Pride, Plants, and Pups: This Week’s Best Events

Welcome to Event Horizon, your weekly roundup of the best events in Minneapolis and St. Paul.

TUESDAY 6.21

Twin Cities Vintage Bike Week

Citywide

It’s vintage market season in the Twin Cities—and not just for clothes. Or housewares. Or records. It’s time, my friends, for another Vintage Bike Week! The fun kicks off on Tuesday, when a vintage road ride takes off from Angry Catfish and hits the Lillydale Loop (7 p.m.). Friday is the Klunker ride—bring your own bevs and snacks for a 7 p.m. departure from One on One. Then on Saturday (11 a.m. - 3 p.m.) there’s the second-annual Bike Jerks swap meet and bike show at One on One, where you can “bring your pre-2000 bike for folks to ooh and ah over.” (If you want to sell, it’s 20 bucks for a table.) Folks’ll also be selling records, and they’ll have DJs spinning all day. And on Sunday, there’s a vintage MTB ride at Theo Wirth (meets noon at Angry Catfish). Find the full list of events and additional info here. —Em Cassel

WEDNESDAY 6.22

Movies at the Commons: Twilight

The Commons

Fourteen years later, Twilight is still good for a laugh–maybe even more so because the fans have grown up and no one is taking the series seriously anymore. The plot: Kristen Stewart’s Bella is a boring mouth breather whose only personality trait is her attraction to Edward, a dude who perpetually looks like he’s smelling a fart. Together, they climb trees and play baseball. It’s a timeless love story with a kinda weird message: Save yourself for marriage, kids. (Side note: Was Edward a century-old virgin?) Free. 9:45 p.m. 425 Portland Ave. S., Minneapolis; mplsdowntown.com.–Jessica Armbruster

THURSDAY 6.23

Harriet Tubman

Icehouse

Jazz (most definitely including jazz-rock) is best experienced live, and since this long standing trio doesn’t record much (five albums in 24 years), live’s one of the few ways of experiencing them. You don’t get too many chances for that this far from Brooklyn; their original Icehouse gig was scheduled for March 2020. I get it, bassist Melvin Gibbs is a busy guy. After cutting his teeth with galvanic fusion redefiners Sonny Sharrock and Ronald Shannon Jackson in the ’80s, he went on to play with musicians as disparate as Rollins Band and Femi Kuti, and I’m not even gonna try to count how many combos he’s been a regular part of this century. On Harriet Tubman’s latest, the not especially recent 2018 album, The Terror End of Beauty, Gibbs plays harmonically against guitarist Brandon Ross or maneuvers trickily around drummer JT Lewis, who can get heavy but never ponderous. There’s far more terror that beauty in how Ross’s fluid guitar lines knot themselves at their extremes, worry a tune through elastic repetition, or fall back to find alternate routes forward, his style sprawling but never diffuse. Is that how they sound live? Dunno, I’ve never seen them. Ask me Friday. Opening is Black Prince Albert (Google that carefully), another jazz-rock outfit anchored by another stellar bassist, Minnesota-based Anthony Cox. $25/$28. 8 p.m. 2528 Nicollet Ave. S., Minneapolis. More info here.—Keith Harris

FRIDAY 6.24

Pride Block Party

The Saloon MN

Some years I walk by the Saloon during Pride and am amused to see people totally turnt at 11 a.m. It can be a shitshow, but in the best way. Some Pride events are wholesome, some are engaging, some are provocative, and some just a good party. There’s a time and place for all of these. So, if that is your scene, that scene is here. From Friday to Sunday, the Saloon will be hosting over 12 hours of shenanigans. During the day, festivities are free, with people hanging out and drinking cocktails. In the afternoon into the evening, it becomes a blacktop nightclub with a cover charge. The lineup on Friday features rap artist Da Brat and DJ/R&B/soul vocalist J. Warren. Saturday will bring us the Sultry Gems Freaknik Dance Showcase and the Hot Pink Drag Show, and Sunday is a mix of ‘70s funk with Boogie Wonderland and babymetal from Poppy. $35; $90 three-day pass; VIP passes available. Noon to 3 a.m. Friday and Saturday; 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. (cover charges begin at 3 p.m. all three days). 830 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis. Through Sunday –Jessica Armbruster

Pride Beer Dabbler

Minneapolis Sculpture Garden

You’ve rocked the garden, sure, but have you ever sipped it? That’s more or less the premise of Pride Beer Dabbler, where 65+ breweries and cideries will fill unlimited tasting samples at the most LGBTQ-friendly beer fest in town. There’ll be live music and dance parties that’ll surely stylistically deviate from the bearded bar rock of most beer events, as well as a silent disco and fleets of food trucks, including Lu’s Sandwiches, El Burrito Mercado, and Anchor Fish & Chips. Sober folks get discounted access ($20-$30) plus N/A drinks. $50-$80. 5-9:30 p.m. 725 Vineland Place, Minneapolis; find more info here.–Jay Boller

Chris Rock 

Mystic Lake Casino

Rock is talking about The Slap during his standup sets… sort of. “People expect me to talk about the bullshit. I’m not going to talk about it right now. I’ll get to it eventually—on Netflix,” he told a recent audience. “Anyone who says ‘words hurt’—has never been punched in the face.” There’s much more clarity around Rock’s legacy as a comedian. At 57, he’s already established himself as a standup legend, one who makes a convincing case for enshrinement on Mount Yuksmore alongside Carlin, Pryor, and Bruce. Rock’s latest special, 2018’s Bo Burnham-directed Tamborine, saw the veteran comic mine the pain of his then-recent divorce for big laughs. Reviews for his current Ego Death Tour, like this dorky one from The Guardian, understandably fixate on the lack of slapping material, though acknowledge that Rock is still in “fine form.” $99-$250. 8 p.m. 2400 Mystic Lake Blvd. NW, Prior Lake; find more info here.–Jay Boller

