Welcome to Event Horizon, your weekly roundup of the best events in Minneapolis, St. Paul, and beyond.
MONDAY 12.22
It’s a Wonderful Life
BlackStack Brewing
There are so many things that make It’s a Wonderful Life unique: the way it makes you root for a banker, the moral lesson that a mediocre life lived in kindness matters, the implication that winding up an unwed female librarian is a tragic fate (sign me up!). But really it’s a story about a community coming together to support their neighbor—something as important today as when the film was released in 1946. It’s a classic for a reason, and you can see it for free this week at Blackstack, where you can drink a cup of cheer while pretending not to tear up at that endearing and enduring ending. Free. 8 p.m. BlackStack Brewing, 755 Pryor Ave. N., St. Paul. December 22—Jessica Armbruster
TUESDAY 12.23
Holiday Food Market
The Food Building
Events by Diane’s is behind this holiday food market highlighting local makers, now in its third year. “Every year we celebrate local small businesses of all genres: food, gifts, and spirits at the Food Building,” the event page explains, adding that the market started “as a way to keep the lights on when Diane's Place first opened.” There’s probably less to worry about on that front now—it’s no easy feat to get a reservation at Diane’s—but the market tradition has persevered, and that’s super sweet. This year, more than a dozen small vendors are part of the fun, including 3Leches Distillery, Cornelius Pasta, and Jelly Roll Pet Supplies. Free. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. 1401 Marshall St. NE, Minneapolis; find more info here.—Em Cassel
THURSDAY 12.25
The Bad Plus
Dakota
Maybe the Bad Plus aren’t quite jazz elders (how can they be, they’re only my age) but after a quarter-century of existence (in one form or another), they are a Twin Cities jazz institution. And their annual Christmastime stand at the Dakota is becoming a holiday tradition, if a little less predictable than most traditions, since once jazz ceases to surprise you, it’s ain’t jazz no more. Their latest album, Complex Emotions, is their 16th, and their second since Chris Speed’s tenor saxophone and Ben Monder’s guitar filled the gap left by pianist Orrin Evans’s departure. The new guys sound a touch more comfortable than last time, and the rhythm section of Reid Anderson and Dave King still defines things—rhythm sections can do that in jazz. The band will perform eight shows in all. Through Sunday. Early shows $41.95 and up; late shows $35.77 and up. 6 & 8 p.m. Thursday; 7 & 9 p.m. Friday-Sunday. 1010 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis; find more info here.—Keith Harris
FRIDAY 12.26
Bold North Breakaway Fan Fest
Rice Park
Some are calling it “the cure for hockey fan fever,” and if you’re afflicted, then you need to head on down to the Saint Paul RiverCentre and Rice Park over the next 11 days for Bold North Breakaway Fan Fest, a celebration of the World Junior hockey games. Will there be horse-and-carriage rides? There sure will. Bumper cars on ice? Better believe it. A vendor market? Yep. And the uh… building of the world’s largest hockey puck? Check! (That’s a hockey term.) And of course, there’s the hockey tournament itself, which you can get tickets to watch live here. After the USA takes on Sweden, there’s a New Year's Eve fireworks show, held at the family-friendly hour of 8 p.m. on December 31. Daily. Find a complete schedule of hours and events here. Through January 5—Em Cassel
Shrimpnose
7th St Entry
Time again to celebrate the most unlikely Twin Cities holiday tradition—the annual Shrimpnose homecoming show. I’d never call him pop, but L.A.-relocated former Minnesotan Riley Smithson’s skeletal acoustic guitar figures, spectral voices, and percussion stutters add up to something lovely and inviting rather than grim and forbidding. Shrimpnose’s 2024 album, The World Pushed Against You, develops the musical ideas that Smithson scattered through his recent EP Toward Heaven, with delicate and deliberately off-centered beats echoing classic dubstep (as in Burial, not Skrillex). Not sure if we’re still calling this stuff “folktronica,” or if we ever should have, but I’ll toss that genre tag in there as a guidepost for the curious. With Student 1, Blood $moke Body, and TaliaKnight. $15. 8 p.m. 701 N. First Ave., Minneapolis; find more info here.—Keith Harris
Rachel Scanlon
Parkway Theater
