Minneapolis, MN
Freeloader Friday: 129 Free Things To Do This Weekend – Racket
Freeloader Friday is your weekly guide to having fun no matter what your budget looks like. Each week we have a list of 100% free events like gallery parties, music, and films in the park, as well as free admission events like special happy hours, markets, and more.
FRIDAY
CCU Friday Night Open Mic
It’s back! Read more about Comedy Corner Underground’s move and plans for the future here. 10 p.m. Whitey’s Old Town Saloon, 400 E. Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis.
Christmas-Themed Pitch-a-Friend
Friends give a pitch on why you should date their buds. Read more about the series and what to expect here. 21+. 7 p.m. La Doña Cervecería, 241 Fremont Ave. N., Minneapolis.
429 Wabasha Holiday Party
Featuring an ugly Christmas sweater and blindfolded cookie decorating contests, White Elephant gift exchange, treats, and discounts. 6-10 p.m. Back Pocket Vintage and Wabasha Brewing, 429 Wabasha St. S., St. Paul.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Free popcorn and a movie. 8-10 p.m. Insight Brewing, 2821 E. Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis.
Creekview Winter Solstice
Featuring an illuminated walking path, a bonfire, winter treats, and a mini craft market. 5-7 p.m. Creekview Park, 5001 Humboldt Ave. N., Minneapolis.
Have Yarrrhself a Lusty Busty Xmas
Fortune’s Fool Theatre celebrates 20 years with two free concurrent shows, the other being Yarrrh! The Lusty, Busty Pirate Musical. Free. The Hive Collaborative, 677 Hamline Ave. N., St. Paul; find dates and reserve tickets here. Through December 21
Oisterboy
Punk. With Spencer Cameron & Jackson Kates, and rickie. 6-8 p.m. White Squirrel Bar, 974 W. Seventh St., St. Paul.
The Gated Community
7-9 p.m. Animales BBQ Co., 241 Fremont Ave. N., Minneapolis.
Oliver Phibes
With Unattractive Giant Monster, Dado Set. 9-11:30 p.m. White Squirrel Bar, 974 W. Seventh St., St. Paul.
Le Cirque Rouge Burlesque & Cabaret
10 p.m. 331 Club, 331 13th Ave. NE, Minneapolis.
Kingsview
7-10 p.m. Inbound BrewCo., 701 N. 5th St., Minneapolis.
Friday Night Karaoke
7 p.m. Boom Island Brewing, 5959 Baker Rd., Minnetonka.
Nick Elstad Trio & Michael Gay
7-9 p.m. 56 Brewing, 3055 NE Columbia Ave., Suite 102, Minneapolis.
Grungemas
6-9 p.m. Heavy Rotation Brewing Co., 9801 Xenia Ave. N., Minneapolis.
Radio Helix: Live Radio Talk and Variety Show
5:15-8 p.m. Padraigs, 945 Broadway NE, Minneapolis.
Singalong with the Songfellows
7-9 p.m. Urban Forage Winery and Cider House, 3016 E. Lake St., Minneapolis.
Tumblin’ Dice
8-11:30 p.m. Schooner Tavern, 2901 27th Ave. S., Minneapolis.
The Muppet Christmas Carol
Free popcorn and cocoa. 7 p.m. East Side Freedom Library, 1105 Greenbrier St., St. Paul.
FriGAY
Drag performances, a dance party, and $2 specialty shots–sounds like a party! 21+. 9 p.m. RSVP recommended; do it here. LUSH Lounge & Theater, 990 Central Ave. NE, Minneapolis.
Festival of Trees
Walk along a trail featuring 75 uniquely decorated trees created by local businesses and organizations. Mall of America, North Atrium Level 3, 60 E. Broadway, Bloomington. Through January 5
Dayton’s Holiday Window Displays
This season, 50th and France has two magical shop windows on display using figurines and decor from the original department store. Both were curated by Douglas Flanders, a longtime gallery owner who passed away recently. Douglas Flanders & Associates, 5025 France Ave. and Local Love Markets, 3924 W. 50th St.
HOLIDAY MARKETS
10th Annual Nordic Julmarket
Music and a mini pop-up market. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fri.-Sat.; 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sun. Norway House, 913 E. Franklin Ave., Minneapolis.
