Friday, February 17
Before the Ice Bars Melt…
What: SocialICE: Rochester Minnesota’s Ice Bar
When: 4–10 p.m.
Where: Peace Plaza, Rochester
Seven uniquely designed ice bars serve up themed drinks this weekend—themes including Prince, The Great Gatsby, the Addams Family, and The Little Mermaid. Ice sculptures and DJ-spun pop mixes add last-of-winter atmosphere. Enter a photo contest to win a $50 gift card or the $200 grand prize. Check out a few of the themed drinks on the Minnesota Journeys blog. Learn more
Stars of the North
What: Minnesota Starwatch with Mike Lynch
When: 7–9 p.m.
Where: Carpenter St. Croix Valley Nature Center, 12805 St. Croix Trail S., Hastings
Minnesota’s dark winters make for great stargazing, so pack up a lawn chair and escape the Cities’ light pollution down to Hastings, where WCCO’s meteorologist Mike Lynch will tell the stories behind constellations and point out planets, nebulae, and galaxies—telescopes provided. Learn more
Saturday, February 18
Social Justice at the Theatre
What: Penumbra Theatre at 40: Art, Race, and a Nation on Stage
When: 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
Where: Minnesota History Center, 345 W. Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul
Penumbra Theatre turns 40, and this exhibit, opening today, looks at its history: from the Black Arts Movement to what inspires African Americans today. Original costumes, props, and scripts share space with the set from the play Fences, and actors recount favorite moments via audio. Learn more
B.Y.O.K.
What: Making Kombucha
When: 11 a.m.
Where: Midwest Supplies, 5825 Excelsior Blvd., Minneapolis
Get on top of the probiotic trend by offering your guests a glass of kombucha this spring. Midwest Supplies walks you through its “buch kit,” covering the basics of the naturally fermented drink and showing you how to concoct your own batch—also digging into the purported health benefits. Learn more
Sunday, February 19
Learn History While You Shop
What: Shop Jackson Street at the Museum
When: 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Where: Jackson Street Roundhouse, 193 Pennsylvania Ave. S., St. Paul
Shop wares from local artists and entrepreneurs—crafts, books, woodwork—surrounded by 50 historic train cars sitting in the capital’s former steam engine maintenance facility, where one of the country’s last operating roundhouse turntables provides a glimpse into the past of Minnesota transit. Learn more
Some Pig
What: Cochon555 Tour
When: 4–8 p.m.
Where: Loews Minneapolis Hotel, 601 N. 1st Ave., Minneapolis
Five cooks prepare heritage-breed pigs in a friendly contest benefiting Piggy Bank, a charity to sustain the endangered pig breed. Learn about Old World livestock and sink your teeth into chef-crafted tastings, with more than 40 wines, cocktails, and brews to choose from. Learn more