Tickets for this standup show with MN native Rachel Scanlon, co-host of the weekly queer comedy podcast Two Dykes and a Mic, are selling so well a second show has been added. More like… one dyke, twice a night? We’ll workshop it. $43.85+. 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. 4814 Chicago Ave., Minneapolis; find more info here.—Em Cassel
SATURDAY 12.27
Pint-o-Meter
56 Brewing
Rooting for the temps to drop is a very Minnesotan thing to do. And with major events on ice next month, sub-zero temps are a blessing, not a curse. So while that mindset might seem extreme for out-of-staters, this temperature-focused party at 56 Brewing is gonna make sense to locals. The rules are simple: The beer gets cheaper as the mercury drops throughout the day—as long as you’re drinking it outside. Cold camaraderie will abound here, with live music on the patio, lawn games, and bonfires to warm folks up. Special mugs will also be on sale to use while drinking, and beer poking will abound should you seek to level-up your brew. Free. Noon to 6 p.m. 3055 Northeast Columbia Ave., Minneapolis.—Jessica Armbruster
ONGOING
Dayton’s Holiday Market
Dayton’s
Downtown is back? Well, this annual pop-up shop is, at least. Now in its fifth year, Dayton’s Holiday Market does the old department store one better, hosting over 100 local makers and brands, including Love Your Melon gear, artisan giftables, and unique sports merch from Minnesota teams. Or maybe food and booze is more your thing? The market will also be home to Oak Grill Culinary Classics, which will serve up wild rice soup and pastries from local bakeries, and the Jingle Giles Bar, which, according to the release, will offer “festive cocktails, mocktails, meatballs,” and other treats. Folks too scared to venture downtown fear not, as a satellite market will be setting up shop in Southdale Center later this month (personally, I’d take an empty downtown over an empty mall any day). 700 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis. Through December 27—Jessica Armbruster
“Open Door XX”
Rosalux Gallery
For the past two decades, Roslux has hosted “Open Door,” an annual exhibition featuring a guest juror who is tasked with creating a group show using any method they choose. They always have a lot of work to consider; this year the gallery received 201 submissions, with 23 making it into the show. Some years, the resulting collections have had clear themes, but often the threads connecting pieces are a little more mysterious. This year’s juror, Stephanie Lynn Rogers, is opting for the latter. “These pieces reflect, spotlight, celebrate, complicate, mirror, ooze, coalesce, reframe, question, and connect,” she says. “They remix ephemera and experiences, presenting new ways of seeing familiar things and showcasing everyday images as metaphors for complex experiences.” Get ready for ooze! There will be an artists’ reception this Friday, December 6, from 7 to 10 p.m. Otherwise, gallery hours are noon to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. 315 W. 48th St., Minneapolis. Through December 28—Jessica Armbruster
Winter Lights
Minnesota Landscape Arboretum
Looking for the motherlode of twinkling lights? You’ve got a few options, including Glow in St. Paul and these guys right here. For the holidays, the Arboretum festoons its many trees, bushes, poles, and pathways with seasonal bulbs, creating a fun one-mile walk that also features light sculptures and other installations (there’s a giant lit-up honeycrisp apple you can walk through!). New this year is the indoor forest, where folks can explore 50+ trees decorated with natural elements. The Rootstock Cafe is back, with s’mores, seasonal teas, and other treats for sale, including a bar with warm drinks. Special events scheduled include this week’s Adults’ Night Out (Dec. 3-4), Family Nights (Dec. 11 & 18), and New Year’s Eve. $25 non-members; $10 members and Indigenous peoples; free for kids 15 and under ($5 on Family Nights). Check online for times, but the lights mostly run from 4:30 to 9 p.m. Thu.-Sun. 3675 Arboretum Dr., Chaska; find more info here. Through December 31—Jessica Armbruster
Coal or Candy: A 2025 Xmas
Heights Theater
It’s the end of an era. In 2026, ownership of the Heights will pass from longtime proprietor Tom Letness to the Chicago-based Music Box Theatre. This is not a bad thing. We’re told the Heights’ special programming will continue—for instance, the theater will still show White Christmas for days and days each December, and each screening will sell out. We can continue to expect series like Coal or Candy: A 2025 Xmas. This seasonal selection balances holiday standards It’s a Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street, and The Muppet Christmas Carol against less Xmas-identified fare like The French Connection, John Waters’s Female Trouble, and (a true lump of coal) La La Land. And then, the Heights will ring in 2026 with Holiday Inn. 3951 Central Ave. NE, Columbia Heights; find the schedule here. Through December—Keith Harris