The Artful Present
This holiday event includes a group show, local artists’ market, and more. and pop-up includes art and gifts from local artists. Today’s opening-day reception includes live music and a guest jewelry shop 4-7 p.m. Otherwise hours are 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thu.-Fri.; noon to 4 p.m. Sat. Veronique Wantz Gallery, 901 N. Fifth St., Minneapolis. Through December 20
Dayton’s Holiday Market
Downtown is back? Well, this annual pop-up shop is, at least. Now in its fifth year, Dayton’s Holiday Market does the old department store one better, hosting over 100 local makers and brands, including Love Your Melon gear, artisan giftables, and unique sports merch from Minnesota teams. Or maybe food and booze is more your thing? The market will also host Oak Grill Culinary Classics, which will serve up wild rice soup and pastries from local bakeries, and the Jingle Giles Bar, which, according to the release, will offer “festive cocktails, mocktails, meatballs,” and other treats. Folks too scared to venture downtown fear not, as a satellite market will be setting up shop in Southdale Center later this month (personally, I’d take an empty downtown over an empty mall any day). Dayton’s, 700 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis. Through December 27—Jessica Armbruster
Dayton’s Holiday Market: Southdale
Same deal, different mall. With over 50 local vendors. Southdale Center Dining Pavillion, Level 2, Southdale Center, 2015 Southdale Center, Edina. Through December 24
European Christmas Market
This is the big one, folks. The one that is more of a festival. The one where you can pick up your own stein. This huge holiday market is modeled after classic markets popular throughout Europe (the first known event of this kind being in Dresden in 1434). During this annual outdoor festival there will be live entertainment, with traditional music and dance performances. The VIPs of the fest are Santa and Krampus, who will be on hand, as will reindeer, sled dogs, and elves. There will be tons of food, such as giant pretzels, fresh roasted nuts, Swedish meatballs, churros, waffles, spaetzle cheese curds, and all kinds of party weinies. Also good to know: There will be lots of hot bevvies, whether you’re looking for coffee, cocoa, or glühwein. Or bust out that market stein and order up a beer. Find more info at stpaulchristmasmarket.org. Free. 3-9 p.m. Fri.; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sat.; 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sun. Union Depot, 214 Fourth St. E., St. Paul. Through December 21—Jessica Armbruster
Holiday Market
6-10 p.m. Fri.; noon to 8 p.m. Sat.; 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sun. Tilsner Artist Lofts, 300 Broadway St., St. Paul.
Holidays on Nicollet
Minneapolis Craft Market hosts this pop-up shop with over 60 local artists and makers. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily through December 21. IDS Center, 747 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis; find more info at mplscraftmarket.com.
Minneapolis Christkindl Market
Have you traveled through time, fortuitously arriving at a 16th-century German Christkindl market? Or are you in the North Loop? OK, unless you are having some kind of mental break or decided to hit a nearby dispensary way, way too hard, you’re not going to confuse the two. (That’s probably for the best; Europe used to be pretty gross.) Still, it’s fun to stroll through “time” at these holiday events in a Ren Fest kind of way. During festivities, guests will be able to partake in food and warm drinks including spiced glühwein, gooey raclette cheese, heart-shaped Nordic waffles, French galettes, and Polish pastries. There will be shoppin’ too, with over 30 vendors selling things like traditional ornaments, wooden toys, nutcrackers, steins, beeswax candles, socks, and more. The weekly lineup of entertainment onstage features traditional old world holiday music and dance, and Santa and Krampus will be stopping by too. Free. 4-9 p.m. Fri.; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sat.; 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sun. North Loop Green, 350 N. Fifth St., Minneapolis; find more here. Through December 21—Jessica Armbruster
Raging Art On
Shop all kinds of rockin’ items from 70+ local artists, plus family-friendly entertainment and crafts every Sat. Free. 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thu.-Sat. Gamut Gallery, 717 S. 10th St., Minneapolis. Through December 21
SATURDAY
Open Curling
In assembling (and updating) Racket’s annual guide to local holiday markets, we see a lot of the same stuff from place to place: food trucks, festive beers, vintage goods. And hey, all of that is great. But very rarely do you see a holiday market that also has free open curling, as this one at Fridley’s Forgotten Star does. You’ll have a chance to curl during this Saturday’s holiday market or next Saturday’s, and they’re offering a series of free lessons in 2026 to boot. Noon to 6 p.m. Forgotten Star Brewing Company, 38 Northern Stacks Dr., Fridley; find more info here.—Em Cassel
Darkest Day
Not to be confused with Darkness Day, Darkest Day at Broken Clock is a celebration of… well, the darkest day of the year, aka the Winter Solstice. As the brewery does every year, they’re honoring it with the release of four new limited, aged Russian imperial stouts: Bourbon Barrel, Rum Barrel, Rum Barrel with Coconut, and Double Barrel (port wine and bourbon). Nothin’ like a strong beer to get ya through the long dark day, and remember: It gets sunnier from here on out. “Cheers to the longest night—and the brighter days ahead,” Broken Clock writes. Hear, hear. Free. Noon to 11 p.m. Broken Clock Brewing Cooperative, 1712 Marshall St. NE, Ste. 100, Minneapolis; find more info here.—Em Cassel
Cannabis Classroom: Christmas Edition
A cannabis butter infusion class and cookie decorating party with the Green Witch, Natty Cakes, and Hers & Gerbs. RSVP is required; text CannaCookie to 763-290-0170. 21+. 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Heal Mpls, 4171 Lyndale Ave. N., Minneapolis.
