Friday, January 12
Hewn from Ice
What: Detroit Lakes Ice Harvest
When: 11 a.m.–5 p.m.
Where: Detroit Lakes Public Beach, 1361 Washington Ave., Detroit Lakes
After cutting into the ice on January 11, the city of Detroit Lakes will continue harvesting frozen blocks well into Friday for its ice palace, scheduled for completion in February. Originally, plans were to harvest ice for the St. Paul ice castle, too. But then the capital’s fortress was off. And then it was on again. Whatever. Detroit Lakes focuses on itself, hauling 1,500 blocks out of the frosty sheen of Little Detroit Lake. Learn more.
The Self, Staged
What: Mercurial George by Dana Michel
When: 8 p.m.
Where: Walker Art Center, 725 Vineland Pl., Minneapolis
Montreal-based performance artist Dana Michel acts out what it would look like to become “the archeologist of your own own enigmatic persona,” using props and junk piled in heaps on the McGuire Theater stage to excavate her own identity and fight off loneliness. The strangely comedic show—offering “poetic portraits of the self unmoored from others,” says the New York Times—plays three nights (1/11, 1/12, and 1/13). Learn more.
Saturday, January 13
Join the Chorus
What: Together We Sing Festival
When: 9:30 a.m.–3:45 p.m.
Where: Creative Arts Secondary School, 65 Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul
Sing with neighbors and strangers at this day-long croon fest hosted by VocalEssence. Local guest artists, including One Voice Mixed Chorus and ComMUSICation, work under the year’s theme, “Sing with Our Whole Selves,” to connect song with dance. The ethos: strengthening community, especially among young people experiencing chronic physical challenges. Stay all day or awhile, no experience required. Learn more.
The ’60s Are Back
What: MLK Saturday
When: Noon–3 p.m.
Where: Minnesota History Center, 345 Kellogg Blvd. W., St. Paul
Celebrate the life of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. while exploring “The 1968 Exhibit,” where you can feel “of the times” by making your own screen-printed activist poster, partaking in spoken word, and packing hygiene kits for the Dorothy Day Center. Students from a St. Paul academy based in the African American experience performs, and the exhibit, exploring psychedelia, the Vietnam War, and more, opens after a nationwide tour. Learn more.
Sunday, January 14
Razzle-Dazzle Activism
What: Hope & Healing Cabaret
When: 6–8 p.m.
Where: James J. Hill House, 240 Summit Ave., St. Paul
“Cabaret” might not be the first word that comes to mind when you think of MLK Day, but the African American Interpretive Center of Minnesota has teamed up with the Historical Society to put on a theatrical, musical show to honor a man described by his wife as bringing “hope and healing” to a county at odds with itself. Light refreshments and a cash bar accompany this spirited, tasseled way of observing the holiday. Learn more.
Stay Hip, St. Paul
What: Seaberg
When: 8–10 p.m.
Where: Can Can Wonderland, 755 Prior Ave. N., St. Paul
A hip-hop, alt-jazz, neo-soul group out of St. Paul, Seaberg has been rising in the Cities of late, featuring standout multi-instrumentalist Taylor Seaberg, bassist Justin Laverson, and drummer Jay Weiler. Now they’re filling a spot at Can Can Wonderland—where adults go for a sugar/booze rush and mini golf—likely to play off their EP, The People Will Dance Tapes. Get a jump on what The Current wants you to hear. Learn more.
