Sound for Silents, Midwest Black Book Fair, Nut Roll Candy Bike Ride: This Week’s Best Events

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

WEDNESDAY 8.19

The Minneapolis Mile of Music

Various Locations

We’re often critical around here of the city of Minneapolis’s cultural revitalization projects, which can have the same disconnect from public taste that an overly earnest student council’s idea of fun does for your average teen. But this sounds like it could be a genuine party and not just a display of publicly funded good intentions. This Wednesday, multiple venues on Eat Street and on Main Street in St. Anthony Main, along with a stretch in and around Loring Park, will participate in an extended happy hour offering free music. Just a few highlights: Jamecia Bennett at Pimento, the Kyle Moti/Davu Seru/Paul Metzger trio at Icehouse, and the Jake Baldwin Quintet at Jazz Central. There are still plenty of TBAs on the schedule, which means plenty of surprises to come. Free. 4–8 p.m. Find more info here.—Keith Harris

THURSDAY 8.20

Sound for Silents

Walker Art Center

Every August, the Walker invites cutting-edge local musicians to ransack the institution’s Ruben/Bentson Moving Image Collection and create a montage to soundtrack. This year the honor falls to Bizhiki, the trio of Dylan Bizhikiins Jennings, Joe Rainey, and S. Carey. Bizhiki’s 2025 full-length, Unbound, expanded on how Rainey’s breakthrough album, Nineta, melded traditional Indigenous singing with electronic beatcraft. They’ll be joined by omnipresent guitarist Jeremy Ylvisaker, and we can only hope that maybe this year it won’t rain. Free. 7 p.m. 725 Vineland Place, Minneapolis; find more info here.—Keith Harris

Purge Palantir Panel

Lucy Parsons Center

Flock Safety sells its cameras to law enforcement agencies under the guise of capturing traffic violations, but the ACLU accuses the Atlanta-based tech company of building a “nationwide mass surveillance system" out of 120,000+ underregulated, glitchy, and invasive cams. Flock backlash represents a rare bipartisan consensus, Politico reports. “We had work boots and Subarus in our parking lot and they were united in their position against the Flock cameras,” says Josh Young, a Republican county commissioner in North Carolina. Closer to home, a growing number of Minnesota cities are banning the hell outta those AI-powered eyes in the sky. And tonight a long list of orgs—Purge Palantir, DivestMN, the Minnesota Anti-War Committee, the American Friends Service Committee, the Palestine Justice Network of the Presbyterian Church, Minnesota 50501, and the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC)—will gather for a panel discussion titled "How MN Money Is Funding Palantir's Deadly Surveillance Network.” Sounds timely! You can also join virtually via this Zoom link. Free. 6:30 p.m. 4100 S. 28th Ave., Minneapolis; find more info here.—Jay Boller

The Current’s Happy Hours: Girl Tones 

Surly Brewing

Did you know 89.3 the Current has been hosting a free Happy Hours concert series at local breweries and cideries all across this damn state? Freakin’ Hiss Golden Messenger performed last month! Jeez… makes ya wonder what else ya don’t know. [Ed. note: You’d know if you read our weekly Concert Calendar.] Now armed with this potentially new knowledge, you can hit up the next installment: sisterly duo Girl Tones, who are coming all the way from Kentucky to apply their classical music training to rock ‘n’ roll. “While the White Stripes—their most obvious comparison—were about controlled energy, Girl Tones are proudly imperfect,” Rolling Stone once raved. Upcoming Happy Hours gigs include Michigander at Utepils Brewing in Minneapolis, Tofusmell at Plains Art Museum in Fargo, North Dakota, and Alex Lambert at Castle Danger Brewery in Two Harbors. This event was rescheduled from its original July 16 date. Free. 4 p.m. 520 Malcolm Ave. SE, Minneapolis; find more info here.—Jay Boller