Native Market & Cultural Celebration
Featuring chef and author Sean Sherman and Kate Nelson, music from Wenso Ashby, a community clothing giveaway, and a market with handmade goods, art, jewelry, foods, and culturally-rooted products. Noon to 3 p.m. Midtown Global Market, 920 E. Lake St., Minneapolis.
3rd Annual All Taproom White Elephant Party
Bring a wrapped gift for a raffle ticket to receive a new, possibly crappier gift—or a chance at a $200 gift card to Insight. 6-8 p.m. Insight Brewing, 2821 E. Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis.
Winter Solstice Light Ride
Travel along a riverfront/downtown route ending at Modist Brewing. A $50 gift card prize will go to the best decorated bike. 5 p.m. Behind Bars Bicycle Shop, 208 13th Ave. NE, Minneapolis.
Cole Diamond
10 p.m. 331 Club, 331 13th Ave. NE, Minneapolis.
Becky Kapell and the Fat 6
7 p.m. Animales BBQ Co., 241 Fremont Ave. N., Minneapolis.
Molly Maher Duo
3 p.m. Animales BBQ Co., 241 Fremont Ave. N., Minneapolis.
Ambient Toad
With RJ Vocal, Helen. 1-4 p.m. White Squirrel Bar, 974 W. Seventh St., St. Paul.
Fuzzy Math
6-8 p.m. White Squirrel Bar, 974 W. Seventh St., St. Paul.
Le Cirque Rouge Holiday Show
9 p.m. to midnight. White Squirrel Bar, 974 W. Seventh St., St. Paul.
Tyler Herwig
6:30-9:30 p.m. Padraigs, 945 Broadway NE, Minneapolis.
Jiggs Lee Invasion
8 p.m. Schooner Tavern, 2901 27th Ave. S., Minneapolis.
The PhilBillies
7 p.m. Urban Forage Winery and Cider House, 3016 E. Lake St., Minneapolis.
Locktunes
7:30 p.m. Merlin’s Rest Pub, 3601 E. Lake St., Minneapolis.
Winter Solstice
Lanterns light up the night. 6-9 p.m. Powderhorn Park Rec. Center, 15th Ave. S., Minneapolis.
Jazz Outlaws
Enjoy Vince Guaraldi’s Charlie Brown Christmas and original tunes. 8-11 p.m. Dusty’s Bar, 1319 Marshall St. NE, Minneapolis.
Jason Bradley
Acoustic tunes. 7 p.m. Broken Clock Brewing Collective, 1712 Marshall St. NE, Minneapolis, Minneapolis.
The Giant Valley String Band
6-10 p.m. Heavy Rotation Brewing Co., 9801 Xenia Ave. N., Minneapolis.
“Architecture Interpreted”/“In Between Moments”/”My Floating World: Views from Pacific Coast Highway”
Check out three new shows in one gallery. 6-8 p.m. Praxis Gallery & Photographic Arts Center, 2601 27th St. S., Minneapolis.
Fourth Degree Holiday Show
Jazz, pop, classic rock. 6-8 p.m. Boom Island Brewing Company, 5959 Baker Rd., Minnetonka.
Girls’ Day Out Holiday Edition
Featuring a Diet Coke bar, hair tinsel, and a pop-up tattoo shop. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Jenny in the City, 520 Selby Ave., St. Paul.
