Weekend Best Bets: August 24-26

The best events around the Twin Cities this weekend include country music, crayfish, and crafts

Friday, August 24

Lots of Crayfish

What: Kräftskiva (Crayfish Party)
When: 6:30 p.m., doors open; 9 p.m., music and dancing starts
Where: American Swedish Institute, 2600 Park Ave., Minneapolis
This traditional crayfish feast, always in August, is big in Sweden. Minnesota’s American Swedish Institute has made it big here, too—opening a magically lantern-lit outdoor courtyard and ushering in Ole Olsson’s Oldtime Orkestra for folk music and dancing. ASI brines its crayfish the Swedish way, in “many pounds” of fresh crown dill, served chilled, with “good” bread, “strong” cheese, other sides, and aquavit. The hosts will lead drinking songs, so put your bib on. Learn more.

Lots of Country Singers

What: Roots & Boots Tour
When: 8 p.m.
Where: Shooting Star Casino, 777 Casino Rd., Mahnomen
Aaron Tippin, Sammy Kershaw, and Collin Raye stop at Mahnomen’s Shooting Star Casino this Friday, and if you’re a fan of ’90s and early 2000s country, you won’t want to miss it. Sammy Kershaw is know for “She Don’t Know She’s Beautiful,” “Anywhere But Here,” and “Queen of My Double-Wide Trailer.” Aaron Tippin has had five Top 10 hits including “You’ve Got to Stand for Something,” “I Wouldn’t Have It Any Other Way,” and “Working Man’s Ph.D.” Collin Raye has released seven No. 1 singles, his Top 10 hits including “Every Second,” “Love, Me,” “In This Life,” and “My Kind of Girl.” Learn more.


Saturday, August 25

Crafty in Richfield

What: Homespun Craft + Gift Show
When: 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Where: Veterans Park Pavilion, 6335 Portland Ave. S., Richfield
Homespun Decor & Gifts brings hand-crafted goods from more than 100 local artisans to Minneapolis’ Nokomis neighborhood. Think: soaps and balms, stone-bead jewelry, greeting cards, candles in a rainbow of fragrances, and other MN-pride items. Now, the store’s married owners bring more than 40 artists to Richfield’s 100-acre, lakeside Veterans Park for a free fest, with kids’ activities (including face painting and crafting), live jazz from 5 to 7 p.m., and food truck Soul Lao serving Southeast Asian cuisine. Learn more.