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, price be damned, click here, and our comprehensive Halloween guide is here.
FRIDAY
The Carnival of Venice 2024
Photos by David A. Eijadi. 5-8 p.m. Fri.-Sat. Flux Arts Building – The HUB Gallery, 2505 NE Howard St., Minneapolis.
Hocus Pocus
Watch the movie on a big screen projector with full audio, plus fire pits and free s'mores and popcorn. 8 p.m. Insight Brewing, 2821 E. Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis.
Annual Halloween Party
Featuring specialty cocktails, blood bags, a photo booth, and a costume contest at 11 p.m. for best individual and group costumes with cash prizes. 21+. 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. Fri.-Sat. Up-Down Minneapolis, 3012 Lyndale Ave. S., Minneapolis.
Halloween Bash
Featuring a 360 photo booth, music from DJ Good Knight & Friends, a costume contest, and J’N’willy’s BBQ. 8 p.m. BUCH Hard Kombucha Seltzer, 1121 Quincy St. NE, Minneapolis.
KYM, Anni XO, d’lakes
10 p.m. 331 Club, 331 13th Ave. NE, Minneapolis.
Pop-Punk Halloween
With Linus, My Kid Banana, Unattractive Giant Monster. 9-11 p.m. White Squirrel Bar, 974 W. Seventh St., St. Paul.
Echo Trail
7-9 p.m. Urban Forage Winery and Cider House, 3016 E. Lake St., Minneapolis.
Author Chris La Tray
Featuring a reading and conversation with James Vukelich for Tray’s new book, Becoming Little Shell. 7 p.m. Mill City Museum, 704 S. Second St., Minneapolis.
Art Ability Art Show and Sale
6-9 p.m. Fri.; 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sat. Union Depot, 214 Fourth St. E., St. Paul.
Elif Batuman
Elif Batuman’s two novels, The Idiot and Either/Or, follow the collegiate path of Selin, a certain kind of bookish student in the late ’90s who tries to apply what she’s learning in class to her social and romantic life—aren’t the liberal arts about learning how to be human, after all? The results are occasionally a disaster for Selin but always very funny for us readers. As in her nonfiction, which is full of quippy insights into Russian literature and personal anecdotes, Batuman can feel like an A student playing up to her professors at times—I mean, she was born to write for the New Yorker. But she captures gifted undergraduate cluelessness like no one else, and unless you’re a professor yourself, she not only knows more about Isaac Babel or 12th-century Uzbek poetry than you do, but often she makes you want to know more. 7 p.m. Pillsbury Hall, University of Minnesota, 310 Pillsbury Dr SE, Minneapolis; find more info here.—Keith Harris
Sunshine & The Night Walkers
8-11:30 p.m. Schooner Tavern, 2901 27th Ave. S., Minneapolis.
Viv Piston
7-9:30 p.m. Padraigs, 945 Broadway NE, Minneapolis.
Warehouse District Live
The fate of Open Streets may be uncertain this season, but every weekend a part of First Avenue will be closed to cars—and not just for construction reasons. Described as “an enhanced pedestrian zone,” Warehouse District Live will offer things that big cities normally have in their downtown areas: food trucks, extended seating areas, and more public bathrooms. Wow! So do some bar-hopping, sit outside and eat, walk in the middle of the street, and wonder why so many exurban Twitter users are so scared of downtown. Free. 7 p.m. to 3 a.m. Fri.-Sat. First Avenue, between Fifth and Sixth Streets, Minneapolis; find more info here. Through October —Jessica Armbruster
Friday Night Open Mic
21+. 10 p.m. The Comedy Corner Underground, 1501 S. Washington Ave., Minneapolis.
FARMERS MARKETS
House of Hope Market
1:15-5 p.m. Fridays through October 25. Hope Church, 797 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. Wed.-Fri.; 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sat.-Sun. through October. Good to know: The EBT booth is open 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Fri.-Sun. 312 E. Lyndale Ave. N., 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 25. 1225 S. Robert St., St. Paul; stpaulfarmersmarket.com.