Winter Solstice
A Huitzilopochtli event featuring a ceremonial danza Mexica and a free community meal. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Eastview Recreation Center, 1675 Fifth St. E., St. Paul.
Santa & Albert’s Holiday Play
A cute, 20-minute play about holiday shenanigans followed by a sing-a-long and Santa meet-and-greet. Sat.-Sun. Bachman’s Floral, Gift & Garden, 6004 S. Lyndale Ave., Minneapolis; find showtimes and more info here. Through December 21
Free Yoga
Studio 9-to-5 hosts free yoga sessions Mon., Wed., and Sat. Sign up here. 9 a.m. Union Depot, 214 Fourth St. E., St. Paul.
HOLIDAY MARKETS
ArtYouHeart Holiday Pop-Up
This south Minneapolis pop-up brings together three local poster collections—ArtYouHeart, ARTCRANK, and Posters for Parks—under one roof. Browse original posters and more. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Replace Studio, 5008 34th Ave. S., Minneapolis.
Field + Festival Holiday Market 2025
Minneapolis Craft Market hosts this weekly market offering eats from local farmers and artisans. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sat.-Sun. Wagner’s Garden Center, 6024 Penn Ave. S., Minneapolis.
Final Countdown Holiday Market
Shop 7 local makers and meet llamas. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Larissa Loden HQ, 2032 Marshall Ave., St. Paul.
Forgotten Star Holiday Market
Shop 30+ vendors and enjoy a holiday beer release, beer poking, and free open curling. Noon to 6 p.m. Forgotten Star Brewing, 38 Northern Stacks Dr., Fridley.
A Handmade Holiday Market
Local makers and crafters. Noon to 5 p.m. Sat. Brühaven Craft Company, 1368 Lasalle Ave., Minneapolis.
Handmade Holigays
Pick up last-minute gifts and support local vendors. Produced by Modesitt Markets. Noon to 6 p.m. Queermunity MN, 3036 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis.
Holiday Gallery Shop
A juried collection of artisan goods for gifting from 100+ artists. Textile Center, 3000 University Ave. SE, Minneapolis; textilecentermn.org. Through December 31
Holiday Glass Marketplace: Design & Dazzle
With live glassblowing demonstrations, ornaments and other giftables for sale, and festive glasswork. Noon to 5 p.m. Foci – Minnesota Center for Glass Arts, 2213 Snelling Ave., Minneapolis.
Holiday Lane at Northrup
Shop from hundreds of artists at this weekly holiday happening. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Northrup King Building, 1500 Jackson St. NE, Minneapolis.
Holiday Market
This ongoing pop-up market includes local makers, artists, vintage sellers, and more. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sat.-Sun. AudreyRose Vintage, 3508 Snelling Ave., Minneapolis.
Holiday Market
5-8 p.m. OMNI Winery & Taproom, 15701 Biscayne Ave., Rosemount.
Indigenous Holiday Market
With live music and 20 Indigenous vendors. Noon to 4 p.m. Indigenous Roots Cultural Arts Center, 788 E. Seventh St., St. Paul.
Jul Shop
Shop Nordic gifts at this annual pop-up shop through January 25. The American Swedish Institute, 2600 Park Ave., Minneapolis.
Made by Hands Holiday Market
Makers, artists, and more. Noon to 6 p.m. Sat.-Sun. Bauhaus Brew Labs, 1315 Tyler St. NE, Minneapolis.
Mill City’s Indoor Winter Market
This long running market features local, sustainable, and organic groceries and produce, as well as handmade gifts and goods. For the season, the market moves inside Mill City Museum (museum admission is not required). Winter Markets are held on the first and third Saturdays of each month through April. 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. 704 S. Second St., Minneapolis; millcityfarmersmarket.org.
Minnesota Merry Market
Featuring over 80 vendors each weekend, with two bars, kids’ fun, Santa, food trucks, ice games, train rides, horse-and-carriage rides, and more. Free. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sat.-Sun. Minnesota State Fairgrounds, 1265 Snelling Ave. N., St. Paul; minnesotamerrymarket.com.
Nicollet Island Last Chance Market
Featuring over 50 local vendors. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nicollet Island Pavilion, 40 Power St., Minneapolis.
Nordic Village Winter Market
It’s back! Featuring European-style market where little houses are shops. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sat.-Sun. Four Seasons Minneapolis, 245 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis.
