Gearing up for Smack Shack’s annual Crayfest on August 5th, Indeed Brewing is getting cray cray with a qualifying eating contest! The rules of engagement are threefold: Contestants have three minutes to go through a pound of crayfish and of course there’s no eating the shells. The winner gets two…

The bluegrass, jazz, and chamber music mixture of Barbaro comes to the Bands on the Boulevard series at the Minnesota History Center. Just back from an appearance at the Blue Ox Festival during a busy summer, the band will be a breath of fresh air overlooking beautiful downtown St. Paul.…

What we talk about when we talk about public art with curator Joe Ellis. WORDS BY CHLOE GALLAGHER “I won’t stop painting ’til l the world looks the way it should” —Typical Cats “It jumped off the walls,” Joe Ellis recalled over coffee at Wuolett Bakery, describing his first encounters…

Long one of the best free outdoor summer shows in the Twin Cities, this stacked Bastille Day lineup does not let up. Scrunchies bring their crunchy, Riot Grrrl melodies; Green/Blue wallop a punch of veteran MPLS rock energy; Aby Wolf wows with her sensational voice, and hip-hop heavy hitters Mixed…

Now an annual Bastille Day tradition to celebrate the life of Brit’s Pub legend Freddie Manton, British pub rock legend Graham Parker comes to Brit’s rooftop for a free solo show. As always, he’s followed by the Twin Cities’ own Belfast Cowboys, (with a new record coming soon). Inevitably, Parker…

Now an annual tribute to the great songwriter/producer Ed Ackerson, this year doubles as a very special release show. For a forward-thinking artist like Ackerson, the next project was always the best one, so this show will see the release of very limited, hand-cut 45 records from many of the…

To celebrate 40 years since his classic self-titled debut, songwriter Marshall Crenshaw comes to the Parkway. Detroit’s answer to Elvis Costello, Crenshaw has some unimpeachable power-pop classics to his name, among them ‘Someday Someway’ and ‘You’re My Favorite Waste of Time.’ The Parkway seems to have a theme going lately…

More than 150 artists, painters, potters, print-makers, and other talented folk gather for this all-weekend midsummer fair, hosted by Homespun Gifts and Decor. Peruse art and handmade items, participate in workshops including nature journaling and pollinator identification, and enjoy the nearby Minnehaha Falls. Wares are for sale, including plenty under…

Celebrate the rich visual storytelling of Open Eye Theatre by attending their annual gala, the Open Eye Ball. Hosted in the fairytale splendor of the Bakken museum, attendees can sip, nosh, and gaze at the views from the museum’s green rainwater garden rooftop. The museum grounds are open for wandering…