair and Keen Ramps, DJ tunes, eats from Zaap Thai and Chef Lucas Pizza, skateboard vendors and demos, special beer releases, and a video game cave and game lounge featuring Gravity Sucks, a brand-new collab with Wallride Games and Modist. $1 of every beer poured during the event will go to Midwest Skate Camp. 𝟮-𝟳 𝗽.𝗺. Modist Brewing Company, 505 N. 3rd St., Minneapolis.
Light Up the Night Slow Roll
Light up your bikes and ride to this adult ride hosted by Urban League Young Professionals. Meet at 3800 Third Ave. S., Minneapolis, roll on to a stop midway at a secret location where there will be food and music by Chaz Millionaire. Light kits will be available; bring AAA batteries to share. Text or call 612-875-7803 with questions or concerns. 6-11 p.m.
The Jugsluggers
String band music. 7 p.m. 612 Brew, 945 Broadway NE, Minneapolis.
Black Tongue
New works by Amelia Biewald. The opening reception is from 7-10 p.m. Rosalux Gallery, 315 W. 48th St., Minneapolis.
The Dylan Salfer Trio
7 p.m. Keg and Case Market, 928 W. 7th St., St. Paul.
Party In The Park
Free food and music. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. St. Paul Harley-Davidson, 2899 Hudson Blvd., St. Paul.
National Mead Day
Featuring 20% off mead and merchandise, free honey tasting, special release of SHIELDVIXEN, a hibiscus and rose petal mead. Noon to midnight. White Bear Meadery, 1595 County Rd. E E., St. Paul.
Summer Beer-Themed Cocktail Party
Featuring four signature drinks, Asian fusion food truck Kham Fu Dee, tunes from Backyard Boombox, and lawn games. Flower shirts are highly recommended. 2-8 p.m. HeadFlyer Brewing, 861 E. Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis.
Machinery Hill
Americana. 3-5 p.m. Sociable Cider Werks, 1500 Fillmore St. NE, Minneapolis.
Armatage Summer Jam
With live music from Loved by Millions, free face painting, lawn games, food trucks, and more. 4-6 p.m. Armatage Park, 2500 W. 57th St., Minneapolis.
Days Between: Celebrating the Music That Influenced Jerry Garcia
With Feeding Leroy, B.O.B, and Johnson Bro's. 4-9 p.m. St. Paul’s Farmers’ Market, 290 5th St. E., St. Paul.
DJ A-Quil
Note from the DJ: Please stay off the poles this time! 5-11 p.m. Graze Provisions and Libations, 520 N. Fourth St., Minneapolis.
Dan Israel and Friends Folk Festival
With Mikkel Beckmen, Mary Cutrufello, Robert Wilkinson of the Flamin' Ohs, and Martin Devaney. 6-9 p.m. Wolfe Park Veteran's Memorial Amphitheater, 3700 Monterey Dr., St. Louis Park.
Godflow Hip Hop & Hope Fest
Featuring live gospel and hip-hop music onstage, a rap contest, $5 haircuts, a declaration of peace ceremony against gun violence, food trucks, and more. Find more info at GodFlowFest.com. 2-8 p.m. Sanctuary Covenant Church, 720 W. Broadway, Minneapolis.
Backyarty
Hosted at Number 12 Cider and StormKing BrewPub. With beer and cider, giveaways, food and drink specials, cornhole, ice cream, DJs in collaboration with the Electric Fetus, live music. Noon to 10 p.m. Number 12 Cider, 614 N. Fifth St., Minneapolis.
Free First Saturday: Plant Power
Featuring art kits, activities, guided tours of the Sculpture Garden, and more. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Walker Art Center, 725 Vineland Place, Minneapolis.
MN Record Show
Records, T-Shirts, Vintage, Cassettes, Posters, and CD sale. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Hook and Ladder Theater & Lounge, 3010 Minnehaha Ave., Minneapolis.
St. Paul Food Truck Fest
Culturally, we’ve decided we really enjoy eating food that originates inside trucks. There’s perhaps no greater testament to that pervasiveness than Chef, the 2014 Jon Favreau vehicle that I don’t remember with particular fondness. You’ll likely have a more enjoyable time patronizing the real-life food trucks at the sixth annual St. Paul Food Truck Fest, which takes place outside Union Depot and features 45 (!) trucks of diverse culinary origins (click here for the full list). Also on tap: fashion trucks, vinyl trucks, and photo-booth trucks, as well as non-truck activities like drinking beer, jumbo Jenga, a mechanical bull, bean bag tossin', henna tats, psychic tarot readings, and three cover bands: Khalia & Blackwater, Tyte Phitt, Sumo Seven. Will it be a good truckin’ time? You could say that. Free. 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Union Depot, 390 E. Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul; find more info here.—Jay Boller
Denim Matriarch, shrimp olympics
10 p.m. 331 Club, 331 13th Ave. NE, Minneapolis.
Oaks Tape-Release Show
With Scrunchies, Loud Sun. 8 p.m. White Squirrel Bar, 974 W. Seventh St., St. Paul.
The 355
It’s an action flick. With ladies. 9 p.m. Lake Harriet Bandshell, 4135 W. Lake Harriet Pkwy, Minneapolis.