Pop-up Holiday Market
Shop 11 local artists, including TruthLizard. 2-7 p.m. Resource Mpls, 512 E. 24th St., Minneapolis.
Slacker Sk8er Market
Enjoy last-minute panic shopping with chain mail, VHS, vintage clothing, and miscellaneous weird stuff. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Pilllar Forum, 2300 Central Ave. NE, Minneapolis.
Wild Vintage Market
The monthly market returns in time for last-minute holiday stuff. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Clapping Monkey, 7274 Commerce Cir. E, Fridley.
Winter Table & Open Studios
Explore open studios followed by a cozy potluck at 6:30 p.m. Noon to 10 p.m. Q.arma Building, 1224 Quincy St. NE, Minneapolis.
FARMERS MARKETS
Lowertown St. Paul Farmers Markets
Lowertown’s pride and one of the state’s largest markets. Find free parking on Prince Street. 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sat.; 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sun. through Apr. 19. 290 Fifth St. E., St. Paul; stpaulfarmersmarket.com.
Mill City Farmers Market
The yearlong market moves indoors this weekend for its fall/winter schedule. 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. every first and third Sat., Nov. through Apr. 750 S. Second St., Minneapolis; find more info at millcityfarmersmarket.org.
Minneapolis Winter Farmers Market
9 a.m. to noon Dec. 6-20, Jan. 10 & 24, Feb. 7 & 21, March 7 & 21, and Saturdays through April. Minneapolis Farmers Market Site, 312 E. Lyndale Ave. N., Minneapolis; find more info at mplsfarmersmarket.com.
Richfield Winter Farmers’ Market
11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Richfield Community Center, 7000 Nicollet Ave. S., Minneapolis; find more info here. Saturday’s through December 20
St. Paul Indoor Farmers Market
Shopping in nature? Pffft. This one lets you shop for greens without the weather. 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sat.-Sun. through April 18. 308 Prince St., St. Paul; stpaulfarmersmarket.com.
SUNDAY
Be the Light Winter Solstice Walk
A luminary walk witch visual messages from the community. Registration is required; you can sign up here. 6-8:30 p.m. Westwood Hills Nature Center, 8300 W. Franklin Ave., St. Louis Park.
“Wrap Me in a Blanket”
Artist Olivia Morawiecki honors community stories of love and loss with a visual and sound installation. 4 p.m. Lowell Park, 201 Water St. N., Stillwater.
Longfellow Rising Midwinter Celebration
This friendly neighborhood walk features stops by murals with caroling, poetry, and more, ending with hot drinks from around the world at Pangea World Theater. 3:30-5:30 p.m. Meet at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 2730 E. 31st St., Minneapolis.
Home Alone
Free movie and popcorn. 7 p.m. Roxy’s Cabaret, 1333 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis.
Winter Solstice Celebration
Featuring fire pits, beer poking, a new barrel-aged beer release, intention burning, and more. 2-6 p.m. Urban Growler Brewing Company, 2325 Endicott St., St. Paul.
Sunday with Santa
This one’s for the kids, gang. With ornament making and Santa photo ops. Noon to 3 p.m. BlackStack Brewing, 755 Prior Ave. N., St. Paul.
Clover and the Bee
3 p.m. Animales BBQ Co., 241 Fremont Ave. N., Minneapolis.
eleven degenerates
10:30 p.m. 331 Club, 331 13th Ave. NE, Minneapolis.
Switchyard
7 p.m. 331 Club, 331 13th Ave. NE, Minneapolis.
Robert Wilkinson
3-5 p.m. 331 Club, 331 13th Ave. NE, Minneapolis.
East Lake Jazz Christmas Show
1-4 p.m. White Squirrel Bar, 974 W. Seventh St., St. Paul.
Bingo With Pete
6-8 p.m. White Squirrel Bar, 974 W. Seventh St., St. Paul.
Karaoke With Ally
9 p.m. to midnight. White Squirrel Bar, 974 W. Seventh St., St. Paul.
Church of Cornbread
A weekly Cornbread Harris jam. 5-7 p.m. Schooner Tavern, 2901 27th Ave. S., Minneapolis.
Drag Discovery Night
An open stage night for drag, hosted by Luna Muse and mentored by Rose Nylon. Sign up here. 7 p.m. LUSH Lounge & Theater, 990 Central Ave. NE, Minneapolis.
