Welcome to Event Horizon, your weekly roundup of the best events in Minneapolis, St. Paul, and beyond.
MONDAY 10.6
Book Talk: Copaganda
Moon Palace
Alec Karakatsanis is the co-founder of Equal Justice Under Law, which has worked to eliminate cash bail, and now the author of Copaganda: How Police and the Media Manipulate Our News, the title of which seems pretty self-explanatory. (I personally think the term “the media” obfuscates how journalism works—I would, I’m one of them, right?—but collusion between cops and reporters is an institutional issue.) Tonight, Karakatsanis will be joined in conversation by Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty, who's surely seen her share of copaganda up close while in office. (Revisit our RacketCast conversation with Moriarty here.) This is the sort of event she almost certainly wouldn’t have been able to sit down for if she were running for a second term. Masks are required at Moon Palace. Free. 6 p.m. 3032 Minnehaha Ave., Minneapolis; find more info here.—Keith Harris
TUESDAY 10.7
Greil Marcus Presents Mystery Train
Magers & Quinn
Fifty years ago, Greil Marcus, one of the founders of rock criticism, published Mystery Train, a book on how pervasive strains of American cultural history play out in rock music, and he’s only kept republishing it since. That’s the way to do it, folks. He’s just put out a sixth edition of the classic tome, with a new introduction and discographies, and a glance back at the book reveals it as a work of its time—the Band and Randy Newman no longer feel as central to our understanding of rock as they might have a half-century ago. But Sly Stone is ripe for reconsideration in light of his death, and Elvis, of course, is forever. Marcus will be in conversation with ace local music writer Michaelangelo Matos. Free; registration is required. 7 p.m. 3038 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis; find more info here.—Keith Harris
WEDNESDAY 10.8
Cine Latino Film Festival
The Main Cinema
Cine Latino is back, bringing five days of Spanish- and Portuguese-language films to the Main Cinema. The fest kicks off with Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein—well, actually, it kicks off a little before that with an opening-night party. Screenings like Thursday’s I Had the Heart (Tuve el corazón) and Saturday’s Salsa Lives (La salsa vive) are followed by dance performances (tango and salsa, respectively), while Deaf (Sorda) and Lluc, a Pastry Chronicle, will have tapas and chocolate, respectively. And some of the screenings are free, like the Mexican magical realism film Pedro Páramo, on Saturday. 115 SE Main St., Minneapolis; find more info here. Through Sunday—Em Cassel
FRIDAY 10.10
Shahzad Ismaily
Walker Art Center
I gotta say, the Walker’s performance lineup this fall is flat-out killer. After Wadada Leo Smith/Amina Claudia Davis, Ambrose Akinmusire, and Jlin, we get this great, every discerning improvisatory musician’s sideman of choice these days. Spotlight-avoidant fellow that he is, Ismaily has organized a highly collaborative event, called Bitterness Is Not a Bridge. We’re told the multi-instrumentalist Ismaily will play (what else?) “multiple instruments.” In addition, there will be guitars from Alan Sparhawk and Nels Cline; vocals from Beth Orton (who’ll also play guitar), Audrey Chen (who’ll also play cello), and yuniya edi kwon (who’ll also play violin); keys and drums from Martin Dosh; and Elizabeth Mitchell and Daniel Littleton of the band Ida on (again!) multiple instruments. You know it’s gonna be a good show when you’ve got to break out the semicolons while listing the band. $25 and up. 7:30 p.m. 725 Vineland Place, Minneapolis; find more info here.—Keith Harris
St. Paul Art Crawl
St. Paul
Formerly a multi-week event, the St. Paul Art Crawl has gone back to its roots as a one-weekend happening, meaning all seven wards will be hosting open studios, concerts, receptions, and more the next three days. Highlights include West Seventh’s Schmidt Artist Lofts, where over 80 artists will be on hand in the former brewery warehouse; Springboard for the Arts in Little Mekong, with hands-on activities and performances all day; and the Union Depot in Lowertown, which will be hosting a big ol’ makers’ market. This is also a great time to visit “Alebrijes: Keepers of the Island,” an installation on Raspberry Island of 17 large-scale fantastical creatures created by Mexico City artists. Find more info about participating restaurants, galleries, tattoo parlors, and lofts here. Free. 6-10 p.m. Fri.; noon-8 p.m. Sat.; noon-5 p.m. Sun. Through Sunday—Jessica Armbruster
“Decades of Mailing It In”
Squirrel Haus Arts
Musicmaster, a “Minneapolis-based mail-artist and stand-up poet,” is behind this weekend’s art/variety show at Squirrel Haus. Its centerpiece? One-thousand pieces of correspondence art, gathered from 40,000 pieces of mail that the artist’s mailbox has “yakked up” since 1972. You’ll see mail art from the likes of Sticker Dude Cohen from Brooklyn and L.A.’s Darlene Altschul and Padilla Maltos. The “controlled chaos” includes activities like rubber stamping, printing, and movie screenings, with spoken-word performances Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. Free; donations requested. 1-9 p.m. Fri.-Sat.; 1-6 p.m. Sun. 3450 Snelling Ave., Minneapolis; find more info here. Through Sunday—Em Cassel
Mickey Guyton