2D Con

DoubleTree Bloomington

Bloomington: It’s not just for IKEA and the Mall of America. At least not this weekend, when 2D Con will be setting up shop for four days of organized chaos celebrating tabletop and video game culture. There will be an arcade for old-school pixelheads, tables set up for boardgame sessions, and a marketplace packed with collectibles, original artwork, and miscellaneous merch. Concerts and cosplay contests will entertain, while a block party encourages the fun to spill out onto the streets. For the more adventurous, there will be live tattooing from a variety of artists, late-night concerts, and 24-7 room parties. Or take it easy and sit in on a few guest panel talks, including voice actors, writers, and other industry creatives. Weekend passes are $75 ($30 youth); $150 VIP. 6–9 p.m. Thu.; 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. Fri.–Sat.; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sun. 7800 Normandale Blvd., Bloomington; find more info here. Through Sunday—Jessica Armbruster 

FRIDAY 8.21

August Star Party

Bell Museum

Space: What the hell’s up there? Increasingly, it seems, human-produced junk litters the cosmos, but of course stars predate the phallic-coded detritus of billionaire rockets. Privy to that is the Bell Museum, whose free Star Party lets patrons gaze upon the celestial majesty of outer space via high-powered telescopes. The museum’s astronomy team will be there to explain what you’re observing, and hands-on activities will keep little ones busy. (The Bell notes several times that the outdoor telescope portion of Star Party is contingent on weather; the fun’ll happen inside no matter what the clouds do.) Inside, you can enjoy free planetarium shows on a first-come, first-served ticketed basis. Free; RSVP here. 9–10:30 p.m 2088 Larpenteur Ave. W., St. Paul; find more info here.—Jay Boller

Double-D&D: Gone Fae Wild

Phoenix Theater

DnD meets burlesque at Double-D&D, a live production that’s part gameshow and part tabletop role-playing game… with a liiiittle bit of stripping in the mix. This time around, our intrepid gamers get pulled into the land of the Fae Wild for a chaotic (and likely erotic) adventure. Expect audience participation, and come dressed in your finest Renaissance-themed or fae/faerie outfits—you’ll get a free sticker. Put some money toward the raffle and you’ll help send Smitten Kitten to Germany to accept its Aachen Peace Prize for mutual aid organizing during Operation Metro Surge. 18+. $25+ (there’s also pay-what-you-can and pay-it-forward options). 7 p.m. 2605 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis; find more info here.—Em Cassel

SATURDAY 8.22

Midwest Black Book Fair

U of M Urban Research and Outreach-Engagement Center (UROC)

Celebrate Black histories, futures, and the written word at the inaugural Midwest Black Book Fair. This free, daylong event, organized by BIPOC-focused Black Garnet Books in St. Paul, will feature a variety of booksellers and organizations, including Griot Arts, Uhuru Bookstore, Mind’s Eye Comics, Saint Paul Almanac, Amistad HarperCollins, and Hennepin County Library’s Black History and Culture Team. Minneapolis Poet Laureate Junauda Petrus, African-American lit scholar Davu Seru, prolific U of M prof Shannon Gibney, and poet Danez Smith are just a few of the talents who will be participating in panels talks and readings exploring Minnesota’s Black literary history and how the Midwest shapes their writing. The schedule also includes sessions on how to improve your own writing as well as publishing tips. Free. Noon to 5 p.m. 2001 Plymouth Ave. N., Minneapolis; find more info here.—Jessica Armbruster

Nut Roll V

Bang Brewing

Perhaps you’ve already heard the devastating news: At the end of September, Pearson's Candy Company will close its St. Paul factory and lay off 80 workers. The confectionery biz, which opened in Minneapolis in 1909 and moved to St. Paul in 1950 (its current factory opened in 1959), cited rising costs and lack of investment in the closure. Bid farewell to a local legend on this bike ride, which starts at Bang Brewing, heads to gates of the Pearson factory, and returns to Bang for pizza and beer. And fear not: Promise Confections, Pearson’s parent company, allegedly plans to keep producing Salted Nut Rolls—just not in St. Paul. Free. 1 p.m. 2320 Capp Rd., St. Paul; find more info here.—Em Cassel