HOLIDAY MARKETS
Gothmas
Midnight Creatures Market sets up a market with clothing, bone-themed home decor, risograph prints, and leather goods. Noon to 4 p.m. Odd Mart, 2520 Lyndale Ave. S., Minneapolis.
Minneapolis Vintage Market
Shop vintage on two floors. With coffee and DJ tunes. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Machine Shop, 300 Second St. SE, Minneapolis.
Unlimited Goes Hollywood Makers Market
Shop over 40 local vendors. Noon to 4 p.m. Hollywood Theater, 2815 Johnson St. NE, Minneapolis.
Minneapolis, MN
Limited ministry to continue amid changes at St. Boniface in Minneapolis – Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis
Source: The Catholic Spirit
Effective July 1, parishioners of St. Boniface in Minneapolis will continue to attend Mass and receive sacraments at the church, even as parish assets are transferred to another owner.
The St. Boniface parish corporation will be suppressed and all parish assets, such as the church building and land, will be transferred to the nearby St. Maron of the Maronite Catholic Church in Minneapolis — a parish that celebrates liturgies in the Maronite Rite, which has its roots in Lebanon. The Maronite Church is Catholic and in union with the Holy Father; it operates under its own set of laws and liturgical rubrics.
St. Maron will continue to provide limited sacramental ministry to St. Boniface parishioners for at least one year and beyond that time if it continues to be possible to maintain and safely use the church. The priests of St. Maron parish have bi-ritual faculties allowing them to offer Mass and the sacraments in the Latin and Maronite Catholic rites.
Read the full story in The Catholic Spirit.
Prince fans will paint Minneapolis purple this weekend as concerts, block parties and a new museum opening celebrate his musical legacy and what would have been his 68th birthday Sunday.
In St. Paul, roller skaters will head to Rice Park for a weekly disco night, while a new exhibit at Indigenous Roots showcases work by Black and Indigenous artists. In Maplewood, food trucks will roll into the Asian Street Food Night Market.
A weekend tribute to Prince
Fans will have multiple opportunities to celebrate Prince across Minneapolis this weekend. A concert at the Armory will bring together members of his backing bands alongside performers Morris Day, Miguel, Bilal and more.
Saturday’s events include a block party and sing-along at the downtown Prince mural, followed by late-night gatherings at Union Rooftop and First Avenue. On Sunday, fans can take part in a Lake Minnetonka tribute cruise.
This weekend also marks the grand opening of the People’s Museum for Prince at Roberts Gallery in north Minneapolis. The museum’s “Let’s Work! A Labor of Love” exhibit at the Capri features artwork created by community members inspired by Prince’s life and music.
Date: Friday, June 5 through Sunday, June 7
Time: Various times for different events
Location: Various locations across Minneapolis and Chanhassen
Cost: Varies by event
For more information: Visit princecelebration2026.com
Artists reflect on humanity’s ties to nature
A new exhibit at Indigenous Roots brings together Black and brown artists from the Twin Cities to explore the natural world as a source of guidance.
“Force of Nature” is the curatorial debut of Afro-Indigenous artist Dizi Lawrence. The show features more than 25 works that examine humanity’s complex relationships with land, water, wildlife and plant life.
“Nature itself, and the Earth are teachers,” Lawrence said. “In this time in particular — from a social and political lens — we have so many questions of how to solve certain problems or how to move through certain tragedies. The Earth holds a lot of the answers that we seek.”
The concept for the exhibit grew after Lawrence participated in “Where the Seed Remembers,” a group show at the Minnesota Arboretum.
The exhibit includes a range of media, from collage work by Pau Perez to three-dimensional pieces by Jaali Griffin, along with large-scale paintings by Maiya Lea Hartman and Linnea Kingbird-Martini.
Lawrence will also present 11 of her own paintings, shaped by her interest in Indigenous ways of living and Christian creation stories, including Genesis, Adam and Eve and the Garden of Eden.
Indigenous communities “have origin stories that completely encapsulate a reciprocal relationship to nature,” she said. “I would like people to come away from [“Force of Nature”] examining their own relationship to nature and honoring all the ways that it provides for us.”
The opening reception on Saturday will feature poetry readings from Kira Bunkholt and Isavela Lopez; live music from Jada Lynn and Brandyn Lee Tulloch; and a performance by the Mexica Aztec dance group Kalpulli Yaocenoxtli. Plant-based meals will be catered by Heal Minneapolis.