SATURDAY
Vampire Family Reunion 2024
Halloween-themed activities and family fun from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., followed by a costumed dance party with DJ tunes from 8-11 p.m., plus seasonal beer releases, food, and Glitter Blood Orange Miraculum. Pryes Brewing Company, 1401 W. River Rd. N., Minneapolis.
Holland Arts Fall Open Studios
Noon to 5 p.m. Holland Arts, 607 22nd Ave. NE, Minneapolis.
Marko and Friends Halloween Bash
8 p.m. Schooner Tavern, 2901 27th Ave. S., Minneapolis.
Nightmare on Tyler Street
Mixmasters Backyard Boombox will be spinning tunes for 11 hours straight, including a set from Boston’s BVRNOUT. 1-11 p.m. Bauhaus Brew Labs, 1315 Tyler St. NE, Minneapolis.
Halloween and 34th Anniversary Party
Featuring tunes from Nicollet & Alcohol and beer specials. Brit-themed costumes are encouraged. 8 p.m. Brit’s Pub, 1110 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis.
Behind the Brands
Check out new brands at the store and stop by the VIP lounge for drinks from the cocktail bar and tunes from DJ Cousin Christopher. Noon to 4 p.m. MartinPatrick3, 212 N. Third Ave., Minneapolis.
Dead Souls Market
Featuring music by Di Velvet Vamp. With Wandering Lead Brewing, XMarx, and hosts the Midnight Creatures Dark Arts Collective. 1-3 p.m. Odd Mart, 2520 Lyndale Ave. S., Minneapolis.
Fall Market
Shop honey, herbs, pottery, and more. Noon to 5 p.m. Dame Errant, 1729 N. Second St., Minneapolis.
Spooky Art Pop Up
Featuring spooooky jewelry, baked goods, healing stones, candles, tees, and more. 1-6 p.m. Insight Brewery, 2821 E. Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis.
Meet the New MayDay Block Party
Featuring live music, screen printing, community art, new menu items, fundraising, and more info on what’s next (you can also read our story here). 1-4 p.m. MayDay Cafe, 35th and Elliot Ave., Minneapolis.
Ira Haze and The Straze, Greg Volker and The River, Flatwound
10 p.m. 331 Club, 331 13th Ave. NE, Minneapolis.
Home Team Quarterback
With M.A.Y., Tiger Blue. 9 p.m. to midnight. White Squirrel Bar, 974 W. Seventh St., St. Paul.
Big Trouble
6-7 p.m. White Squirrel Bar, 974 W. Seventh St., St. Paul.
Rada K
With Lucy London, Red Thread. 1-4 p.m. White Squirrel Bar, 974 W. Seventh St., St. Paul.
HERE, NOW: Selections from the M’s Collection Open House
See pieces from the permanent collection installation in the museum’s new wing. Minnesota Museum of American Art, 350 Robert St. N., St. Paul.
Celebrate 40 Years of Public Access
It’s wild, it’s boring, it’s offensive, it’s amazing: It’s public access television, and Minneapolis is celebrating 40 years of it this weekend. It’s basically the same deal it’s been for decades: a platform for people to share their knowledge and experiences, get creative, and connect with folks. On any given day on public access, you might find: a high school tennis match, someone helpfully distilling the best bits from most recent public school board meeting, a local rock group jamming out, or a preview of your neighborhood garage sale. At tonight’s celebration, folks from past (MTN!), present (SPEAK MPLS!), and future (RYSE MPLS!) eras of local public television will celebrate and reflect, with plenty of live music, video montages, food and drinks, games, and more. “They just want to let other people shine,” says Fancy Ray McCloney, who spoke with us last week for our feature story about getting his start on MTN. “Where else can anyone get a platform like this where they can let their star shine?” He’ll be hosting tonight’s party, which will also be airing on channel 16 and streaming live. Free; RSVP here. 6-9 p.m. SPEAK MPLS, 2429 Nicollet Ave. S., Minneapolis.—Jessica Armbruster
Not So Scary Trick or Treat
Kids can collect candy from all the restaurants and businesses inside the Market. 3-5 p.m. Midtown Global Market, 920 E. Lake St., Minneapolis.
Pup-O-Ween Party
Dogs in costumes get a free treat. 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. OMNI Brewing Co., 9462 Deerwood Ln., Maple Grove.