Your Smith

Indeed Brewing

Billed as “THE BIG SHOW,” this new outdoor music configuration from Indeed promises “a totally unique concert venue the likes of which Minneapolis has never seen.” That’s certainly big talk, and honestly if it turns out just to be a stage in a parking lot, you’re still in good hands with Your Smith. The headliner first captivated Twin Cities music fans with her indie-folk outfit Caroline Smith & the Goodnight Sleeps, and, later, Smith dropped the band and transitioned to soul/R&B. Since the pandemic, she moved from L.A. back to Minnesota with her chef husband (more on their terrific Stillwater bar/restaurant here), re-enrolled in college, had two kids, and dropped her debut full-length as Your Smith, last year’s breezy, swinging pop-rock LP The Rub. It sounds like she’s in a great place. “It was just a really important lesson for me to learn how to find the joy in music again,” Smith recently told Iowa’s Studio One. “And now I feel like my career is on my terms.” Hippo Campus frontman Jake Luppen, who collaborated with Smith on The Rub, opens with his Lupin project. $28. 5–10 p.m. 711 15th Ave. NE, Minneapolis; find more info here.—Jay Boller

John Mulaney

Waite Park Amphitheater

Simply put: One of the funniest guys on Earth. It’s weird, to me, that Mulaney’s name gets churned through the tabloid industrial machine the way it does, but I guess that comes with the high-profile divorce, drug relapse, obsessive plastic surgery speculation, and new celebrity-wife territory. Setting all that aside, Mulaney is the rare talent who can appeal in equal measure to comedy nerds and mainstream audiences—a packed summer of “Mister Whatever Tour” amphitheater dates proves the latter. Any doubters from the comedy nerd camp should have been silenced by Everybody's Live with John Mulaney, the Netflix talk show that delivers ‘80s Letterman levels of hilarity and weirdness. And the mainstream camp can appreciate Mulaney later this year in David O. Russell’s John Madden biopic, which has Nicolas Cage (!) playing the title role—boom! $74–$273. 8 p.m. Waite Park Amphitheater, 1700 Parkway Dr., Waite Park; find more info here.—Jay Boller

Picklefest

Forgotten Star Brewing Co.

Are you a fermentation fan? A pickle person? A brine buff? Do you wish you could join in community with other people who love pickled goods just as much as you? Or alternatively, do you have nothing really going on this Saturday? If so, we’ve got good news. PickleFest is returning for a second year of pickling fun. The now-annual happening features an outdoor market full of local vendors and “pickle purveyors galore” plus a pickling contest, a pickle eating contest, and a pickle toss. When the competitions are over, winners and losers alike can lay down their pickle spears and enjoy pickletinis or a host of other “wildly creative pickle-inspired eats” available at the fest. There will be non-pickled food available, but definitely expect a lot of pickle-forward items. Also expect a line-up of live vinyl DJs to keep the pickle vibes going. Free. Noon to 6 p.m. 38 Northern Stacks Dr. NE, Minneapolis; find more info here.—Clare O’Connor

SUNDAY 8.23

Insomnia Salon Vol. 3

Raspberry Island

Things are getting a little weird again over on Raspberry Island. This Sunday, over 45 artists, performers, actors, aerialists, and dancers will convene for one night only. There will be interactive performances, including one from the Perfume Woman, who will mix something up just for you. Free-roaming musicians will abound, free Tarot readings will be offered, and 18-foot-tall river spirits from In the Heart of the Beast will roam free, providing summertime whimsy. A sunset show at the bandshell will feature cabaret-style sets from Vox Medusa, musician Eddie Estrin, and belly dancers, followed by a luminescent ceremony down by the river. This party is no nightmare, as event organizers aim to allay our fears in “loving response to the problems of our time.” Sweet dreams, then. Free. 7–9 p.m. 2 Wabasha St., St. Paul; find more info here.—Jessica Armbruster 

ONGOING

“Living Threads”

