Things to do the week of 1/20

Best picks for the Family

 Top Pick: The St Paul Winter Carnival

        The Winter Carnival's first weekend is this weekend and there are so many events that it's not worth even trying to list them all, another post, another time. Briefly this weekend includes a Glow night parade, Ice sculptures in Rice Park, Summit Brewery Ice Bar, Royal Coronation, a Winter run, King Boreas Grade Parade, Roller Skating, Snow plow competitions, an orchid show, and a Disk Festival just to name a few. Check it out and enjoy the most Minnesotan of events in our fair capital, more to come on that.

      PBS Kids Writers Contest Kickoff Event is this coming Sunday at the Mall of America at 1pm. Children can met WordGirl (whoever that is), dance to live music and write and illustrate stories. Keeps the little ones busy for awhile anyways, well you can always try!

Things to do for Adults

Top Pick: Beer Dabbler, Winter Carnival

        The St Paul Winter Carnival is now in full force and The Beer Dabbler will be held this weekend on the State fairgrounds. You get a wristband and a small sample glass and gain entry to booths from over 150 different breweries, that's a lot of beer. By standing in line you may fill you glass over and over again from a choice of brews at each booth (unlimited sampling). Make sure to dress warm and get a cab, it's a pretty crazy drunken bash! There will also be live music, food trucks and a giant snowball fight! Tickets start at $35 and are $10 for a designated driver. 

Best picks for the Active

Top Pick: Art Sled Rally

       Why make a piece of Art that simply goes on a wall? Wouldn't it be better served riding it down a hill? The Art Sled Rally is happening this Saturday at Powderhorn Park at 2pm. Entry is simple, let's walk you through it just in case you're intimidated; Build a sled and show up 30 minutes prior, go down the hill on it. Oh, and you'll need to wear a helmet so no one gets barely scraped and tries to sue. If you're completely helpless there will be a building workshop on Friday prior to 3pm- 8pm at the Powderhorn Park Community Center. At least come to see the creations go down the hill, little bit more of an incline and this might be a Red Bull sponsored event. 

Best picks of the Unusual

Top Pick; Saintly City Cat Club

      Enjoy cats? Or just some of the best primo-people watching to be had? The Saintly City Cat Club Show at Roy Wilkins Auditorium is bound to bring in people from all walks of life, and their cats. Over 200 different cats from 26 breeds will be on hand to determine the best cat of the year. And Sunday at the end of the competition a king and queen will be crowned by Saint Paul Carnival Royalty. Watch the cats show their best, or just sit there and not give a damn, either way it's the strangest pick of things to do this weekend. Admittance is only $4.

     A Paranormal Pajama Party will be going on Saturday at Mounds Theatre 7pm - 12am. There will be scary movies, games, a ghost hunting class and snacks. All proceeds will go to benefit the theatre. The event is 18+ and the price is $75 and includes the activities mentioned above plus food... you have to bring your own pajamas. 

      Vilification Tennis is going down at Bryant Lake Bowl. You might recognize the name from the Minnesota Renaissance Festival since the mid 80's. The show capitalizes on insult humor that many would find very shocking, don't expect political correctness here. Friday's show centers around everything 60's. Tickets are $15 or $12 in advance. 

      American Storm is making a trip to Mystic Lake. I've not delved into much detail myself on this but imagine Thunder Down Under but with more FREEDOM! I guess that's the idea anyways, tickets are 18+ for obvious reasons.

Hockey Day Minnesota 2014

This deserves a post all it's own. So this weekend it's Hockey Day Minnesota and what does that all entail? A heck of a lot of things going on my friends. Here's a breakdown;

US Pond Hockey Championships

       Not far from the Minneapolis International Airport and the Mall of America on Lake Nokomis the US Pond Hockey Tournament will be held this weekend. Thursday night the activities will open with Youth Night from 6 pm until 8:30pm and the warming tent will close around 9 pm. The big play begins Friday and runs through Sunday, the finals for the championships. The open play level is some of the most competitive pond hockey in the country and some teams feature former NHL and College Division 1 players. There will also be a family skating rink open to the public, Famous Dave's food, a beer garden and not to mention some of the best pond hockey you can witness. Dress warmly, the tent is just the place to warm up, not to stay in!

from the 2011  US Pond Hockey Tournament

The Hockey Games

       Of course the day wouldn't be complete without the hockey games going on around the state. See the below schedule. Now I'd definitely be pushing you to go personally and watch some of these, but maybe you're too cold from Lake Nokomis and need to warm up a bit but at the very least for out to a local sports bar and catch some of the action. If you're really going to be a hermit you can watch all 16 hours of action at home as for the first time ever, the entire day will be televised nationally on Fox Sports North beginning at 9:00 am. 

Handke Pit Games

        The Handke Pit games in Elk River look especially interesting. The historic pit was created by glaciers and the pond became a natural surface for playing the game. In the 1920's the pond was drained after too many kids fell through the ice and since it's been used both for football and for ice skating. In the 1930's the warming house was erected, built entirely of stone. The games played here this weekend will have quite a historic backdrop. The VIP tickets are sold out but there are still tickets for regular seating for $25 in advance and $30 day of and you can buy them here. Bundle up warm, this is outside hockey after all.