Howl-O-Ween
Featuring furry friends in costume and dog-centric crafts. Noon to 6 p.m. Bent Brewstillery, 1744 Terrace Dr., Roseville.
Pet Haven’s Howl-O-Ween
Meet adoptable Pet Haven doggos and enter your pup in the dog contest. 1-4 p.m. Dual Citizen Brewing Company, 725 Raymond Ave., St. Paul.
2nd Annual Dog & Owner Costume Contest
Hosted by Pet Central Animal Hospital. 5-8 p.m. Broken Clock Brewing Cooperative, 1712 Marshall St. NE, Minneapolis.
BeltramiSCARE: Goatpocalypse NOW!
You simply gotta give it up for the Lower Northeast Neighborhoods Association (LNNA). They could have gone the safe, PR-conscious route in naming this Halloween event, but instead they went ahead and called it, and I quote, “the 10th annual BeltramiSCARE: Goatpocalypse NOW! (How I learned to stop FEARING and LOVE the goat).” Bravo. Now, what does that entail? Tours every 15 minutes of the famously haunted Beltrami Park, of course. (Here’s the son of City Council Member Michael Rainville—huh!—writing a nice history of the spooky past/present there.) But LNNA wasn’t content with the canonical lore, so they added the following dramatic embellishment to gin up excitement for this year’s bash: “The year is 2057 and NE Minneapolis is now a desolate Mad Max-ish landscape, lone survivors come across what was once Maple Hill Cemetery for ghoulish discoveries of the past!” Incredible. It’s unclear how/when goats enter the equation, but organizers stress that the evening will begin with more kid-friendly tours and get progressively scarier as darkness falls. 5:30-8 p.m. Beltrami Park, 1111 Summer St. NE, Minneapolis; find more info here.—Jay Boller
Deano & The Dinosaurs
7 p.m. Merlin’s Rest Pub, 3601 E. Lake St., Minneapolis.
Drag Story Hour
1 p.m. Moon Palace Books, 3032 Minnehaha Ave., Minneapolis.
East Lake Death Café
This installment’s topic: Honoring the Dead. 3-4 p.m. East Lake Library, 2727 E. Lake St., Minneapolis.
Nokomis SUP Costumed Lake Paddle
Meet at the main beach to participate or what this spooky water parade around the lake. 1:30 p.m. Lake Nokomis Pkwy West, Minneapolis.
School of Rock Eden Prairie
Kids rock! Noon to 5 p.m. Sat.-Sun. Mall of America – Huntington Bank Rotunda.
Kingsview
Rock. Costumes welcome. 7 p.m. Inbound BrewCo., 701 N. 5th St., Minneapolis.
Fall Community Day
Featuring a pumpkin carving contest (pumpkins provided while supplies last), raku firing, screenprinting, local artist vendors, make-and-take projects, live music, and refreshments. 1-3 p.m. White Bear Center for the Arts, 4971 Long Ave., White Bear Lake.
Dick’s Sporting Goods’ All-Day Urban Fitness Dance Party
Featuring free classes all day–including youth dance, HiiT classes, and urban pop fitness–led by local celebrities and mascots. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Rosedale Center is located at 1595 Highway 36, Roseville, MN 55113.
Boom Island Brewing’s Halloween Bash 2024
Featuring a whodunnit murder mystery in the Boom Room (tickets are $30; 1-3 p.m.), a Halloween makers market, costume contest (5 p.m.), special beers, and live music by Loreweavers at 7 p.m. Noon to 10 p.m. Boom Island Brewing Company, 5959 Baker Rd., Minnetonka.
Annual Halloween Bash
Featuring a costume contest and rock tunes from 8LivesDown. 21+. 7-10:30 p.m. Bald Man Brewing Company, 2020 Silver Bell Rd., Eagan.
Halloween Bash
With family activities, a spooky market with 14 local artists (1-5 p.m.), a kids’ costume contest (3 p.m.), a costume contest for adults (7 p.m.), a coloring station, candy, a special Halloween beer release, and tunes all day from Mike DeRus, the Ring Toss Twins, and Black Widows. 1-9:30 p.m. Rail Werks Brewing Depot, 4055 Central Ave. NE, Columbia Heights.
