Friday, March 17
Before the Parade Passes By
What: St. Patrick’s Day Parade
When: Noon
Where: Starts at Wacouta and 5th St. E., St. Paul
For its 51st year, the St. Patrick’s Association hosts the capital’s green parade along 5th Street, so bring blankets and lawn chairs, set up along the street or around Rice Park, and cheer for local Irish representatives—from Emmett’s Public House, the Finnegans nonprofit Reverse Food Truck, the Brian Boru Irish Pipe Band of St. Paul, plus more. And keep an eye out for this year’s Miss Shamrock. Learn more
Irish Saturation Explained
What: St. Patrick’s Day at the Museum
When: 6–9 p.m.
Where: Hennepin History Museum, 2303 Third Ave., Minneapolis
Irish culture will prove inescapable this weekend, so give in: learn how American dance classics, such as tap dancing, square dancing, and Appalachian clogging, owe something to the traditional stomping of Irish dance, then pine after blustery bluffs to the tune of local musicians, including “High Priestess of Celtic Music” Laura MacKenzie, of the traditional Irish band Northern Gael. Also: beer. Learn more
Saturday, March 18
Readers and Writers in Rosemount
What: Rosemount Writers Festival and Book Fair
When: 9 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
Where: The Steeple Center, 14375 S. Robert Trail, Rosemount
Rosemount’s first annual writers festival features 20 workshops and panels. Writers and publishing experts will discuss genres, agents, cover letters, platforms, independent publishing, and more. Meanwhile, a free book fair boasts more than 40 publishing-related vendors as well as authors, including North Star Press-published writer Stephanie Sorensen, available to sign books and take questions. Learn more
Contrarian Choreography
What: Still Life for the Cowles Center
When: 7:30 p.m.
Where: The Cowles Center, 528 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis
When choreographer Morgan Thorson asks her dancers to “kill” her choreography on stage, she’s asking them to interrupt fluid movements “with cut-throat contrarian motion,” or “strike a static, presentational tableaux,” she says—whatever defies expectation. Seven dancers embody this anti-authoritarian spectacle at the Goodale Theater this weekend, with innovative lighting and a live music score. Learn more
Sunday, March 19
Beer: Your Morning Motivator
What: BodyART and Beer
When: 10:45–11:30 a.m.
Where: Wabasha Brewery, 429 Wabasha St. S., St. Paul
For the next couple months, Wabasha Brewing Company will team up with boutique fitness studio the Resistance Movement on Sundays for a morning of bodyART—functional movement training inspired by martial arts and yoga. The morning begins with a “relaxation phase,” where you sit back and sip a craft beer or other beverage before diving into 45 minutes with a professional instructor. Learn more
Making Your Mark
What: Personal Symbols Art Workshop
When: 10 a.m.–2 p.m.
Where: Can Can Wonderland, 755 Prior Ave. N., St. Paul
Looking to design your own shower curtain? The people at Can Can Wonderland—the new, artistically minded hub for mini golf and quirky cocktails—presents a workshop on how to create your own pattern from a unique, personalized shape. First, draw it on stencil paper, cut it out, print it, and stamp the inside with acrylic paint using a sponge. Then, stamp away and experiment with repetition. Learn more