"Gingerbread Wonderland"
Norway House
What do y’all know about Pepperkakebyen? The world-famous gingerbread house in Bergen, Norway, got its start in 1991, and here in the Twin Cities it inspired the Gingerbread Wonderland at Norway House, which brings together a community of bakers and artists to create impressive gingerbread structures. Hundreds of cookie creations now fill the Franklin Avenue cultural nonprofit, and they’ll be up until January 3. But why wait? $5-$10. 913 E. Franklin Ave., Minneapolis; find more info and reserve a time here. Through January 3—Em Cassel
Glow Holiday Festival
CHS Field
When it gets dark at 5 p.m., it’s easy to appreciate a little light at night. At Glow, you can gaze upon millions of little lights, as the Saints’ ballpark is once again turned into a winter wonderland with tons of installations, twinkling tunnels, and animated sites. For folks who enjoy mild thrills, there’s a giant slide and a carousel, while a market will showcase local artists and small businesses. And yep, Santa will be stopping by. $12.75-$21.75. Thu.-Sun., plus Wednesdays, Dec. 24-31. 360 N. Broadway St., St. Paul; find tickets and more info here. Through January 4—Jessica Armbruster
Winter Warm-Up
U.S. Bank Stadium
Like I said last year, U.S. Bank Stadium needs money. In May, the Vikes encouraged lawmakers to set aside $20 million in pull-tab revenue for stadium upkeep. And, according to a 2023 report, the venue is gonna eat up at least $280 million from a variety of sources over the next decade. Someone’s gotta pay for those incoming dystopian fences and upgraded box seats, right? U.S. Bank’s side hustle, Winter Warm-Up, isn’t gonna cover it all, but it sure is a nice chunk of bonus change. Most Tuesdays and Thursdays, the stadium turns into a track where you can walk, jog, or inline skate. At the ol’ Metrodome, this kinda thing used to be free, but we’re living in 2025 America, and walking through those stadium doors is gonna cost us plebs a pretty penny. But hey, it’s a thrill that’s around the same price as a movie ticket, and that view from the makeshift “track” is pretty neat. $14.71. 5 to 9 p.m. Tue. & Thu. 401 Chicago Ave., Minneapolis; RSVP here. Through January 22—Jessica Armbruster
“Dyani White Hawk: Love Language”
Walker Art Center
Wisconsin-born Minnesota resident Dyani White Hawk gets a major survey covering 15 years of work at the Walker Art Center this fall. Mostly working in abstraction, she explores her Lakota and European heritage using a variety of media. For “Love Language,” White Hawk’s work will be arranged in four sections, starting with paintings and quill- and beadwork, shifting to video installations featuring Indigenous languages and large-scale photography, and concluding with recent and new works of glass mosaics and beaded sculpture. 725 Vineland Place, Minneapolis; walkerart.org. Through February 15—Jessica Armbruster
Winter SKOLstice
Viking Lakes
The Vikings might train out here, but all you have to do is hang out. This winter, Viking Lakes is hosting a variety of wintertime things to do. During the holidays, there’s the Magic of Lights, a drive-thru holiday lights trail. Other festive things include weekly visits from Santa, free Christmas movie nights, and bingo sessions, as well as live music and lots of games on the big screen. There’s also a free skating rink with open skate hours (bring skates or rent them onsite) and a warming house with hot drinks. Many events are free; some are ticketed. Check online to RSVP. 2685 Vikings Circle, Eagan; find more info here. Now through February 22—Jessica Armbruster
Night Trains
Twin City Model Railroad Museum
Night—and I cannot emphasize this enough—Trains! This seasonal show at Twin City Model Railroad Museum is a winter wonderland of miniatures. The lights are turned down low, and everything has a warm glow as the vintage engines chug around their tiny landscape. It’s incredibly cute, wholesome winter fun, and while the trains typically run on Saturdays, there are bonus nights on Black Friday (November 28), and additional dates throughout December and January. Plus, we hear a certain Santa Claus plans to make an appearance on December 13 and 20. $15, free for children ages 4 and under. 3-7 p.m. 668 Transfer Road, Ste. 8, St. Paul; find more info here. Saturdays through February—Em Cassel