Pups, Pride, and Pints

Lakes & Legends

With its location a few feet (and around the corner) from Loring Park, it’s pretty much mandatory that Lakes & Legends do something special for Pride. And so, they are. The dog-friendly brewpub will kick things off this Friday with a puppy party hosted by Bubbly Paws, where four-legged friends will score free pup cups. There will also be a photo area, and, most importantly, a best dressed competition for dogs. The party continues on Saturday and Sunday with special beer infusions, DJ tunes, local food trucks, and more with friends from Lavender Magazine. Free. 4-7 p.m. 1369 LaSalle Ave., Minneapolis. –Jessica Armbruster

SATURDAY 6.25

Planty Queens Grand Opening

Planty Queens

Perhaps you’ve heard that pets are the new kids, and plants are the new pets? People who make memes and do viral tweets are saying this. Anyway, you’ve got a great excuse to pick up some new pets this weekend: Planty Queens are celebrating the grand opening of their brick-and-mortar in Northeast. This is an outdoor event with lots of local makers selling their wares—Smitten Kitten, Truly Clay, Burn Boss Candles, and Soft Seams Textiles, to name a few—plus food from Jilly Beans Ice Cream Truck, Nordeast Cookie Co., and Racket favorites Marty’s Deli and Bagel Taïm. And of course, there will be plants. Find all the info here. Free. 11 a.m.-2 p.m. 2800 Johnson Street NE, Minneapolis (across the street from Planty Queens).—Em Cassel

50th Annual Twin Cities Pride

Loring Park

Twin Cities Pride is a little bit of everything. There’s a family-friendly picnic. There’s a gallery show. There’s a 5K. There’s music. There’s a parade. There’s beer. Just like the local LGBTQIA community there are a lot of different people involved and hence a lot is going on. But the big ol’ festival in Loring Park this weekend serves as an excellent starting point. Here you’ll find food trucks, community resources, performances, a beer garden, and more. Four stages will offer entertainment; the lineup includes Tina and the B Sides, Queer Circus, the von Tramps, theyself, and others. Meanwhile, over at the Armory is ‘10s pop icon Carly Rae Jepsen. Sunday’s parade goes along Hennepin from Seventh to Spruce, ending in the park. For a full schedule of happenings, visit www.tcpride.org. Free. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. 1382 Willow St., Minneapolis. June 25-26 –Jessica Armbruster

Violent Femmes and the Breeders

Palace Theater 

Long before the Moldy Peaches, Against Me!, and the Front Bottoms, Milwaukee’s own Violent Femmes basically created the folk-punk genre. Now, 40 years later, they’re happy to reflect on that legacy with a curiously non-Midwestern lack of modesty. “When you look at what was happening with the musical landscape, there was nothing like us at the time, nor has there been anything remotely close to what we've done since then," drummer Victor DeLorenzo told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel this spring. That self-titled debut Violent Femmes record is still the group’s biggest, featuring signature jams like “Blister in the Sun” and “Gone Daddy Gone.” Kim Deal’s influential alt-rock band the Breeders, who recently returned with their classic lineup for their first record in a decade, 2018’s All Nerve, co-headline this ‘90s guitar party. $45-$75. 6:30 p.m. 17 W. 7th Place, St. Paul; find more info here.–Jay Boller

SUNDAY 6.26

Iraqi Swedish Cultural Exchange

American Swedish Institute

This Sunday, ASI is offering a 2-4-1 deal on culture, as the museum teams up with the Iraqi and American Reconciliation Project for an afternoon of fun. This party will be outside on the lawn, though the galleries inside will be open too. There will be plenty of things to snack on, from traditional Swedish pastries to delicious Iraqi treats like baklava (flaky, honey covered pastry), basbousa (syrup-soaked cake), and mushabak (a crispy swirl-shaped dessert that’s BFFs with funnel cake). There will also be coffee and tea, including an Iraqi black tea served with sugar and cardamom. Other fun includes lawn games like kubb and tawleh, Arabic calligraphy lessons, dance, and live music from violinist/singer Layth Sidiq. $5. 4-7 p.m. 2600 Park Ave., Minneapolis; register here. –Jessica Armbruster

ONGOING

Love’s Labor’s Lost

Various Locations

Classical Actor’s Ensemble is back in the parks this summer to bring free theater to the masses. This year’s production is Shakespeare’s Love’s Labor’s Lost, a comedy poking fun at masculine desire while celebrating feminine intelligence. The plot: The young King of Navarre forces he and his friends to swear off “worldly pleasures” for three years of fasting and academia. His virtuous goal gets completely fucked, however, when a French princess and her crew show up in town to talk diplomacy. Horniness ensues, and—spoiler alert!—wins. Find times and locations at classicalactorsensemble.org. Through July 17 –Jessica Armbruster

Artist Designed Skyline Mini Golf

Walker Art Center

Now in its 15th year, Artist Designed Skyline Mini Golf returns to WAC for another season of putt putt played in the sky. No really: You’ll be heading up to the museum’s rooftop to play these 10 holes, which means you’ll see gorgeous city views in addition to the spectacle of the quirky course. The new hole this year, ​​Always Have Been Sewn, was designed by Asian American Organizing Project’s Youth Action Team, and was inspired by Hmong “story cloth,” a.k.a. a paj ntaub. Mini golf aficionado Tom Loftus also has two holes featured this year. $10. 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursdays; 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday–Saturday; 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. 725 Vineland Place, Minneapolis. Through September 25 –Jessica Armbruster