All good Minnesotans know that when the sun’s a-shinin,’ the feet better be a-movin.’
Days like this are few and far between in the Midwest, and it’s easy to take this pristine summer weather for granted. But along with the sunny skies come scores of festivals and fairs to give almost anyone an excuse to shut off that computer, turn off that reality television show and emerge back into the great wide open.
This is the 2005 A&E Festival Guide, featuring 17 events that should make your summer something special.
We start with five hot picks for the next handful of weekends:
This Weekend
July 15-17
Green Man Festival
Spirit Mountain in Duluth, Minn.
(218) 625-0504
www.greenmanfestival.com
Many outdoor concerts become a disgusting mess after only a couple of hours – with discarded pop bottles, scraps of overpriced, greasy food and the pungent smell of gasoline billowing from vendor stands. But this festival is all about keeping it clean and green. Green Man will use only renewable fuel during the festivities and all food will be served with compostable packaging.
Besides good politics, Green Man has plenty to offer: mountain biking and skate boarding for athletes, silent-film scores performed by local bands for film buffs, and, of course, the main event: outdoor music. This year’s lineup consists of such national acts as Violent Femmes, Camper Van Beethoven, T Model Ford and Cowboy Junkies. Plus there’s plenty of great local bands like The Owls, Mark Mallman, Black-eyed Snakes and Cloud Cult.
Next Weekend
July 22-24
10,000 Lakes Festival
(800) 493-3378
www.10KLF.com
In terms of tradition, this festival is still in its infancy -2005 marks the third year for this three-day weekend of concerts and camping held in Detroit Lakes, Minn. This year, headliners include Widespread Panic, Trey Anastasio (formerly of Phish), G. Love and Special Sauce, and Rusted Root, as well as almost two dozen other acts.
Campers will appreciate the 600-acre Soo Pass Ranch site, though most of the camping is of the “car-camping” variety. The festival also includes food vendors and booths selling clothing, jewelry and other goods. Tickets start at $40 per day, per person, but a three-day camping-and-music pass runs a more reasonable $120.
July 28
July 28-31
Ribfest
www.ribamerica.com
Vegetarians take note: Sure, Rockin’ Ribfest has musical performers, but everyone knows people go here to eat meat – lots and lots of meat.
Held this year on St. Paul’s Harriet Island, Rick Springfield, Ted Nugent and Jo Dee Messina will perform for the event. Oh, and attendees don’t have to worry about walking back to downtown St. Paul in a barbeque-sauce-induced stupor – the city is providing trolleys, free of charge, to the mainland. Admission’s free, though the food is not.
Aug. 4
Aug. 4-14
Fringe Festival
www.fringefestival.org
At 2004’s Fringe Festival in Minneapolis, 176 different theatre companies (“companies” is a loose term at the festival) presented a total of 902 performances, ranging from visual arts to theater, dance, spoken word, storytelling and even puppetry. Performances were held at venues varying from theatres to coffee shops throughout the city.
The 11-day theatrical extravaganza is affiliated with the Canadian chain of Fringe Festivals, which means it features novice and established performers alike.
Fringe aficionados will tell you that if you want to see more than a couple shows, it’s worth it to buy an Ultra Pass ($130 for unlimited shows) or a Punch Card ($45 for five shows), as “fringing” can get expensive.
August 13
Aug. 13 ñ Sept. 25
Renaissance Festival
www.renaissancefest.com
It must be strange for Shakopee residents to know that 22 acres of their city are centuries behind the times – permanently.
The Renaissance Festival is devoted to the 16th century, a time when artisans made candles by hand and, apparently, peasants sold giant pickles on a stick, among other items. In addition to scheduled performances and roving actors dressed up like medieval characters, 275 crafters man booths and there are 150 food vendors.
This weekend
July 14-17
Rondo Days
(651) 646-6597
www.rondodays.org
It’s a shame that many Twin Cities residents don’t know about the Rondo legacy, as it was once the largest black neighborhood in St. Paul and a point of convergence for new and old members of the community. In the mid-60s, however, its central thoroughfare was bulldozed to make way for Interstate 94.
The neighborhood’s former residents were not content to passively reminisce; they formed a nonprofit organization in 1983 to reach out to underserved members of the community.
For 22 years, that organization has also sponsored Rondo Days, the state’s largest black-sponsored gathering. This year, the celebration expects 85,000 attendees during four days. Activities include a senior social, an opening night gala, a parade, a festival with accompanying gospel music and a car show, along with drill and dance team competitions. Admission is free.