O'Shaughnessy
Guyton is far from an overnight sensation. She moved to Nashville in 2011, dropped her debut single in 2015, and seemed unjustly consigned to be shuffled into the pack of country never-wases with dynamite voices who deserve better shortly after that. Then, in that brief window five years ago when corporations felt duty-bound to feign interest in Black America, she rose to the moment with the brilliant “Black Like Me.” That anthem, along with the scalding feminist-realist ballad "What Are You Gonna Tell Her?" appeared on her brilliant 2021 debut album, Remember Her Name. On her equally impressive 2024 followup, House on Fire, she left the big political statements behind, as was her right—being a Black Nashville star is political statement enough—though you don’t have to wonder long what color folks’ skin is on “My Side of the Country” $7.75-$38.75. 7 p.m. 2004 Randolph Ave., St. Paul; find more info here.—Keith Harris
SATURDAY 10.11
Posters for Parks
Minnehaha Falls
We love our parks, don’t we, folks? Minneapolis, famously, is so parkland-dense that the longest distance any resident needs to walk to get to a park is just six blocks. Show your appreciation for those parks—all 180 of ‘em—with this year’s Posters for Parks event, where local artists will be selling limited-edition posters inspired by our wonderful outdoor spaces. Roughly 40 artists are participating, with half of the proceeds from sales benefitting Minneapolis Parks Foundation and LoveMplsParks. Free. 2-6 p.m. Minnehaha Falls, 4825 Minnehaha Ave., Minneapolis; find more info here.—Em Cassel
FallCon
Minnesota State Fairgrounds
For over 30 years, Minnesota Comic Book Association has hosted FallCon, a weekend of locally, regionally, and nationally sourced geekery focused on comic books, graphic novels, cosplay, and zines. During festivities folks can mingle and meet artists, authors, inkers, and publishers. The panel room upstairs will host a variety of talks, including sessions on making it as a comic freelancer, dealing with unnatural cosplay skin paint, and tips on hosting an online webcomic. There’ll be an artist alley featuring all kinds of makers, a kids’ zone with lots of stuff to see and do, and a spectacular cosplay contest. $15; kids nine and under are free. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sat.; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sun. 1265 Snelling Ave. N., St. Paul; find more info here. Through Sunday—Jessica Armbruster
City of Lakes Art Fair
Bde Maka Ska
Uptown Art Fair is no more; it’s been rebranded as SoMi and relocated to Bachman’s parking lot in another neighborhood entirely. But something new is brewing in the area, and I’m not just talking about all the coffee shops over there. The inaugural City of the Lakes Fair seems to be aiming for the original vibes of the once-popular Art Fair. They’ll have over 140 artists, and unlike SoMi, they appear to be mostly (all?) local. That includes paintings of retro beer cans, tiny food jewelry, locally angled patches, sassy greeting cards, and tons of cool ceramics. Live music and food trucks round out the event. Free. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sat.; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sun. West Bde Maka Ska Parkway, between W. Lake St. and W. 32nd Street, Minneapolis; find more info here. Through Sunday—Jessica Armbruster
Stanley’s 15-Year Anniversary
Stanley's Northeast Bar Room
In addition to turning 15, this northeast Minneapolis favorite has a lot to celebrate this year. For starters, it’s not getting bulldozed anytime soon. There was a chance the 130-year-old building that houses the bar and restaurant would have to go as part of the 2027 University Avenue Construction Project. Fortunately, that intersection is now officially off the chopping block. So let’s keep celebrating Stanley’s dog-friendly paw-tio, historic urinals, and big ol’ bar. This b-day party will include a cornhole tournament, flash tattooing, and tunes from Catrina L'Amour and the Sound, ’90s cover band Flannel, and the White Keys. Free. Noon to 10 p.m. 2500 University Ave. NE, Minneapolis.—Jessica Armbruster
Lorde
Armory
Earlier this year New York Times critic Jon Caramanica asked, "Does Lorde Want to Be a Star?" And ya know what? It’s a fair question for pop’s artiest and most enigmatic practitioner. After reviewers and fans alike shrugged loudly at the Kiwi’s mellow and meandering third album, 2021’s Solar Power, Lorde bided her time away from the spotlight until June’s Virgin, which set the stage for a comeback. Instead, the real-life Ella Yelich-O'Connor rolled out a curious album cycle highlighted by observations about the Pam and Tommy sex tape, eating disorders, and gender identity—it feels like the 28-year-old artist is still very much figuring herself out in real-time. And that’s more or less the vibe on Virgin, an interesting-yet-uneven electropop artifact that does deliver slices of brilliance throughout. Lorde is too otherworldly talented to outright flop, but we’ll have to keep waiting for another masterpiece like 2017’s Melodrama. The Japanese House and Empress Of open. $147-$421. 5:30 p.m. Sat.-Sun. 500 S. Sixth St., Minneapolis; find more info here. Through Sunday—Jay Boller
Oktoberfest
Tangletown Gardens & Wise Acre Eatery
