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 a roundup of the week's best events, price be damned, click here.
FRIDAY
E.T.
Featuring lawn games, food trucks, a craft activity, and a bike parade. 7 p.m.; movie at dusk. Phalen Park Beach, 1400 Phalen Dr., St. Paul.
Rad Owl, Night Jobs, Sax, Short Timer
7 p.m. White Squirrel Bar, 974 W. Seventh St., St. Paul.
Hamline Midway Garage Sale
A neighborhood-wide garage sale. 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday-Saturday. Hamline Midway Neighborhood.
This Side Down Cartographer Release
Try this new pineapple upside down cake tropical smoothie sour. Noon. Pryes Brewing, 1401 West River Rd. N., Minneapolis.
Minneapolis Greek Festival: Taste of Greece
Featuring traditional food, performances, vendors, church tours, live music, and more. Find more info at mplsgreekfest.org. 2-9 p.m. Friday; noon to 9 p.m. Saturday; noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. St. Mary's Greek Orthodox Church, 3450 Irving Ave. S., Minneapolis.
Twin Cities Volkswagen Club
Check out cool cars in the parking lot. 4-10 p.m. Germanic-American Institute, 301 Summit Ave., St. Paul.
Viewpoint Gallery’s Grand Opening
With food, live music, kids’ activities, and art by Gene Hartsock and Suyao Tian. 6-9 p.m. Viewpoint Gallery, 591 Hamline Ave. N., St. Paul.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Featuring a Triwizard Tournament, music, photo ops, local food vendors, themed cocktails, trivia, crafts, and games. Movie at 8 p.m.. 6-10 p.m. Union Depot, 214 Fourth St. E., St. Paul.
Reggae Night
7 p.m. Number 12 Cider, 614 N. Fifth St., Minneapolis.
Phil Berbig
Music. 7 p.m. 612brew, 945 NE Broadway St., Minneapolis.
Karaoke
With Silly Miss Tilly. 9 p.m. to midnight. Can Can Wonderland, 755 Prior Ave. N., St. Paul.
Harvest Moon Market
Shop from 25+ local vendors, including lots of vintage. With DJ tunes, vegan eats from Francis Burger Joint, and tarot readings. 4-9 p.m. Sociable Cider Werks, 1500 Fillmore St. NE, Minneapolis.
Star Party at Bell
Stars: They’re just like us! Oh, wait… not these stars, sorry—the stars we’re talking about here are located a couple of light years away and probably aren’t all that relatable. Still, it’s pretty cool that you can head to the Bell Museum’s roof deck and peek at their shining gaseous masses via telescope, while inside the museum’s expert astronomy team takes you on a tour of the night sky via the planetarium. And speaking of the Bell, did you read our recent conversation with Lansing Shepard, who co-authored A Natural Curiosity: The Story of the Bell Museum? Free; register here. 7:45 p.m. Bell Museum, 2088 Larpenteur Ave. W., St. Paul.—Em Cassel
Get Up, Stand-Up Comedy Open Mic
Sign up at 6 p.m.; show at 6:30 p.m. Mortimer’s, 2001 Lyndale Ave. S., Minneapolis.
Jeff Ray and the Stakes
21+. 9 p.m. 331 Club, 331 13th Ave. NE, Minneapolis.
Rupaul's Drag Race: Secret Celebrity Viewing Party
Admission is free, but you gotta reserve at ticket at lushmpls.com. 7-9 p.m. LUSH Lounge & Theater, 990 NE Central Ave., Minneapolis.
Open Mic Comedy Night
Sign up at 7:30 p.m.; show at 8:30 p.m. Dual Citizen Brewing Company, 725 Raymond Ave., St. Paul.
P.O.P at 50th & France: ShaVunda / Doug Collins / and Katy Vernon
Plus tunes from students. 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
The Black Market
Shop from 60 local, Black-owned businesses, Black-owned food trucks, and music. RSVP here: theblackmarketmpls.com. 2-7 p.m. The Lab, 767 Eustic St., St. Paul.