Date: Saturday, June 6 through July 26
Time: Opening reception from 6 to 9 p.m. on Saturday. Regular gallery hours from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Location: Indigenous Roots, 788 E. 7th St., St. Paul
Cost: Free
For more information: Visit tinyurl.com/dizilawrence.
Skating and disco at Rice Park
An annual roller-skating series, “Roller Disco,” returns this Friday with free skate rentals, music by DJ Presto, line dancing led by Coach Rahn Oz and food trucks. Twin Cities Skaters also plan to introduce themed skating nights later in the summer.
Three days of street food, music and dance
The Asian Street Food Night Market returns to the Pan Asian Center in Maplewood for a three-day festival.
The weekend will feature a talent show, lion dances, a beer garden, and music and dance performances. More than 35 food vendors will serve Thai dishes, sushi, egg rolls, Korean corn dogs and more.
When: 5 to 10 p.m. Friday, June 5. 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, June 6. 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday, June 7
Where: 3001 White Bear Ave., Maplewood
Cost: Free
For weeks, reporters at The Minnesota Star Tribune were covering scattered immigration enforcement actions around Minneapolis and St. Paul. Tom Scheck, the paper’s investigative editor, had assigned his small team of about four journalists to the story.
“We were trying to cover events, but they were not like 30, 40 people who were being detained. It was like more one-offs,” Scheck said.
Then, on Jan. 7, Renee Good was shot and killed by immigration enforcement officers as she tried to drive away from them.
“Our executive editor looked at me and said, ‘Well, what are we going to do?’ And I said, ‘I have four people.’ And that was a moment where she said, “Everyone in our newsroom will cover this story.”’
It marked a turning point in news coverage of Operation Metro Surge, the federal immigration crackdown that brought thousands of immigration officers to Minneapolis and St. Paul last winter.
During a community conversation hosted by Poynter on Wednesday night, Scheck and MPR News senior photojournalist Kerem Yücel reflected on what it was like to cover the operation as local journalists — and, in Yücel’s case, as an immigrant.
Both described a city transformed by the scale of the federal response, as well as an unusual sense of camaraderie among competing newsrooms. Everyone was dedicated to the story. The Minnesota Star Tribune hosted safety trainings that were open to other newsroom reporters. While out in the field, Yücel said reporters from other newsrooms stuck together to protect one another. They’d extend safety gear if he lost some of his, and they all kept a Signal chat or WhatsApp group to communicate.
Any of the typical competition between newsrooms was erased by an understanding that they needed to work together and protect each other.
For Yücel, documenting the impact on ordinary residents — the teachers and mothers, the doctors and clergy, and how they protected their fellow community members — became the focus of his work. Yücel, who immigrated from Turkey seven years ago, has covered the murder of George Floyd and the aftermath in Minneapolis in 2020 and spent five years covering the conflict in Syria.
“In the city (Minneapolis), I never imagined facing this reality,” he said as he flipped through photos he’d taken during the operation.
Kerem Yücel, senior visual journalist at MPR News, speaks with Tampa Bay Times photo director Martha Ascencio-Rhine during a VIP reception and visual presentation on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, at Poynter’s headquarters in St. Petersburg, Florida. The image displayed behind Yücel was taken during Operation Metro Surge in Minneapolis. (Chris Kozlowski/Poynter)
Scheck said he realized he needed to start paying attention to ICE presence in the Twin Cities in October — well before President Trump deployed waves of immigration enforcement to the city.
He was sitting at a bar in Washington, D.C., where he was attending a conference, when a Chicago reporter told him his newsroom needed to be ready.
Scheck asked his editor if there was a plan in case Minneapolis saw the kind of immigration crackdown that overtook Chicago. “Like any good manager, they said ‘congratulations, you’ve volunteered.’”
He dug into how other immigration enforcement crackdowns had transpired.
“I looked at the coverage in Chicago, in Los Angeles, in Portland, in Charlotte, and I made a timeline of the things that happened.”
Within a month, the first ICE raid took place in Minneapolis.
“They raided a facility called Bro-Tex … and I think they detained about 10 or 12 people at that event.”
