The Twin Cities’ creative scene has several beloved events that draw visitors by the hundreds, if not thousands, every year—there’s Art-A-Whirl, annual summer art fairs, and the Minnesota Fringe Festival, to name a few. And there’s a new kid in town that has fully cemented its rank among the annual lineup: Flavor Fest.
Produced by Minneapolis-based creative brand Flavor World, Flavor Fest is a free one-day-only celebration of local music, art, food, and community, hosted at Indeed Brewing Co.‘s Northeast Minneapolis taproom. Now in its third year, Flavor Fest 3 will take place on Saturday, Aug. 9 from 1-10 p.m.
Created to shine a spotlight on all corners of the Twin Cities art scene, there’s truly something for everyone to enjoy—from live music, visual art, and vendors to games, food trucks, and beer. Grab a bite from Pizzeria Lola or KCM EggRolls and sip an Indeed seasonal brew while browsing a mini art market, exploring creative workshops, watching local musicians take the stage, or trying your hand at the dunk tank.
Courtesy of Flavor World and Indeed Brewing Co.
The collaboration between Flavor World and Indeed is nothing new—in fact, Flavor World founder Drew Kinkade connected with Indeed’s Chief Business Officer Ryan Bandy over an existing brew called the Flavorwave IPA, which coincidentally aligned with Flavor World’s aesthetics. According to reporting by The Current, the decision to work together was simple for both parties.
“Ever since we met Drew and [the Flavor World] crew, we’ve been brainstorming all types of things we can try and do together. We’ve done merch collabs, art events, had Flavor World at Whirlygig, sponsor their art and entertainment magazine and other off-site events,” says Bandy. “A full-scale event was a natural fit for us—we’ve been throwing parties for 13 years up here in Northeast, so of course we’d want to host the premier Flavor World event.”
Since its first iteration in 2023, Flavor Fest has only grown in scale—both in attendance and the scope of its offerings. “For Flavor Fest 1, Indeed Brewing took a chance on us. We had never hosted a festival before,” says Kinkade. “We gained priceless experience and were filled with many ideas on how to improve for the following years. Approaching year three of the festival, this is only more true [than] ever.”
Kinkade notes this year’s event will fill “every inch” of Indeed Brewing with art, games, music, activities, and more. “In short, every aspect of Flavor Fest has improved and become more flavorful,” he says.
Courtesy of Flavor World and Indeed Brewing Co.
Let’s take a look at this year’s lineup of festivities:
Artist vendors and creative workshops (all day): For the entirety of the festival, a dozen locally based artists will have booths set up in Indeed’s hallway for a mini art market—be sure to take home a new piece to add to your collection. Attendees can also participate in a variety of creative workshops in the Ox event space.
Open jam (1-4 p.m.): Grab a spot in front of the festival stage to hear a one-of-a-kind jam session.
Flavor World Art Share (3-5 p.m.): Show off your chops at the Flavor World Art Share, where creatives are invited to bring their work for a show and tell.
Live music (5-10 p.m.): Things will heat up as up-and-coming local acts take the festival stage—don’t miss performances from Anything You Want, Madame Blu, League Two, TABAH, and Reiki.
“I see Flavor Fest as a kind of microcosm of the things that make our city great—it’s a curated sample of ‘culture,’ which to me, is when people make something from nothing, be they artists, vendors, musicians, restaurants, breweries, writers—the list goes on,” says Bandy. “It’s an immensely valuable chance for us to host, curate, encourage, and use our platform to bring together all of us weirdos out here trying to make something from nothing. Flavor World is the best of us in that regard, and we’re inspired by them constantly.”
For first-timers, Kinkade encourages attendees to come to Flavor Fest with an open mind and excitement for discovering early-stage local artists. “At the core of Flavor Fest is a love for the local arts scene and a desire to platform talented artists that deserve the spotlight more than they currently have it,” he says. “We showcase a diverse range of creative styles, as we hope to offer a spread of all the creative flavors shining in the Twin Cities.”
For more information on Flavor Fest 3, visit Indeed’s website or keep up with Flavor World on Instagram.