By now, we pray you’ve gotten the gist of most Oktoberfest offerings. There’ll likely be a biergarten and sausages, and this one certainly has those tasty bases covered. Apple cider, pumpkin decorating contests, crafts, games, and live accordion jams plus DJs? Yeah, Tangletown Gardens and Wise Acre accounted for all that. The big differentiator here is, and this is not a drill: BABY COW PEN!!! Freaking baby cows, man! In a pen! In a word? Wunderbar. This first-ever collab party coincides with the wonderfully named Plantoberfest sale. You (sadly) can’t take home a baby cow, but you can rehome a bargain-priced plant. Free. 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. 5353 Nicollet Ave. S., Minneapolis; find more info here.—Jay Boller
Guzzle 'n' Twirl Show
Aldrich Ice Arena
If you’re anything like me, much of your Facebook Marketplace feed is dominated by vintage Hamm’s and Grain Belt signage and merch that’d dominate your home… if you were single instead of married to a tasteful partner. But the man-cavers, she-shedders, and garage-drinkers among us will find a lot to like at Guzzle ‘n’ Twirl, the Brewery Collectibles Club of America's 51st annual show of vintage beer and brewery advertising. “How about 275 tables full of signs, cans, uniforms, photos, coasters, and more!” BCCA organizers write. “If you have ever wanted to dip your toes into the world of beer and brewery collectibles, this is one of the biggest shows in the U.S.” Well, does the Hamm’s bear ride shotgun in the woods? $5. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. 1850 White Bear Ave., Maplewood; find more info here.—Jay Boller
SUNDAY 10.12
Todd Barry
Dudley Riggs Theatre
Todd Barry was among the many great comics who’d emerge from New York City’s Luna Lounge, the 1990s birthplace of alt-comedy. The master of deadpan, now 61, has popped up in all our favorites over the years: The Larry Sanders Show, Flight of the Conchords, Louie, and even Darren Aronofsky’s The Wrestler. In praising his 2023 special, Domestic Shorthair, the New York Times wrote, “Ever since David Letterman retired from late night, sarcasm has no better champion.” For some nice Barry nostalgia, be sure to consult our 25th anniversary oral history of Mitch Hedberg’s never-released movie. MJ Matheson opens. $50-$51. 7 p.m. 824 Hennepin Ave, Minneapolis; find more info here.—Jay Boller
Alex Borstein
Parkway Theater
Lois Griffin from Family Guy! Susie Myerson from The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel! Alex Borstein is one of those comedic actors you recognize from everything, whether it's MADtv in the '90s, the broader Seth MacFarlane universe, or her work on HBO's Getting On. The 54-year-old performer's current stage show, “Thirsty,” is all about being "sandwiched between two soul-sucking kids and two eccentric, aging parents," per promo material. $30-$40. 6 p.m. 4814 Chicago Ave., Minneapolis; find more info here.—Jay Boller
ONGOING
“I Promise to Burn Forever”
Public Functionary
What’s the old saying? “History is written by the victors.” It’s a kind phrase for a cruel concept, as victors are also generally oppressors, enslavers, and murderers. The powerful, the rich, the inhuman. For this new collaborative exhibit, two artists will explore how narratives formed from ruling institutions impact our collective memories, interpretations, and biases. That may sound like heavy stuff, but it’s intended to be a restorative experience—and fun! London/Berlin-based artist Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley deprograms by making digital games (some of which you can experience here) focused on Black/trans experience, history, and revolution. Meanwhile, Minnesota-based artist Agartuu Inor’s Barakah Library uses Black and Indigenous liberation texts in her beadwork and sculptures. Northrup King Building (studio 144), 1500 Jackson St. NE, Minneapolis. Through October 11—Jessica Armbruster
“ALEBRIJES: Keepers of the Island”
Raspberry Island
Alebrijes are a Mexico City folk-art tradition born out of a fever dream—literally. In 1936, artist Pedro Linares fell ill and found himself hallucinating a forest filled with magical creatures that were shouting “alebrijes!” at him. Once better, he knew that he had to recreate what he had experienced. Nearly 90 years later, Mexican artists continue this tradition, using papier-mâché to create beautifully surreal neon beasts like chicken-fish-unicorns and butterfly-dog-frogs ranging from four to 15 feet tall. This summer and fall, alebrijes will be at Raspberry Island thanks to four Mexico City-based artists who have created 16 large-scale papier-mâché sculptures for an installation organized by the Minnesota Latino Museum. You can venture through this colorful wonderland during the park’s regular hours (dawn to 11 p.m. daily). For more info, visit mnlatinomuseum.org/alebrijes. 2 Wabasha St. S., St. Paul. Through October 26—Jessica Armbruster
Sever’s Fall Festival
Sever’s Farm
One of our most enduring fall traditions involves heading out to Shakopee to get lost in a cornfield. You can do that at Sever’s, which has hosted an epic maze each year since 1997. The challenge takes about 30 minutes, but there’s plenty to see and do once you escape, with corn pits for kids to dive into, obstacle courses, a zip line, and friendly goats and llamas in the petting zoo. $19-$22; $45 season pass. Find tickets and more info at seversfestivals.com. 3121 150th St. W., Shakopee. Now through October 26—Jessica Armbruster