US Border Patrol agents detain a person near Roosevelt High School during dismissal time as federal immigration enforcement actions sparked protests in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on January 7, 2026. (Kerem Yücel/MPR News)
About two weeks later, a conservative outlet in the city ran an article alleging that members of the Somali community were engaging in fraud, which the Trump administration latched onto and used as its reason to deploy thousands of immigration agents to Minneapolis.
As the operation expanded, both journalists found themselves reporting on a major story unfolding in their own communities.
Yücel’s citizenship status was questioned by immigration officers routinely. There were many times out in the field when he feared what might happen.
“Well if something’s happened to me, I only know I have my wife and my kids, and there is no other person to call in for the emergency,” he said.
For him, the severity of the situation became clear the day after Good was shot and killed. He went out to the scene, but found himself at the nearby Roosevelt High School where Greg Bovino, then-commander of Border Patrol, was holding a canister of gas and running into crowds of teachers, parents and students.
“Everywhere was covered with the tear gas and smoke and they detained a person just in front of me.”
After he photographed the moment, Yücel had to pick up his children, twin boys. That night, they asked him hard questions. Were they considered white or brown? Could they be detained? They were scared, having witnessed a classmate being taken away, and knowing that they weren’t American.
It was the next day, sitting in his therapist’s office, that the reality of his experience as a photojournalist documenting an immigration crackdown as an immigrant himself really came into view.
“That day I was start(ing) thinking, ‘Oh, this story is also becoming my story.’”
From left, Angie Drobnic Holan, director of the International Fact-Checking Network; Tom Scheck, investigative editor at The Minnesota Star Tribune; Kerem Yücel, senior visual journalist at MPR News; and Amy Sherman, senior correspondent at PolitiFact, participate in a community conversation about Operation Metro Surge on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, at Poynter’s headquarters in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Chris Kozlowski/Poynter)
In Minneapolis, no community or person was left untouched by the scale and force of Operation Metro Surge, not even the journalists. Yücel went out and reported despite the fear that he might be detained or arrested. During protests following a Nov. 25 immigration enforcement operation, he was injured by tear gas and rubber bullets fired by local police and was hospitalized. He kept reporting.
Scheck said that by day, at the office, he focused on getting the story right — what needed to be covered and where to send reporters.
But, at home, the reality that he was living through Operation Metro Surge rather than just reporting on it was unavoidable.
“You see all these people who are like out either protesting or out on the streets just watching the school because they want to make sure that kids feel safe … it was just a little bit jarring.”
Portraits of Renee Nicole Good, Alex Pretti and other people killed by law enforcement in Minnesota are displayed on a wooden fence beside a memorial along Portland Avenue South on Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Kerem Yücel/MPR News)
For both journalists, Operation Metro Surge wasn’t just a story. It was something unfolding in their own neighborhoods, among their friends, families and neighbors.
Yücel said the experience changed how he felt as a resident of Minneapolis and an immigrant in the United States.
“It wasn’t my home, but when I saw the people outside just standing, I found that I started feeling like I was growing some roots. My home is Istanbul, Turkey. But those people had an impact on my life. My roots are starting to reach down in the soil. I’m starting to call Minneapolis my second home.”
For Yücel, that connection to the community was essential to the work. Had he not been there to witness its pain, resilience and solidarity, he said, he would not have been able to tell the story in the same way.
Update (June 4, 2026, 2:40 p.m.): An earlier version of this story misspelled the name of MPR News senior visual journalist Karem Yücel and incorrectly linked an injury he sustained while covering immigration enforcement protests to the Bro-Tex raid. The injury occurred during a separate operation later that month.
-
Oklahoma3 minutes agoNew Oklahoma fireworks law brings back bottle rockets, leaves local bans intact
-
Oregon6 minutes agoCAN YOU HELP? Oregon State Police’s new Fish & Wildlife K-9 needs a name
-
Pennsylvania11 minutes agoSweet Summer: 59 creameries unite dairy lovers with Pennsylvania farms on Ice Cream Trail
-
Rhode Island18 minutes ago
RI Lottery Mega Millions, Numbers Midday winning numbers for June 5, 2026
-
South-Carolina21 minutes agoSouth Carolina Lottery Mega Millions, Pick 3 results for June 5, 2026
-
South Dakota26 minutes agoHot weekend ahead with severe storm threat across region
-
Tennessee33 minutes agoLife360 crash alert helps Madison family respond after Tennessee wreck
-
Texas36 minutes ago
NCAA denies Texas Tech’s appeal regarding Brendan Sorsby’s eligibility