Glen Lake Block Party
Featuring family-friendly activities, live music from Kingsview and Southern Resident Killer Whales, food from Gold Nugget and Fused food truck. 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. 14625 Excelsior Blvd., Minnetonka.
Michael Monroe
Acoustic tunes. 7:30 p.m. Lake Harriet Bandshell, 4135 W. Lake Harriet Pkwy, Minneapolis.
Stereo Kitchen
8:30 p.m. Mainstreet Bar& Grill, 814 Mainstreet, Hopkins.
MPLS Pet Market
Featuring local pet businesses and adoptable animals. Find more info here. Every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. through August. 200 E Lyndale Ave N, Minneapolis,
Farmers’ Markets
Apple Valley Farmers Market
8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays, through October 29. 7100 147th St. W., Apple Valley; stpaulfarmersmarket.com.
Fulton Farmers Market
Traditional and heirloom vegetables, fruits, breads, and pastries. 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays, through October 29. 4901 Chowen Ave. S., Minneapolis; neighborhoodrootsmn.org.
Lakeview Terrace Farmers’ Market
Formerly known as the Camden Farmers Market, this small market has teamed up with Robbinsdale to offer fresh produce and artisanal goods. 8 a.m. to noon Saturdays, through September 17. Find it on the northeast corner of Bottineau Blvd. (CR 81) and Lakeland Avenue in Robbinsdale, across from HyVee; thenewmpls.info/farmersmarket.
Midtown Farmers Market
Urban market serving produce and more to Powderhorn, Phillips, and Longfellow. In a new location this year. 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays through Oct.; 3 to 7 p.m. Tuesdays, through Oct. 2225 East Lake St., Minneapolis, facebook.com/MidtownFarmersMarket.
Mill City Farmers’ Market
Now outside through October! With local farmers, artisans, ceramics, giftables, food, and more. 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Mill City Museum, 704 S. Second St., Minneapolis.
Northeast Farmers’ Market
Featuring fruits, vegetables, plants, flowers, artisans, specialty foods, prepared foods, kids’ activities, live music, and community spirit. Find more info at northeastmarket.org. Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. through October 15. St. Boniface Church, on the corner of University Avenue NE and Seventh Avenue NE, Minneapolis.
Richfield Farmers’ Market
Featuring live music, cooking demos, morning yoga, food, and more. Find info here. 8 a.m. to noon through October 15. 6335 Portland Ave., Richfield.
St. Paul Downtown Farmers’ Market
Lowertown’s pride and one of the state’s largest markets. 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays; 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sundays. Through Nov. 20. 290 5th St. E., St. Paul; stpaulfarmersmarket.com.
SUNDAY
Paws on Grand
This dog-friendly fest includes adoptable dogs from non-profit rescue groups, weiner dog races, pet organizations and businesses, and more. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Grand Avenue
Dog Days of Summer
Dog-friendly party features a pop-up market, pupper wading pools, a bobbing for hot dogs competition at 3 p.m., and off-leash play area, adoption and support agencies, and free Pupper Ale beer for dogs. Noon to 6 p.m. Bent Brewstillery, 1744 Terrace Dr., Roseville.
BOB! (The Music of Dylan)
2 p.m. Lake Harriet Bandshell, 4135 W. Lake Harriet Pkwy, Minneapolis.
Ecuador Manta
5:30 p.m. Lake Harriet Bandshell, 4135 W. Lake Harriet Pkwy, Minneapolis.
Pollinator Festival
Bee and butterfly party! With live music, kid-friendly pollinator education, plant walks, a Dakota-owned food truck, art-making, Native plant giveaways, face painting, and more. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. 1600 Phalen Dr. E., St. Paul.
Back Alley Bazaar
Shop imperfect vintage at a discount price. Bring canned food shelf goods to donate, too. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Golden Pearl Vintage, 507 E. Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis.
Standup Sundays
Hosted by Grant Winkels and Courtney Baka. 7:30 p.m. Fair State Brewing Cooperative, 2506 Central Ave. NE, Minneapolis.
Westwind Swing Band
4:30 p.m. Hotel Landing, 925 Lake St., Wayzata.
Aaron Lee Kaplan
21+. 3 p.m. 331 Club, 331 13th Ave. NE, Minneapolis.
Game Night
Chris H. stops by with board games. Or bring your own. Noon to 5 p.m. LynLake Brewery, 2934 Lyndale Ave. S., Minneapolis.
Open Mic Night
Music, poetry, comedy, whatever is welcome. Sign up at 4:30 p.m. The Cave at Keg and Case Market, 928 W. 7th St., St. Paul.
Farmers’ Markets
Inver Grove Heights Farmers Market
8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sundays, through October 9. 8055 Barbara Ave., Inver Grove Heights; stpaulfarmersmarket.com.
Kingfield Farmers Market
Featuring a large selection of local produce, artisanal crafts, and prepared foods in a new location this year at MLK Park. 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sundays, through Oct. 30. MLK Park, 4055 Nicollet Ave. S. (40th and Nicollet), 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. Sundays, through Oct. 30. Settergrens of Linden Hills, 2813 W. 43rd St., Minneapolis; lindenhillsfarmersmarket.org.
Woodbury Farmers Market
8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sundays, through October 30. 8595 Central Park Pl., Woodbury; stpaulfarmersmarket.com.