Haunted Jail Tour
Hosted by Hopkins Police Department, this is a family-friendly trail with candy. 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Follow the trail down 11th Avenue South from Mainstreet, Hopkins.
Wild Vintage’s Monthly Market
11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wild Things Antiques, 7274 Commerce Cir. E., Fridley.
Who's Home? Fashion Show
A fashion show by Minneapolis Made. 6 p.m. The Red Light House, 5345 N. Fremont Ave., Minneapolis.
Clover Club
7-9:30 p.m. Padraigs, 945 Broadway NE, Minneapolis.
Lowfalutin String Band
4-6 p.m. Urban Forage Winery and Cider House, 3016 E. Lake St., Minneapolis.
Open Mic Comedy
7:30-10 p.m. The Joint, 913 Cedar Ave. S., Minneapolis.
FARMERS MARKETS
Mill City Farmers Market
Long running market in the shadow of Mill Ruins Park, featuring local, sustainable, and organic groceries and produce. 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays year round. 750 2nd St. S., Minneapolis; millcityfarmersmarket.org.
Fulton Farmers Market
Traditional and heirloom vegetables, fruits, breads, and pastries. 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturdays through October 26. 4901 Chowen Ave. S., Minneapolis; neighborhoodrootsmn.org.
Midtown Farmers Market
Urban market serving produce and more to Powderhorn, Phillips, and Longfellow. 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays through October 26. 2225 East Lake St., Minneapolis; facebook.com/MidtownFarmersMarket.
Downtown St. Paul Farmers Markets
Lowertown’s pride and one of the state’s largest markets. Find free parking on Prince Street, where they have pedicab rides from the lot to the market. 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sat.; 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sun. now through Nov. 24. 290 5th St. E., St. Paul; stpaulfarmersmarket.com.
Apple Valley Farmers Market at the Government Center
8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays, June 7 through October 26. 7100 147th St. W., Apple Valley; stpaulfarmersmarket.com.
Burnsville Farmers Market at the School District
8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays, June 7 through October 26. 200 Burnsville Pkwy. W., Burnsville; stpaulfarmersmarket.com.
SUNDAY
The Northernettes
Watch a synchronized skating performance from the group. 4 p.m. Ridder Arena, 1815 Fourth St. SE, Minneapolis.
Urban Jungle Street Market
Hell yeah, it’s back! With over 30 vendors selling vintage, streetwear, sneakers, and more. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Hennepin Avenue South, between West Lake Street and West 31st Street, Minneapolis.
Boonion Depot
Last year I reported a story on how terrified you should be about the state of U.S. railways. “It feels like, now, you’re running right on the edge of a razor,” a rail worker told me, terrifyingly. “Every train that passes by, you’re like, ‘God, I hope if they derail, it’s not in a community.’" Bone-chilling stuff! Anyway, little has been done to improve conditions since the train-crash disaster in East Palestine, Ohio, but it’s best not to think about stuff like that. Instead, let’s think about the boo-tastic shenanigans at this spooktacular family-friendly Halloween party! We’re talkin’: arts 'n' crafts, DJs, face painting, balloon artists, and a whole lot more. Costumes are encouraged, and may we suggest the scariest one of all? The modern-day U.S. rail baron executive! Free. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Union Depot, 214 Fourth St. E., St. Paul; find more info here.—Jay Boller
Odd Market Round 4
Featuring different artists, makers, bakers, and collectors join together in a special Halloween themed Odd Market. Noon to 3 p.m. Odd Mart, 2520 Lyndale Ave. S., Minneapolis.
The Mill City Reading Series
Hear works-in-progress by U of M MFA students. 5 p.m. Magers & Quinn, 3038 Hennepin Ave. S., Minneapolis.
Howl-O-Ween Dog Costume Contest
Walk your costumed dog down a runway for a chance to win prizes, with dog-friendly ice cream from Bebe Zito, drink specials for humans at the bar, Ute-paws on the tap wall, and adoptable pups from All Dog Rescue will also be on-site with amazing dogs available for adoption. 1-4 p.m. The Market at Malcolm Yards, 501 30th Ave. SE, Minneapolis.
