Raise a Glass
What: Rochester Craft Beer Week
When: May 11-17
Where: Rochester (various breweries)
Rochester Craft Beer Week returns with a weeklong celebration of the city’s award-winning brewery scene. Coinciding with American Craft Beer Week, the event features special beer releases, live music, food, and brewery events at Forager, Kinney Creek, Little Thistle, Thesis, and LTS Brewing Co.
Courtesy of Experience Rochester
A Season Finale Fueled by Jealousy, Suspicion, and Revenge
What: ‘Pagliacci’
When: May 14, 16 & 17
Where: Ordway Music Theater, 345 Washington St., St. Paul
Closing out Minnesota Opera’s season with a visceral punch, Leoncavallo’s “Pagliacci” delivers everything we crave from the grand operatic tradition: love, jealousy, and suspicion. Originally staged in 2024 by the Glimmerglass Festival, this striking production marks the company debut of stage director Brenna Corner. Under the baton of principal conductor Christopher Franklin, the MN Opera Orchestra and Chorus will soar through a score anchored by one of the most poignant moments in the repertoire, the iconic aria “Vesti la giubba” (“Put on the Costume”). The production features world-class visiting talent and distinguished resident artists, bringing a fresh, contemporary energy to this classic tale of the tragic clown. Performed in Italian with English captions projected above the stage, it is a study in dramatic storytelling that ensures the season ends on a high, heart-wrenching note.
Courtesy of MN Opera
Border CrosSing Brings Salsa and Community to the Dance Floor
What: Family-Friendly Salsa Dance Party
When: May 15 & 17
Where: St. Paul & Minneapolis
Award-winning choral ensemble Border CrosSing swaps traditional concert formality for lively Latin dance rhythms during two family-friendly Dance Party performances May 15 at Academia Cesar Chavez in St. Paul and May 17 at The Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis. Featuring salsa hits, live musicians, and dance instructors teaching audience members new moves, the events promise an energetic celebration of music, culture, and community for all ages.
Indeed Brewing Turns Up the Fun for Art-A-Whirl
What: Whirlygig
When: May 15-17
Where: Indeed Brewing Co., 711 NE 15th Ave., Minneapolis
Indeed Brewing’s annual Whirlygig celebration returns during Art-A-Whirl weekend with live music, artist markets, glassblowing demos, food trucks, silent discos, live painters, and even a unicycling unicorn. The free, all-ages event transforms Northeast Minneapolis into a lively hub of art, beer, and spectacle.
Courtesy of Indeed Brewing Co.
A Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious Affair
What: “Mary Poppins”
When: May 15-17
Where: E.M. Pearson Theatre (Concordia University), 312 Hamline Ave. N., St. Paul
Building on the momentum of their recent hit, “Freddie: Break Free,” Ballet Co.Laboratory continues to champion original choreography that fulfills its vital mission: making ballet accessible to everyone, from the rehearsal studio to the stage. This season, the whimsical world of Mary Poppins is set to soar in the capable hands and pointe shoes of this inventive troupe. Featuring a collaboration between The Professional Company Dancers and the talent of The School of Ballet Co.Laboratory, this production promises to be a “practically perfect” display of storytelling through movement. Whether you are a lifelong devotee of ballet or a newcomer to the art form, this company’s commitment to inclusivity and creative fervor ensures a performance that will truly delight.
Photo by Alexis Lund Photography
Art, Food, and Family Fun
What: Mainstreet Day Arts & Craft Fair
When: May 16, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Where: Mainstreet, Hopkins
The Hopkins Education Foundation’s beloved Mainstreet Day Arts & Craft Fair transforms Mainstreet in Hopkins into a lively community celebration filled with more than 200 vendors, live entertainment, games, and food trucks. The free annual event supports the Hopkins Education Foundation, which helps fund learning opportunities and resources for Hopkins Public Schools students and teachers.
Cultivating Community
What: 4th Annual Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Month Festival
When: May 16, Noon-4 p.m.
Where: Rosland Park, 4300 W. 66th St., Edina
The Edina Asian American Alliance’s fourth annual AAPI Month Festival returns with cultural performances, food trucks, heritage tables, and family-friendly activities celebrating Minnesota’s Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. Centered around this year’s theme, “Cultivating Community,” the free event highlights the diversity, creativity, and connections shaping local AAPI culture.