Rosalux Gallery

“What does it mean to carry a culture within you—its patterns, its language, its stars?” That’s the query explored in Hend Al-Mansour’s latest exhibition, opening this weekend at Rosalux. The Saudi-American artist, based in St. Paul, creates engaging installations exploring life and the meaning of it, often with a focus on the experiences of Muslim women. This show is a mix of mediums, with embroidery work, painting, and large-scale screen printing, featuring nods to Middle Eastern architecture, American Sign Language, astronomy, and geometry. 315 W. 48th St., Minneapolis; find more info here. Through August 30—Jessica Armbruster

Pickup Truck Opera: Tales of Hoffmann

Various Locations

Each summer, Mixed Precipitation’s Pickup Truck Opera offers a mashup of classic works, modern tunes, and current dilemmas to give us a delightful show in the park. This year the gang will be taking Jacques Offenbach’s 1881 opera, Tales of Hoffmann (Les Contes d’Hoffmann), and turning it into an accessible romp for all. The story follows a roving poet as he crosses paths with both technology and the supernatural, from robots to ghosts. Along the way there’ll be grunge tunes, R&B anthems, and yes, some opera. Bring a blanket. You can find a list of locations and make reservations at mixedprecipitation.org. $5–$45 suggested donation; teens and kids are free. This week’s preview show begins at 7:30 p.m. at Bronx Park Community Garden, 2500 Georgia Ave. S., St. Louis Park. Through September 13—Jessica Armbruster

Taking the Scenic Route

Trylon

Road trips? In this economy? Fortunately, to save you the cost and hassle of driving across our large, dumb country, the Trylon is screening 14 cinematic road trips throughout the summer. And we’re working with a very expansive definition of “road trip” here, broad enough to take in both Chantal Akerman’s Je Tu Il Elle and The Muppet Movie, at least one of which is sure to sell out quickly. You can catch the muppets on Trylon’s fancy new laser projector, as well as Paris, Texas, because Nastassja Kinski deserves to be seen in the highest definition possible. A mess of these will be on 35mm film, including Ingmar Bergman’s Wild Strawberries (a stone classic even if the dream sequence bored you in film class), It Happened One Night (simply one of the funniest movies of all time), and Two-Lane Blacktop (the definitive ’70s American road race movie). And each screening will only cost you $8, which wouldn’t get you enough gas to get out of the metro area. 2820 E. 33rd St., Minneapolis; find complete listings, showtimes, and more info here. Through September 29—Keith Harris 

Skyline Mini Golf

Walker Art Center

Warmer weather means it’s putt-putt season in Minnesota. Yeah sure, you can play mini-golf year-round in the North Loop, but it’s just not as whimsical an experience when you drop a course into a dimly lit bar with a “hot young singles only” vibe. The Twin Cities’ only putt-putt in the sky is back at the Walker, featuring 10 quirky holes made by local artists. New this year is Indhaha Dayaxa–Eyes of the Moon by Ifrah Mansour, a Minneapolis-based Somali artist who you may have seen performing at the Minnesota State Fair, featured on TPT’s Minnesota Original, or exhibiting works at the Mia. Return holes this year include the hot dog one, the one where you race via color, the one with ping-pong paddles, and the pool-hall one. Bring sunscreen and enjoy those views of Loring Park, downtown Minneapolis, and the endless Hennepin-Lyndale traffic jam. $12. 725 Vineland Place, Minneapolis; reserve a time and find more info here. Through October 4—Jessica Armbruster

“Olalekan Jeyifous: Hydricosmic Litanies”

Walker Art Center

Recently, Racket ran a story by Drew Ross about what trash and treasures might surface if we were to drain the Mississippi River gorge. By curious coincidence, a new exhibit at the Walker constructs imaginary artifacts from composite, fictional cultures that might be found in the river. In his first solo show, “Hydricosmic Litanies,” the Nigerian-born artist Olalekan Jeyifous, also known as Lek, draws upon Yorùbá, Dakota, and Ojibwe traditions to create stories about the interaction between peoples and the river. At tonight’s opening, he’ll be in conversation with curator Taylor Jasper about how the Mississippi informs the installation. You should check out Jeyifous’s Insta for a taste of what his art is like. 725 Vineland Place, Minneapolis; find more info here. Through January 3, 2027—Keith Harris