Welcome to Event Horizon, your weekly roundup of the best events in Minneapolis, St. Paul, and beyond.
WEDNESDAY 1.8
Taiyon Coleman
Rondo Community Library
Traveling Without Moving: Essays from a Black Woman Trying to Survive in America was the must-read book of 2024, according to me. Taiyon J. Coleman writes precisely constructed essays about growing up disadvantaged on Chicago’s South Side, and her recursive path to achieving the American Dream as promised to the first generation of African Americans to come of age after the Civil Rights Act. Coleman earns degrees upon degrees, gets married, and buys a home. But, while she holds up her end of the education-as-path-to-economic-stability bargain, she’s let down by a fragile social contract that covers the steel scaffold of structural racism like a flimsy fabric sample. I cannot get over the struggles Coleman faced in this century—in graduate-level writing program classrooms, health-care settings, and real estate transactions. Tonight’s event is part of the Friend of the St. Paul Public Library’s Fireside Reading series. Free. 6:30 p.m. 461 N. Dale St., St. Paul; find more info here.—Deborah Copperud
THURSDAY 1.9
Out There 2025: Exquisite Pain
Walker Art Center
It’s that time of year again, when the Walker invites performers from around the world to come to the McGuire Stage and show how weird, wonderful, and unsettling experimental theater can be. This Out There installment kicks off with Forced Entertainment’s Exquisite Pain, a he-said/she-said piece about the way we remember tumultuous relationships after they end. The work is inspired by a project from Sophie Calle, whose retrospective exhibition, “Overshare,” is on display at the museum through January. (Give yourself 30 minutes and head to the relationship room for more context on Pain.) $15. 7:30 p.m. Thu.-Sat. 725 Vineland Place, Minneapolis; find tickets here. Through Saturday—Jessica Armbruster
FRIDAY 1.10
Minneapolis Tattoo Arts Convention
Hyatt Regency Minneapolis
A celebration of tattoo arts with a carnival-esque atmosphere at a convention center downtown? What could go wrong? No, my friends, what could go right. A lot, actually, as this multiday fest has been entertaining crowds for over a decade now. During the event, folks will be able to meet with talented artists from around the world and, if time allows, possibly get inked. But there’s more here to explore beyond your own body mods, with entertainment stages offering a variety of oddities, including contortionists, suspension enthusiasts, contortionists who also do archery (at the same time!), sword swallowers, and goth clowns (because real clowns would be way too scary). Check out daily tattoo competitions (a City Pages photog once captured a butthole tat at this thing), celebrity artists meet-and-greets, and plenty more. $25; $50 three-day pass. 2-11 p.m. Fri.; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sat.; 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sun. 1300 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis; find more info here. Through Sunday—Jessica Armbruster
Robert Glasper
Dakota
This is starting to become a habit: For what I believe is the third year running, jazz pianist Robert Glasper is taking over the Dakota for a full weekend in January. Born late enough (1978) to come up on hip-hop and neo-soul, Glasper is probably best known outside of jazz for his keyboard work on Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly, which was integral in defining that album’s sound. In the past two decades, he has achieved crossover success at Blue Note with his feature-heavy Black Radio releases, the third and most recent of which offered Killer Mike, Jennifer Hudson, Me'Shell Ndegéocello, Q-Tip, Esperanza Spalding, and many, many—many—more guests. It’s tempting to call Glasper’s music “fusion,” but that term implies the forced yoking of disparate styles; instead, Glasper treats contemporary Black music as a smooth confluence of genres. This three-night stand will give him plenty of time to demonstrate his range of influence and abilities in a more jazz-centered context. $55-$70. 9 p.m. Fri.-Sun.; 6:30 p.m. Sat.-Sun. 1010 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis; find more info here. Through Sunday—Keith Harris
Josh Johnson
Pantages Theater
A veteran Daily Show writer and newish correspondent, Josh Johnson does huge social media numbers, and his latest YouTube special, Freshman Fifteen, is blowing up as well. But the Louisiana native’s quick-turnaround videos, like this deeply thoughtful and deeply funny set about accused CEO murderer Luigi Mangione, attract even more eyeballs—almost 3 million views. In it, Johnson prowls the stage like a Chappelle who punches up, delivering killer punchlines (sorry) while keeping a steady, longform, conversational pace. It’s rare and engrossing stuff from a gifted youngish comic. $35-$55. 7 & 10 p.m. 710 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis; find more info here.—Jay Boller
Nick Swardson
State Theatre