July 15-August 7
Sommerfest
(612) 371-5656
www.minnesotaorchestra.org/sommerfest/flash.html
Sommerfest is the three-week music blitz brought to downtown Minneapolis by the Minnesota Orchestra. Kicking into high gear with the 24-hour Marshall Field’s Day of Music on Friday, featuring more than 300 musicians on five stages both inside and outside Orchestra Hall, the eight-pronged effort keeps going through the beginning of August.
Hungry for classical music? The orchestra offers everything from George Gershwin to Carmina Burana. Like movies? Starting Sunday, with a special offering of pop movie music from “Star Wars” and “Lord of the Rings,” the orchestra has several events that bring movie scores to the stage. And digging through its thorough Web site will tell you all about daytime, family and late-night concerts as well as special comedy presentations and chamber music performances.
You might say it’s Bachian!
Next weekend
July 23
Art Car Parade
Parade: 2 p.m., Display: 3 p.m. – 5 p.m.
(612) 871-4444
www.artcarparade.com
The Art Car Parade is one of the great summer traditions that makes Minneapolis a unique place to live.
See ordinary transportation turned into mobile art!
July 24
Warped Tour
11 a.m.
Metrodome
www.warpedtour.com
Attendees to this concert who have graduated from high school will probably feel old. That’s part of the Warped Tour charm – that the kids are all really excited to go to a concert (ah, the days before cynicism). Expect to find lots of Hot Topic clothing and angsty teens singing all the words to “My Chemical Romance” (“My Chem,” as they might say).
But Warped Tour always has a bit more to offer besides just emo-punk. Some of the do-not-miss bands include hometown-boys-made-big Motion City Soundtrack, local rapper P.O.S., thrashy rockers Riverboat Gamblers, riot grrrl Gina Young and, uh … Billy Idol?
Who would want to miss “Hot in the City”?
Aug. 7
Ozzfest
Float-Rite Amphitheater, Somerset, Wis.
www.ozzfest.com
This might be the biggest and best Ozzfest yet, for Ozzy Osbourne has reunited with the godfathers of metal, Black Sabbath! Other big names include Iron Maiden, Rob Zombie and Velvet Revolver. If you go, don’t miss Mastodon – they’re one of the best new metal bands of the 2000s.
Aug. 19
Aug. 19-21
Twin Cities Black Film Festival
Minneapolis Community and Technical College
www.tcbff.com
Now in its third year, organizers hope this is the breakout event for the Twin Cities Black Film Festival.
Sponsoring a monthly series of films at the Bryant-Lake Bowl and featuring a number of giveaways on its Web site, the festival is reaching out to the Twin Cities community more than ever before, and it is hoping to use this added interest to facilitate a workshoplike festival in mid-August.
In addition to 25 screened independent works produced by black and minority artists at the Minneapolis Community and Technical College, there will be opening and closing night premieres, panel discussions, festival parties and a fashion show.
Aug. 25
Aug. 25-Sept. 5
Minnesota State Fair
(651) 288-4400
www.mnstatefair.org
It might only be fun for a few hours, but even for cynical college dwellers, summer feels a bit incomplete without a trip to St. Paul for the Minnesota State Fair.
A great way to listen to music, gorge on food and chill before school’s first days, the State Fair even boasts a few fun Grandstand acts this year, varying from the pop, um, talents of Ryan Cabrera to the more classic tunes of Lynyrd Skynyrd, Motley Crue and James Taylor.
Oh, and don’t forget the milk!
Five quickies to round out the list
Here’s five more to keep track of on the calendar:
July 15-24
2005 Minneapolis Aquatennial
www.aquatennial.com
From Howie Day live in concert to fireworks and a torchlight parade, it’s the Aquatennial’s 66th year.
Aug. 5-7
Uptown Art Fair
www.uptownminneapolis.com/art-fair/index.php
Claiming to be the ninth best art festival in the nation, it brings more than 375 artists and more than 350,000 hungry art lovers together on the streets of Uptown.
Aug. 6-7
Loring Art Festival
http://hometown.aol.com/loringartfest/myhomepage
The festival bills itself as the 86th best art festival in the nation and features art, music, and a Sunday performance of Shakespeare’s “The Tempest.”
Aug. 6-7
Powderhorn Art Fair
www.powderhornartfair.org
180 artists present their work in the fair’s 14th year.
Aug. 12-14
Minnesota Irish Fair
www.irishfair.com
Three days of all things Irish! Spread the joy of music, food, storytellers and dancers along the banks of the Mississippi River in downtown St. Paul.
