Friday, September 9
Inexpensive art
WHAT: The $99 Art Sale
WHERE: The Soap Factory, Minneapolis
WHEN: 7 to 11 p.m.
That’s inexpensive, not cheap, though you can be the judge. This annual fundraiser for the irrepressibly fun and experimental Soap Factory gallery is a grab bag of some 200 artworks by local artists at starving-artist prices, plus music and food. There’s a $30 entry fee on Friday; on Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., it’s free but the good stuff might be gone. Learn more at soapfactory.org
Friday, September 9
Music for the city
WHAT: Concrete and Grass Lowertown Music Festival
WHERE: Mears Park, St. Paul
WHEN: 5:30 p.m.
The eclectic rock, jazz, and folk festival opens with Dave Pirner (Soul Asylum) playing a solo acoustic set bookended by the Minnesota Opera and new-wave rockers Speed’s the Name. On Saturday, the focus is hip jazz and tropicalia, on Sunday it’s classical. Learn more at concreteandgrass.com
Saturday, September 10
Dance on
WHAT: Cowles Center Grand Opening
WHERE: Cowles Center for Dance & the Performing Arts, Minneapolis
WHEN: 8 p.m.
The gala opening of the newest performing arts venue in town features some of the most iconic performers and companies in America, including Savion Glover, Clifton Brown of the Alvin Ailey company, Wendy Whelan of the New York City Ballet, and more. Learn more at thecowlescenter.org
Saturday, September 10
How sausage gets made
WHAT: Kramarczuk’s Kielbasa Festival
WHERE: Kramarczuk’s restaurant, Minneapolis
WHEN: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
All the things you already love about this Eastern European Old World staple of hearty sausage, bread, pierogis, oompah music, and German potato salad—plus beer. Learn more at kramarczuk.com
Sunday, September 11
Ten years later
WHAT: A Short Play About 9/11
WHERE: Playwright’s Center, Minneapolis
WHEN: 8 p.m.
Starring terrific actors Luverne Seifert, David Hanbury, Craig Johnson, and others, this is the rare play revolving around 9/11 that feels okay to laugh along with, in a thoughtful way. The plot follows a hilarious talk-show host on the verge of being fired for making 9/11 jokes, a Russian terrorism expert who can’t stay sober, and a woman who thinks the face on the “missing” posters might be hers. Learn more at workhauscollective.org
Sunday, September 11
A perfect pig?
WHAT: Mercy Watson to the Rescue
WHERE: Children’s Theatre Company, Minneapolis
WHEN: 2 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.
For some escapist entertainment on this fraught date, take the kids to the first play based on the works of local best-selling children’s author Kate DiCamillo, a rollicking blend of her Mercy Watson books about a toast-loving, easily distracted pig. Learn more at childrenstheatre.org