Hilariously, the top suggested Google search for Nick Swardson is, “Are Adam Sandler and Nick Swardson friends?” Most signs point to yes! Swardson has made a career out of popping up as the unhinged weirdo in Sandler-produced flicks, beginning way back with 2006’s Grandma's Boy, which he also co-wrote. The hometown star got the opportunity to lead a Happy Madison production with 2011’s Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star—the story of a second-generation porn actor cursed with a small penis—though that film tanked in spectacular fashion. (His PR team has ignored multiple requests to revisit Bucky with Racket.) Swardson’s latest hour is called Toilet Head, which suggests he’s staying true to his goofball, gross-out ethos. The 48-year-old Vikings super fan was an early believer in the surprise 2024 squad, so expect some sports chatter. $39.50-$59.50. 7:30 p.m. 805 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis; find more info here.—Jay Boller
Minnesota Ice Festival
TCO Stadium
Is it “cool” that Minnesota Ice, “the nation's leading manufacturer of sculpture-grade ice,” is attempting to set a Guinness World Record for the largest ice maze? Sure. If nothing else, it’d put the current record holder, a buncha yahoos from upstate New York who constructed a 12,855.68-footer in 2010, in their place. Other elements of the Minnesota Ice Festival seem fun, too: music from Kat Perkins, the Snow Sisters, and the Red Bull DJ truck, plus ice-sculpting contests, ice skating, ice slides, ice bars, food trucks, and scavenger hunts. (I would have thrown in a Mr. Freeze-themed ice pun contest, except licensing could have gotten dicey.) If you sensed a “but” coming, here’s that but: Tickets seem exorbitantly expensive for this sort of thing! Ice is famously cheap! At any rate, if your family has cash to blow, you could do worse—how often does the world’s largest ice maze come around? $25 adults; $13 kids; $70 family of four packages. 4-10 p.m. Thu.-Fri.; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sat.; 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sun. 2645 Vikings Circle, Eagan; find more info here. Through February 16—Jay Boller
SATURDAY 1.11
Ber
First Avenue
By now, Ber’s lore should be familiar to local music fans. She grew up in Walker, Minnesota, kicked around in Norway for a bit, then went to school in Leeds. She moved into an aunt and uncle's south Minneapolis basement in late 2020 and, according to her citation-heavy cited Wikipedia page, "with no friends in the area, she began using Tinder and Hinge"—which is a truly rude thing to put on someone's Wikipedia page! But her songs began to have some success on social media, and by 2023, once Minnesota noticed her music, it fully accepted her as its own. And what better seal of local approval could there be than headlining the Mainroom? On her latest EP, Room for One, Ber leaves behind the bratty pop of “Slutphase” and “Your Internet Sucks,” honing her craft as she matures. And though her new album won’t be out by January, we’ll hopefully hear previews of some of the material. “A lot of the songs have been coming from conversations that I've been having with people,” she told Racket in October. “Then you get to poetically sum up this thing that you can relate to someone about.” $25. 7:30 p.m. 701 First Ave. N., Minneapolis; more info here.—Keith Harris
A Tribute to Dolly Parton
Fine Line
Dolly Parton is damn near universally adored these days, even (if not especially) by those with an aversion to country music, and at this annual event, some of the Twin Cities female singers match their pipes against her elite songbook. This year’s brave participants include Faith Boblett, Molly Brandt, Rachel Calvert, Laura Hugo, Jaedyn James, Sarah Morris, Savannah Smith, Davina Sowers, and Leslie Vincent; as ever there will be musical support from the versatile and more-than-capable A Little Too Short To Be Stormtroopers. I’m way overdue to check out this tribute, but having last year finally boot-scooted my way over to the annual Shania Twain tribute, held by the same folks, I can pretty much guarantee this’ll be a hoot. 18+. $24. 8 p.m. 318 N. First Ave., Minneapolis; find more info here.—Keith Harris
Book Fair For Adults
Inbound BrewCo
As a wide-eyed grade schooler, you were never more powerful than on the days each year when you padded down the halls to the library, crossed the carpeted floors, and stepped into the magical, temporary world of the Scholastic Book Fair. The newest Animorphs books! The latest installment of Captain Underpants! We were so happy; we were so free. Will this book fair for adults recapture that same sense of wonder and joy? Unclear—but there will be beer. Plus, you’ll get to shop selections from excellent local booksellers like Tropes & Trifles, Once Upon a Crime, and Black Garnet Books, and there will be bookish crafters like The Geek Boutique and Pew Pew Printing. And, theoretically, you won’t have to ask your parents for money. Free. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. 701 N. Fifth St., Minneapolis; more info here.— Em Cassel
Winter Free Admission Days
Various Locations