Blocktoberfest
We’re big fans of beer (see proof) and Gully Boys (additional proof), so we’re obviously excited for this free GB-headlined bash at one of St. Paul’s coolest breweries. Also on tap (beer term), musically speaking: DJ Abilities, Blood $moke Body, Fenixdion, Jack Brass Band, and Pine & Fire. Dual Citizen will, of course, be handling the suds, while BBQ & Cruz, iPierogi, and Kona Ice are on food duty. Free. Noon. Dual Citizen Brewing Co., 725 Raymond Ave., St. Paul; find more info here. –Jay Boller
Clocktoberfest
Yep, we’re entering that time of year when the summertime beer-based block parties segue into the fall lager-and-sausage fests. Case in point: Clocktoberfest 2022. During the day, Broken Clock will be releasing a few special German-style pints, and Sweet Lou’s Meats and Northeast Pretzels will be stopping by for some traditional eats. Nokomis Tattoo will be on hand if you’re looking to score some new body ink, and yard games will keep people busy in between live music sets. Tunes will be mostly chill, with singer-songwriter music and blues vibes from Jason Bradley, Lucy Red, and Abbot Blues Band. Free. Noon to 9 p.m. Broken Clock Brewing Cooperative, 3134 California St. NE, Minneapolis. –Jessica Armbruster
St. Boni's Fall Festival
Featuring a kids’ parade, festival fun, egg rolls, car show, entertainment, and mass at Visit saintbonaventure.org/fall-festival for the full schedule. 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. 901 E. 90th St., Minneapolis.
2022 Super Sale: East Isles & Lowry Hill
A neighborhood yard sale with over 50 participants. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Find maps at sale sites or visit eastisles.org.
Field + Festival Fall Market
Minneapolis Craft Market hosts this monthly fall market with local makers, food, and farmers’ market goods. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wagners Garden Center, 6024 Penn Ave. S., Minneapolis.
Makers Market
Vintage and makers market with Juniper Lou Vintage and 30 local vendors. Noon to 5 p.m. Able Seedhouse + Brewery, 1121 Quincy St. NE, Minneapolis.
18th Annual Edina Fall into the Arts Festival
Featuring 225 artists and vendors. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Centennial Lake Parks, 7499 France Ave. S., Edina.
Jackalope Craft Fair
Featuring 100 local artisans. Find more info here: jackalopeartfair.com. 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Surly Brewing, 520 Malcolm Ave. SE, Minneapolis.
Open Streets Minneapolis: West Broadway
Open Streets are a lot like a block party, except instead of closing a side street these events shut down main drag. We’re talking Franklin Avenue, Minnehaha, Lake Street, and, this weekend, West Broadway. During each celebration the streets will be closed to cars but open to you, where you’ll find a variety of things to see and do, including sidewalk sales, parking lot concerts, chalk-art making, pop-up skate parks, impromptu yoga sessions, and summer beer patios. This installment includes free MetroTransit rides, standup comedy, health clinics, an artisan market, live radio broadcasts, and more at over 200 locations. Find the complete schedule at openstreetsmpls.org. 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. West Broadway, from Penn Avenue North to Lyndale Avenue North, Minneapolis. –Jessica Armbruster
Waite Park Fall Festival
Featuring live music, local vendors and artisans, kids games, a fire truck, food trucks, and free food options from the grill. 3-7 p.m. 1810 34th Ave. NE, Minneapolis.
Waite Park Fall Festival After-Party
$1 from every draft beer sold supports ongoing WPCC programs. 7-10 p.m. Fair State Brewing Cooperative
September Manga Club
Talk about new releases, enjoy Japanese snacks, and shop deals. 5 p.m. Next Chapter Booksellers, 38 Snelling Ave. S., St. Paul.
Nick Mauer, Side Two, Of the Orchard
3-8:30 p.m. 612 Brew, 945 Broadway NE, Minneapolis.
Greenway Glow Closing Reception
Photography celebrating the annual bike event on the Midtown Greenway. 4-10 p.m. Praxis Gallery, 2637 27th Ave. S., Minneapolis.
3rd Annual Kegs for the Klondike
Featuring live music, silent auction, kids’ activities, sled dog demos, and more. 2-10 p.m. Excelsior Brewing Company, 421 3rd St., Excelsior.
Patio Party
Featuring new beers and tunes from Backyard Boombox DJs. 2 p.m. Insight Brewing, 2821 E. Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis.
Minneapolis Queer History Ride
Perennial Cycle and a local historian takes people on a friendly, slower-paced 10-mile ride through LGBTQ+ sites, sharing their histories. 1-3 p.m. 300 Kenwood Pkwy, Minneapolis
Barely Bros Saturday Afternoon In-Store
Featuring tunes from Doug Collins and the Receptionists, Institutional Green, Tragic Hands, and Rank Strangers. 1-5 p.m. Barely Brothers Records, 783 Raymond Ave., St. Paul.
