Courtesy CatVideoFest
Get Crafty
What: The Good Making of Good Things: Craft Horizons Magazine, 1941-1979
When: March 7-June 2
Where: Minnesota Museum of American Art, 350 Robert St. N., St. Paul
The craft movement of the mid-century counted on Craft Horizons magazine as “the field’s tutorial guide,” according to the Minnesota Museum of American Art (a.k.a. the M). On display, archived articles, reviews, and covers accompany quintessential works—of metal, glass, ceramics, wood, fiber—to shed light on the art world’s pre-internet Pinterest. It’s a meditation on American crafting that dips into the M’s collection, with talks on the future of artisanship, plus an open studio called “Women’s Woodshop.” Learn more.
Humor in the Hot Seat
What: Aziz Ansari: Road to Nowhere
When: 7:30 p.m., 10:30 p.m.
Where: Northrop, 84 Church St. SE, Minneapolis
Is comedian Aziz Ansari a #MeToo casualty? There hasn’t been cultural consensus. He’s not enough of one, at least, not to have a comedy tour post-scandal. Known for playing a lovable twerp-jerk on Parks and Recreation and a struggling actor on Netflix com-dram Master of None, Ansari has written new material that The New Yorker called “a cry against extreme wokeness.” Audiences will judge whether his typically whip-cracking humor addresses what happened too much, too little, or just enough. Learn more.
The Jig Is Up
What: Kickin‘ It Irish
When: March 8-15
Where: Celtic Junction Arts Center, 836 Prior Ave. N., St. Paul
A thrumming, wistful show of Irish music and dance (and a shot at St. Patrick’s sans drinks). Read: stomping, leaping jigs featuring actual Riverdancer Cormac O’Sé, plus a band whose online reviews tout them as truly traditional—none of that commercial, “Oh, Danny Boy” stuff. The real deal. Fiddle-flute-uilleann piping with a goatskin Irish drum called a bodhrán. Find it in suspenders on a foggy stage at Celtic Junction Arts Center. Learn more.
St. Paul’s St. Patrick’s
What: LuckyPalooza
When: Saturday, March 9, 2-11 p.m.
Where: West Seventh, St. Paul
St. Paul honors its Irish roots two weeks early with its annual two-block street party, bustling among three tents: at Burger Moe’s, Cossetta’s, and Patrick McGovern’s. West Seventh also fills with live music, stunt-y bike flippers, and other rousing things to look at while perusing food and drink stands. Pictures on the Visit St. Paul website show folks in T-shirts. Outside. Seems unlikely. Evening action moves indoors, to 10 bars and restaurants within those two blocks. Learn more.
Start Your Engines
What: Twin Cities Auto Show
When: March 9-17
Where: Minneapolis Convention Center, 1301 Second Ave. S., Minneapolis
More than 600 vehicles, 35 foreign and domestic brands—plenty for a car geek to drool over, featuring everything from family sedans and trucks to SUVs and candy-glossed luxury models. The Minneapolis Convention Center shows off the latest in-dash technology and offers chances to go behind the wheel at the Ride & Drive exhibit. Kids’ activities make it family-friendly, too. Check in for the 46th year. Learn more.
Feline Film Festival
What: CatVideoFest
When: Monday, March 11
Where: Landmark’s Edina Cinema, 3911 W. 50th St., Edina
“Watching silly cat videos is good for you,” Elizabeth Bernstein wrote in 2016 for The Wall Street Journal—a trusted source of journalism, meaning you should log the 70 minutes you spend binging curated, cream-of-the-crop cat clips at the Edina Landmark movie theater as self-care. And cat-care. Some of the CatVideoFest’s proceeds go to local shelters and animal welfare organizations. Learn more.
