June 2012 Arts Calendar

Everything you need to do, see, and hear this summer


Fringe Festival

An 11-day free-for-all of more than 800 experimental performances. August 2–12, fringefestival.org
 

The Sunshine Boys

Neil Simon’s romp about a vaudeville duo that despises one another, at the Guthrie. July 7–September 2, guthrietheater.org
 

Waiting for Godot

The Jungle tackles the most significant English-language play of the 20th Century. August 24–September 30,  jungletheater.com
 

Dan Savage: Savage Love Live

The legendary sex-advice columnist performs at Pantages Theatre. June 22, hennepintheatretrust.org
 

Roman Holiday

The Guthrie’s take on the Audrey Hepburn classic. June 9–August 19, guthrietheater.org
 

FELA!

Direct-from-Broadway bio musical about Afro-beat legend Fela Anikulapo Kuti plays the Ordway. June 12–17, ordway.org
 

Pippi Longstocking

The Children’s Theatre Company’s uproarious tribute to the pig-tailed rabble-rouser. Through June 10, childrenstheatre.org
 

Laughter on the 23rd Floor

Neil Simon’s madcap play about a floundering 1950s comedy-variety television show, at Park Square. June 1–July 8, parksquaretheatre.org
 

The Hollow

Theatre in the Round tackles the quintessential Agatha Christie whodunit. Through June 24, theatreintheround.org
 

Xanadu

Chanhassen Dinner Theatre stages the roller disco epic. Opens June 1, chanhassendt.com
 

Bonnie Raitt

Country’s most famous redhead kicks off the State Fair’s Grand Stand series. August 23, mnstatefair.org
 

Merle Haggard & Kris Kristofferson

The elder statesmen of outlaw country bring the twang to the State Theatre. July 25, hennepintheatretrust.org
 

The Shins

James Mercer’s indie-rock outfit at the Orpheum. June 1, hennepintheatretrust.org
 

Music in the Zoo  

The Minnesota Zoo welcomes huge names Feist, Jimmy Cliff, and Rufus Wainwright. June–August, mnzoo.com
 

Twin Cities Jazz Festival

Mears Park transforms into a haven for skit-skattin’ hepcats. June 28–30, hotsummerjazz.com
 

River’s Edge Music Festival

Tool and Dave Matthews Band headline the new Harriet Island fest. June 23–24, riversedgemusicfestival.com
 

Basilica Block Party

Train, Avett Brothers, and OAR headline Cities 97’s annual music fest. July 6–7, 2012
 

Bayfront Jam Music Festival

Duluth hosts 90s throwback acts (Everclear, Sugar Ray, Gin Blossoms) and a Steve Martin bluegrass performance. August 4–5, bayfrontjam.com
 

Aerosmith and Cheap Trick

The classic-rock titans tag-team the Target Center. June 16, targetcenter.com
 

Works for Words with Chris Koza

Local lyricists Rogue Valley, Sims, and Caroline Smith examine the craft of songwriting. June 8, fitzgeraldtheater.publicradio.org
 

Ten Second Film Festival

The Soap Factory’s annual flash film fest. June 9, soapfactory.org
 

Trylon Third Anniversary

The third birthday features two Buster Keaton films and old-timey music by Dreamland Faces. July 20, take-up.org
 

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari

The Walker hosts an outdoor screening of the 1920 classic, with a live score. August 20, walkerart.org

Biff! Bam! Pow! Comic Book Movies!

The Trylon dedicates two months to cult films based on comics. June–July, take-up.org
 

Nights at The Heights

The Heights Theatre presents monthly classics with live organ scores. June–July, heightstheater.com
 

Ordway’s Summer Dance Series

Free, open-to-all-dance lessons in Landmark Plaza. June–August, ordway.org/summerdance
 

Gordon Parks: at 100

Weinstein Gallery celebrates the 100th birthday of the influential African American photographer. June 8, weinstein-gallery.com
 

This Will Have Been: Art, Love & Politics in the 1980s

A survey of Reagan-era art ruptures comes to the Walker. June 30, walkerart.org
 

The Jealous Curator: Girl Crush

Jennifer Davis helms this meet-up/tea party for female artists at Soo Visual Arts Center. June 23, soovac.org
 

Rembrandt in America

The MIA hosts the largest selection of Rembrandts ever assembled in America. June 24, artsmia.org
 

Minouk Lim: Heat of Shadows

Three large-scale video installations from under-the-radar Korean artist Minouk Lim. Opens May 31, walkerart.org
 

FLOW Northside Arts Crawl

A flurry of performance and installation art along West Broadway in North Minneapolis. July 28, flownorthside.org
 

Triple Art Fair Weekend

The Uptown, Powderhorn, and Loring art fairs open simultaneously. August 3–5
 

Drawings from the Bequest of Alfred Moir

Rare Italian old-masters drawings at the MIA. Opens June 20, artsmia.org
 

Stone Arch Bridge Festival

Stone Arch Festival

The free fest held along the Missi-ssippi River returns bigger than ever. June 15–17, stonearchbridgefestival.com stonearchfestival.com

*Editor’s note: This event has changed management.
 

Bastille Day Block Party

Barbette’s annual Frenchie fest. July 15, barbette.com
 

Minnesota Renaissance Festival

Jousting, turkey legs, and mead. August 18–September 30, renaissancefest.com
 

Minneapolis Aquatennial

The Torchlight Parade returns for the 73rd year. July 13–21, aquatennial.com
 

CONvergence

The largest sci-fi and fantasy convention in the Upper Midwest descends on Bloomington. July 5–July 7, convergence-con.org
 

St. Paul Saints

Bill Murray’s minor-league baseball team is a summer classic. Through September 3, saintsbaseball.com
 

Twin City Polo Classic

The Twin City Polo Club’s annual fundraiser polo match and fashion event. August 12, thepoloclassic.com
 

City Solve Urban Race

A trivia-themed, team scavenger hunt through the city. June 9, citysolveurbanrace.com
 

Twin Cities Pride

The largest GLBT Pride celebration in the Upper Midwest. June 23–24, tcpride.org
 

Juneteenth

North Minneapolis’s annual celebration of the abolition of slavery. June 16, juneteenthminnesota.org