The Monarch Festival
Featuring family fun, butterflies info, food, tunes from Salsa del Soul. 11:15 a.m. Lake Nokomis, 4800 E. Nokomis Pkwy., Minneapolis.
Mac-Grove Fest 2022
Featuring food trucks, live music, dance performances, arts and crafts, yard games, vendors, and more. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Edgcumbe Recreation Center, 320 Griggs St. S., St. Paul.
Selby Avenue JazzFest
An afternoon of tunes and food. 11 a.m. Selby Avenue at Milton Street, St. Paul.
Second Saturdays Open Studios & Galleries
11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Solar Arts Building, 711 15th Ave. NE, Minneapolis.
4th Annual St. Louis Park Art Fair
With 70+ local artists, live music, food trucks, and more. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 3700 Monterey Dr., Minneapolis.
TC Pagan Pride Fall Festival
Featuring 80+ vendors and community groups, a food and charity drive, fall rituals, vendors, and entertainment. Find more info at tcpaganpride.org/ffvendorlist. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Minnehaha Falls, 4801 Minnehaha Ave., Minneapolis.
46th Annual Real Runabouts Rendezvous
Lake Minnetonka antiques and classic boat show. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Lord Fletcher's Old Lake Lodge, 3746 Sunset Dr., Spring Park.
Palmer Days 2022
Featuring a car show, live music, kids’ games, kids’ parade, raffles, beer garden, and more. 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Palmer Park, 2800 69th Ave. N., Brooklyn Center.
Oktoberfest
Featuring tunes, food, and Oktoberfest brews. 3 p.m. 612brew, 945 NE Broadway St., Minneapolis.
Voltage Controller Vol. 9
Electronic and ambient with Lo Mismo, Outcidr, and 4LF. 3 p.m. 331 Club, 331 13th Ave. NE, Minneapolis.
Porch Knights, Super Flasher
10 p.m. 331 Club, 331 13th Ave. NE, Minneapolis.
Goodbye Mordecai, La Mamá Diabla, & The Skalectric Company
8 p.m. White Squirrel Bar, 974 W. Seventh St., St. Paul.
Yoga at Union Depot
Hosted by Studio 9-to-5. Bring a mat and some water; sign up here. 9 a.m. Union Depot, 214 Fourth St. E., St. Paul.
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
Goldzilla
If, like me, you hastily scanned the event name here and thought, “Oh, a Godzilla screening,” please allow me to direct you to the Goldzilla event page and the incredible graphic advertising it. Truly great stuff! Goldzilla, with an “l,” is hosted by Retrieve a Golden of the Midwest, and organizers promise it’s one of the biggest golden retriever events in the nation. You and your pup are welcome to join ‘em for this fun fair and walk, during which any money raised will go to support the organization’s efforts to rescue and rehome golden retrievers and golden mixes. (Can’t make it but want to support RAGOM’s efforts? You can donate to the cause here.) Free. 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Free. Long Lake Regional Park, 1500 Old Hwy. 8, New Brighton.—Em Cassel
Paws on Grand
Featuring lots of pet-themed fun, including vendors, samples, wiener dog races, adoptable dogs, and more throughout the area. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. 1600 Grand Ave., St. Paul.
Sensory Friendly Sunday
This monthly event is designed for kids, teens, and adults with sensory processing differences, autism spectrum disorder, or developmental disabilities. The galleries will be closed to the general public, and there will be quiet spaces, fidgets, and sunglasses available. It’s free; but you’ll need to sign up at the Walker to reserve a time. 8 to 11 a.m. Walker Art Center, 725 Vineland Place, Minneapolis.
Family Day: Dressed by Nature
Featuring kid-friendly activities related to the exhibition and take-home art kits. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Minneapolis Institute of Art, 2400 Third Ave. S., Minneapolis.
Second Sundays Makers Market
Featuring around 10 vendors. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. St. Paul Brewing, 688 Minnehaha Ave. E., St. Paul.
Vintage Market
Featuring 12+ local vendors. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nolan Mains Plaza, 3945 Market St., Edina.
Minneapolis Craft Market’s Summer Market
Featuring 50+ Minnesota makers. Noon to 5 p.m. Sociable Cider Werks, 1500 Fillmore St. 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 Market8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sundays, through October 30. 8595 Central Park Pl., Woodbury; stpaulfarmersmarket.com.
