The Stone Arch Bridge Festival is an annual arts and music festival that takes place in June at the Stone Art Bridge, of course. It's been happening for a quarter of a century, and it's a way to celebrate arts and music at a historic landmark. It is a two-day festival, usually held on Father's […]

The Minnesota Fringe Festival was founded in 1991 by Bob McFadden as a way to showcase very experimental and wild productions. It was very amateurish until Dean Seal took over in 1995. In the following 25 years, it has grown and become a reputable festival that is respected in the world of theatre. The goal […]

The Twin Cities Pride Festival is an annual event hosted by Twin Cities Pride, a nonprofit, every year in Loring Park in June--during Pride month, of course. It has a long and storied history, and it's highly anticipated every year. There is a parade full of pomp  (and pumps) and circumstance, and it wends its […]

Holidazzle has been a yearly winter staple that happens in November/December. The first one occurred in 1992 and was thought up as a way to bring people downtown to shop during the holiday season. It's hosted by the mpls downtown council. It used to be a triumphant parade up and down the Nicollet Mall, including […]

Minneapolis Aquatennial is an annual event in July, hosted by mpls downtown council (mdc). It started in 1940 as a way to express pride in Minneapolis and to showcase it to people around the country. It is a yearly favorite, especially the CenterPoint Energy Torchlight Parade. It's the largest Minnesota nighttime parade, and it wends […]

Red Cow North Loop is one of four Red Cow restaurants, all of which are family-owned by Luke Shimp and Tracy Bachul (husband and wife). They decided on the name with red standing for wine and cow for burgers with the latter being elevated. The decor includes a cow print on one wall, and the […]

Dakota was founded as the Dakota Jazz Club & Restaurant in St. Paul in 1985. It moved to Downtown Minneapolis in 2003 and updated its name to Dakota. It can hold 250 - 350 people, and the mezzanine can hold an additional 60 (seated) to 90 (standing) people. In addition to the live performances seven […]

First Avenue & 7th St Entry, colloquially known as First Ave, has been a premier live music venue since 1970 when it opened as The Depot. The Mainroom (First Ave) has over 200 live performances per year in the 1550-person capacity venue, whereas 7th St Entry with its 250-capacity has over 350 concerts every year. […]

Martin Patrick 3 is a well-known boutique in the North Loop, focusing on sophisticated men's clothing. The decor is timeless and understated, and the service is seamless. They have a full array of menswear, including suits, elevated denim, shoes, and more. In addition, they have accessories, apothecary items, watches and jewelries, and literary items as […]

Statement Boutique was opened in 2012 in the North Loop. It has a mix of local brands such as Koon Yai Studio and Raven Stoneworks, and designer brands like Tribal. It is a reasonably-priced women's boutique that has clothing, jewelry, lip balm, and other bits and baubles. The staff is friendly and eager to help.

The Cowles Center is the largest nonprofit dance complex in the Midwest and they pride themselves on providing the much-needed space for the community. They have nine rehearsal studios, three theaters, and administrative office space for local small-to-medium sized arts organizations. One noteworthy thing they are doing for free is providing schools with ways to […]

Orpheum Theatre was opened in 1921 under the name of Hennepin, and it was originally billed as the largest vaudeville house in the country. It was owned by Bob Dylan for a decade from the late '70s to the late '80s before he sold it to the City of Minneapolis. The theater has gone through […]