Stand-up O.G.
What: Tracy Morgan
When: Feb. 28
Where: Mystic Lake, 2400 Mystic Lake Blvd. NW, Prior Lake
Known for 30 Rock, SNL, and The Last O.G., Tracy Morgan headlines across the country, including at Mystic Lake in Prior Lake.
Emotive Motion
What: Grey Skies Blue
When: Feb. 28-29, 7:30 p.m.
Where: The O’Shuaghnessy, 2004 Randolph Ave., St. Paul
Minneapolis’ acclaimed SHAPESHIFT Dance Company blends acting, dance, contemporary hip-hop, and old-school pop in their 90-minute show Grey Skies Blue. Read about the performance and the story behind SHAPESHIFT—a Twin Cities dance company you need to know—here.
Quiet Down in Front
What: Mystery Science Theater 3000 Live
When: Feb. 28-29
Where: State Theatre, 805 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis
Enjoy this classic, Minnesota-born comedy show live at State Theatre, featuring original host and creator Joel Hodgson.
Gone with the Wind
What: Mille Lacs Kite Crossing
When: Feb. 28-March 1
Where: Lake Mille Lacs
Looking out on Lake Mille Lacs, you’ll see so many huge, parachute-like kites dragging so many hardy snowboarders and skiers across the lake. Maybe you’ll try it this year. Or maybe you’ll stick to the on-ice softball, the vintage snowmobile racing, or the food and beverage tent instead.
Ya Got Trouble
What: The Music Man
When: Feb. 28-Sept. 5
Where: Chanhassen Dinner Theatres, 501 W. 78th St., Chanhassen
The Chanhassen Dinner Theatres stage the classic, Tony-winning musical with Professor Hill and Marian and River City, plus songs “Seventy-Six Trombones,” “Ya Got Trouble,” “Wells Fargo Wagon,” and “Till There Was You.”
Leap Ahead
What: Leapin’ and Learning
When: Feb. 29
Where: Como Park Zoo & Conservatory, 1225 Estabrook Dr., St. Paul
Leap Day makes a convenient excuse to teach kids about amphibians. At the Como Park Zoo & Conservatory, visitors make frog finger puppets, imitate croaks at a music station, and check out rare frog and road species. Plus, learn about Como’s conservation efforts.
Huge into Hygge
What: “Let’s Hygge”
When: Feb. 29, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Where: Cedarholm Community Building, 2323 Hamline Ave. N., Roseville
This annual event deploys the Danish word for “coziness” in snowshoeing, kicksledding, watercolor painting, fireside storytelling, gourmet hot chocolate, and shelter building in Roseville.
Swedish Story
What: extra/ordinary: The American Swedish Institute. At Play
When: Feb. 29-July 5
Where: American Swedish Institute, 2600 Park Ave., Minneapolis
About to celebrate 90 years, the American Swedish Institute decided to take a closer look at 29 objects in its collection. This new exhibit is inspired by the Scandinavian culture and history museum’s 2020 Minnesota Book Award finalist A to Zåäö: Playing with History at the American Swedish Institute. Characters from the book help visitors “find the extra in the ordinary,” in everything from a 20-foot-tall Dala horse to a room stocked with balls.
Revelry in the Round
What: Bacchae
When: Feb. 29-April 5
Where: Guthrie Theater, 818 S. Second St., Minneapolis
This Ancient Greek tragedy, about a score that god Dionysus tries to settle in Thebes, marks the Guthrie debut of the world-renowned SITI acting company, who tell the story with a contemporary spin.
Clean Cooking
What: Too Good to Waste
When: Sunday, March 1, 5-7:30 p.m.
Where: Tattersall Distilling, 1620 Central Ave. NE, Minneapolis
Tattersall Distilling is the first distillery in the nation to upcycle its spent grains as commercially accessible ingredients. To show off what you can do with them, six of the Twin Cities’ top-of-their-game chefs are competing to make a stand-out dish—Ann Ahmen (Lat 14), Jose Alarcon (Popol Vuh), Steven Brown (Tilia and St. Genevieve), Mike DeCamp (Borough), Carrie McCabe-Johnston (Nightingale), Chris Uhrich (Mucci’s Italian).
Room at the Table
What: Largest Potluck
When: Sunday, March 1, 6 p.m.
Where: Potluck Food Hall, Rosedale Center, 1595 MN-36, Roseville
To celebrate National Minnesota Day, the new Potluck food hall at Rosedale Center is hosting, of course, a potluck, featuring some of the biggest names in local cuisine, like Yia Vang (serving Khao sen noodles with coconut chicken curry), Justin Sutherland (serving Japanese fried chicken and steamed buns), and Jametta Raspberry (serving jerk oxtail tacos with coconut milk slaw).