CiderWeen
Hosted by LeafyAndy and ModesittMarkets. With a Halloween market featuring over 35 LGBTQ and BIPOC Twin Cities artists, spooky crafts, and adult trick-or-treating (kids are welcome, too). 1-6 p.m. Sociable Cider Werks, 1500 Fillmore St. NE, Minneapolis.
Utepils Does Halloween
Put on a costume and hop on a bike for this slow roll through Minneapolis. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Utepils Brewing, 225 Thomas Ave. N., Minneapolis.
Family Halloween Party
Featuring a kiddy costume contest, crafts, music, and more. 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Forgotten Star Brewing, 38 Northern Stacks Dr., Fridley.
Trick or Treat on Mainstreet
Stop by over 50 businesses in downtown Stillwater, from the south end to the north end of mainstreet, and score candy.
Fall Family Funday
Featuring crafts, a scavenger hunt, miniature pumpkin decorating, and pumpkin monster bowling. 12:30-4 p.m. 56 Brewing, 3055 NE Columbia Ave., Minneapolis.
Friends Lecture: The Charles Bridge and Its Statues in Baroque Prague
Talk led by Howard Louthan, director of the Center for Austrian Studies and professor of history at the University of Minnesota. Get free tickets here. 2 p.m. Minneapolis Institute of Art, 2400 Third Ave. S., Minneapolis.
MNeurodivergent Chill Hike
Hosted by MNeurodivergent Twin Cities. Meet at 10 a.m. underneath the shelter visible from the parking lot. Tamarack Nature Center, 5271 Otter Lake Rd., St. Paul.
DayFunk: Daytime House Music Party
Featuring DJ sets from DJ Mes, Mazi, E-Tones, and Nick Gunz. 2-8 p.m. Eat Street Crossing, 2819 Nicollet Ave., Minneapolis.
Trunk or Treat
Featuring costumes and free candy. 1-5 p.m. Broken Clock Brewing Cooperative, 1712 Marshall St. NE, Minneapolis. Sunday, October 27
Trunk or Treat
Featuring decorated trunks, candy for kids, prizes for costumes. 1-3 p.m. 9milebrewing, 9555 James Ave. S., Bloomington. Sunday, October 27
TC Pride Trunk or Treat
With decorated cars, treats, and activities for everyone. 2:30 p.m. Loring Park, 1382 Willow St. S., Minneapolis.
Fat-O-Ween
Featuring a Halloweeny maker and vendor market, costume contest, and more. Free. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Cake Plus-Size Resale, 5155 Bloomington Ave., Minneapolis. Sunday, October 27
Death Cafe Twin Cities: Psychopomp and Circumstance
Reverend Matt’s Monster Science gives a talk (with jokes and PowerPoint) on the old and varied history of the escorts to the land of the dead from cultures all over the world. 6 p.m. Rogue Buddha Gallery, 357 13th Ave. NE, Minneapolis.
Xenia Sandstorm-McGuire
3 p.m. 331 Club, 331 13th Ave. NE, Minneapolis.
The Real Chuck NORAD
7 p.m. 331 Club, 331 13th Ave. NE, Minneapolis.
Hiahli
With the Lavender Project, Elour. 8-11 p.m. White Squirrel Bar, 974 W. Seventh St., St. Paul.
Danger Pins
With Mary & Dan. 1-4 p.m. White Squirrel Bar, 974 W. Seventh St., St. Paul.
FARMERS MARKET
Inver Grove Heights Farmers Market
8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sundays through October 27. 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 October 27. MLK Park, 4055 Nicollet Ave. S., Minneapolis; neighborhoodrootsmn.org.
Woodbury Farmers Market
8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sundays through October 27. Red Rock Elementary, 3311 Commonwealth Ave., Woodbury; stpaulfarmersmarket.com.
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 October 27. Settergrens of Linden Hills, 2813 W. 43rd St., Minneapolis; lindenhillsfarmersmarket.org.
Savage Farmers Market
8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sundays through October 27. 4800 W. 123rd St., Savage; stpaulfarmersmarket.com.
