Twin Birch Photography
Extended-Run Ren Fest
What: Minnesota Renaissance Festival on Parade (Extended Run)
When: Tickets on sale Oct. 2-4
Where: Online
The Ren Fest parade is getting an extension, with tickets going on sale for the dates of Oct. 2-4, 10-11, and 17-18. After the cancellation of the in-person Minnesota Renaissance Festival, this parade/drive-thru version of the event is hands-down the next best thing. Expect games, food, costumes, and more as you wind through the fairgrounds. Each vehicle is $20 and an arrival time can be selected once you purchase tickets online.
Spark of Inspiration
What: Spark at Bakken Museum
When: Oct. 9 (members receive access Oct. 3-4)
Where: Bakken Museum, 3537 Zenith Ave. S., Minneapolis
Fresh off renovating its exhibit space, the Bakken Museum is using the extra room for interactivity. Starting on October 9 (with a member preview this weekend), high- and low-tech installations invite different forms of inspection: of language, through playable instruments; of animation, using stop-motion tools; of the relationship between art and tech, via full-body immersion in both. A “Magic Book” brings sci-fi to life, an updated “Personal Prosthesis” exhibit has fun with prosthetics, and a mural goes deep into the nature-human connection that drives scientific inspiration.
Oktober-feast
What: Oktoberfest in the Outfield
When: Oct. 3, 3-5 p.m.
Where: CHS Field, 360 N. Broadway St., St. Paul
Is CHS Field a big enough stadium to host a socially distant biergarten inspired by Hormel bacon? Yes, says the team behind the Bacon & Beer Classic. This savory take on Oktoberfest serves up jalapeño bacon cheese dip, spicy bratwursts, and other dishes to go with the beers.
Selling on the Other Side
What: Community Commons at the Mall of America
When: Opening on Oct. 1, 10 a.m.
Where: Community Commons, Mall of America (Level 2, South), 60 E. Broadway, Bloomington
Local businesses impacted by the pandemic and this spring’s civil unrest have a new place to set up shop. The Mall of America is opening 5,000 square feet to 17 Twin Cities–based retailers, who will sell their wares while planning their futures. The mall’s donation of its Community Commons area will run through spring 2021. Supported businesses include La Michoacana Purepecha, Urban 29, Herbal Alchemy, Ebony Gifts, Art Piece Soul Gallery & Studio, LLC, Fabulous Diva Boutique, and more.
When Women Got the Vote
What: Citizen documentary on TPT
When: Oct. 5, 8 p.m.
Where: TPT (television premiere)
It’s the 100th anniversary of the amendment that allowed women to vote. Twin Cities PBS debuts a documentary on Monday honoring that achievement, the latest in the network’s Minnesota Experience series. Following multiple generations through the local women’s suffrage movement, Citizen tells the story of Sarah Burger Stearns, Nellie Griswold Francis, and others as they jockey for a tool for change in such matters as healthcare and women’s rights. (Sound familiar?) Tune in on TPT 2 at 8 p.m.; the documentary also streams on the PBS VideoApp and at tpt.org.