A trip to a museum can be a joy, but if you’re bringing the entire fam, those admission tickets can really add up. (A family of four could easily end up spending $50+ at any museum in town—and that’s before you visit the gift shop.) This Saturday, however, you can hit up all kinds of cool places managed by the Minnesota Historical Society without dropping a penny. In town, that includes the Oliver Kelley Farm, the History Center, Mill City Museum, Fort Snelling, and the James J. Hill House. If you’re up for a little road trip, places like the Split Rock Lighthouse, the Mille Lacs Indian Museum, and the Jeffers Petroglyphs site are also free. Most of these locations normally cost $8 to $12 to get in, so this is a great opp to enjoy some culture without blowing your weekend budget apart. For a list of participating locations, and to RSVP (it’s appreciated, but not required), visit MNHS’ event page here.—Jessica Armbruster
SUNDAY 1.12
Loppet Winter Festival
Theodore Wirth Park and Lake of the Isles
This event used to be a weekend-long gig, but its popularity has grown so much over the years that it has extended to three weekends. First up on January 12 is the Low-Pet/Law-Pet Challenge (it’s not a pet thing; it’s a play on loppet pronunciations), featuring fat bike and XC ski races. Next month is the big one, the City of Lakes Loppet Winter Festival, where winter sports lovers of all ages and skill levels can sign up for a race at Theodore Wirth Park on February 1-2; events include snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, bike riding, and skijoring (skiing, but with dogs!). The following week is the Luminary Loppet, where Lake of the Isles turns into a magical trail featuring fire and ice installations, stops with hot drinks, and performances, ending with a party boasting fire pits, food trucks, beer, and music. For a complete list of events or to sign up, visit loppet.org/events/festival. January 12, February 1-2, 8—Jessica Armbruster
Fix-It Clinic
American Swedish Institute
Perhaps one of your 2025 resolutions was to reduce, reuse, recycle, and repair? Well then, this is your lucky day! At these free, monthly clinics, all you have to do is bring your busted household items, and a team of volunteers will help you troubleshoot and fix your stuff. We’re not just talking about electronics, though you certainly can bring those, but also small appliances, clean clothing, mobile devices, and more. Let’s keep those fixable items outta the trash! (If you can’t make it this week, clinics are held the second Saturday of most months.) Free. Noon to 4 p.m. 2600 Park Ave. S., Minneapolis; more info here.—Em Cassel
ONGOING
Winter Warm-Up
U.S. Bank Stadium
Look, U.S. Bank Stadium needs money. According to a 2023 report, it’s gonna eat up around $280 million over the next 10 years. Dystopian fences, new entrance doors, and fancier box seats don’t build themselves, after all (still no word on plans to stop the Bank’s thirst for bird blood). Meanwhile, you might have a fitness-related New Year’s resolution, or be a Vikings superfan... or maybe you can’t afford to splurge on a full-blown gym membership this season. That’s where U.S. Bank’s side hustle comes in: Winter Warm-Up. Most Tuesdays and Thursdays, the stadium turns into a track where you can walk, jog, or inline skate. In ancient Rome or inside the Metrodome, this kinda thing would be free, but we’re in present-day America, so this chance to explore the stadium without gameday crowds will cost ya. (Hey, it's still cheaper than a Westopolis movie ticket.) Plus, there are plenty of workout photo ops, and the view from the makeshift “track” does make for a fun workout. $11.50. 5 to 9 p.m. Tue. & Thu. 401 Chicago Ave., Minneapolis; find more info here. Through January 23—Jessica Armbruster
Night Trains
Twin City Model Railroad Museum
Halloween is over, and you know what that means: It’s Night Trains season at the Model Railroad Museum! If you’ve never been to the Model Railroad Museum, this is the way to experience it. They’ll turn down the house lights and let the miniature train models show off their cozy glow while they weave through towns that are buried in blizzards or lit up with holiday decorations. It’s quaint as hell; you’re gonna love it. There are some special nights on the books—we hear Santa shows up on December 14 and 21—and did we mention that the museum turns 90 friggin’ years old this year? No better time to visit this St. Paul gem. $15; free for children four and under. 3-7 p.m. Saturdays (check online for bonus nights). 668 Transfer Rd., Suite 8, St. Paul; tickets and more info here. Through February 22—Em Cassel
Unveiling 1,000 Nesting Dolls
The Museum of Russian Art
Did you know that the largest collection of Russian nesting dolls in the U.S. is located right off the Diamond Lake entrance to I-35W? Now that you know, how do you feel about that? The Museum of Russian Art will begin presenting its Matryoshka dolls (to use the proper Russian term) to the public; they’ll be on display until March 9. And since it’s likely been a while since you popped in at TMORA (I myself am always overdue for a visit), while you’re there, be sure to take in Alexander Viazmensky’s watercolors of Russian mushrooms, a recently opened exhibit. 5500 Stevens Ave., Minneapolis; find more info here. Through March 9, 2025—Keith Harris