The Hockey Day Minnesota 2014 schedule is as follows:

10:00 a.m. -- Rochester Lourdes vs. Cloquet/Esko/Carlton (boys) at Handke Pit, Elk River

1:30 p.m. -- Elk River vs. Stillwater (boys) at Handke Pit, Elk River

5:00 p.m. -- Minnesota Golden Gophers vs. Ohio State at Mariucci Arena

8:00 p.m. -- Minnesota Wild vs. Dallas Stars at Xcel Energy Center (FSNorth/PLUS only)

11:00 p.m. -- Elk River vs. Anoka (girls) at Handke Pit, Elk River (delayed broadcast) live the game is at 4:00 p.m.

    Special note: All games at Handke Pit are outdoors.

Hockey City Classic

     I didn't include The Hockey City Classic originally as it's not technically on Hockey Day, but my Mother-in-Law is right- it's Minnesotan! The Lady Gophers are taking on Minnesota State at 4:30 and then the Men's are taking on Ohio State outdoors at 8pm at TCF Bank Stadium. TCF Bank so that means outdoors and the warming house onsite will be open from 2-8 pm outside Mariucci where food and drink (non-alcoholic) will be on sale and the Women's game on TV's. 

Things to do the week of 1/13

     We are so boring lately, both in midst of studying. So unfortunately most of the events for a little bit longer here will be not personally enjoyed by us until the exams are over. So here's a list of things for you to check out if you weren't lucky enough to score Jerry Seinfeld tickets for the MLK holiday weekend.

Top Things for Families

Top Pick: Arctic Fever 2014

       There's a whole host of events going on this weekend in South Minnetonka. Arctic Fever 2014 starts off on Friday with a snow sculpture garden, free ice skating, music and free pizza. Saturday is even more packed with different events held throughout the day in Excelsior, Shorewood and Tonka Bay. On Sunday there will be a dance and a princess tea. Get out and enjoy the snow with your family in the West metro.

       Winter Fete in Bloomington starts this weekend and runs through next. Saturday will start the event with Hockey day events at Westwood and Running Parks. There will also be a bike race and demonstration on Lyndale and the Bloomington Ice Garden will open. Lots of community events to keep your kiddos busy during the time off from school.

     Stillwater Ice Cream Social will be run this Saturday from 12 - 4 pm. There will be FREE ice cream and coffee to celebrate the winter. There will also be ice skating if you remember to bring your own skates. A bonfire and live music will round out the evening. Chili can also be purchased for a nominal fee. 

       The Lake Harriet Winter Kite Festival will be held this Saturday from 12 pm - 4pm at the Lake Harriet Bandshell in Minneapolis. Kites of all sizes, colors, shapes and themes will be flown over the ice. Also there will be ice fishing, horse-drawn wagon rides, snowshoeing, music and a marshmallow roast. The admission to the event is free and it'll get the kids out and enjoying this balmy 20-30 degree weather we'll be having.

     Urban Expedition: Spain is this Sunday at the Landmark Center in St. Paul. The Landmark Center annually hosts different events throughout the year showcasing different cultures from around the world. The event will feature authentic music, dance, crafts, live animals and traditions that originate from each country showcased. This particular weekend will showcase Spain and will feature Sendero Flamenco and the Minneapolis Guitar Quartet. The program runs 1 to 3 pm and is free and open to the public. Children will receive a "passport" and a stamp for each showcase they visit.

    ZoOlympics is this weekend at Como Zoo. The event will be a kid-friendly, animal-themed version of the Olympic Games. Kids will be able to test their skills at animal-themed Olympic activity stations throughout the zoo. There will also be Zookeeper talks, small animal education stations, and hands on activities and crafts. The event will start on Saturday and runs through Sunday from 10 am through 4 pm and is free.

    

    3M Visiting Wizards Day will be this Saturday at The Works Museum in Bloomington. Activities and demonstrations will be put on the visiting 3M "Wizards". Kids will also get to make their own Super Slurper Polymer to take home and there will be 30-minute shows throughout the day. The event runs from 1 pm to 4 pm and all activities are included in the $8 admission price (free if you're a member).

    The International Motorcycle Show opens this Thursday at the Minneapolis Convention Center. The neweset bikes and accessories will be on exhibit, also there will be a custom bike competition, demo rides and more. Racer, Scott Russell will be doing a Q&A each day during the convention. Admission runs from $6 to $30 depending on your age and how many day passes you want and the convention runs through Sunday.

Picks for Adults

Top Pick: Silhouette Release Party

        The Second Annual Liftbridge Brewery Silhouette Release party is this Saturday. Silhouette, an imperial stout will be released and the party will run from 3 pm until 10 pm. You can purchase up to 4 bottles of the bourbon barrel aged drink and there will also be live music, food and of course, beer. You might want to think about a cab though as it's 10% alcohol by volume and 75 IBU. 

    Painting Class/ Beer Tasting with Surly Brewing Company will be at the Paint Pub in Maple Grove on Saturday. You know one of those classes everyone and their mom goes to where you all paint the same thing, think you're an artist and then go home and put it up on your wall like a kid on fridge. The cost of the class is $45 and will run from 7 pm - 9:15 pm.

 Picks on the Arts

    The Sixth Annual Monster Drawing Rally will be held at the Grain Belt Brewery Bottling House on Saturday from 6 until 10 pm. Over 80+ artists will be on hand throughout the night drawing monsters and if you see something you like you can buy it for $35. There will also be a cash bar and one of the best food trucks in the state, Potter's Pasties & Pies will be on site. All proceeds go to benefit Midway Contemporary Art 2014 programming. There will be drawing rounds at 6. 7 and 8 pm. 

 Picks on the Unusual Side

       Beauties Behaving Badly opens this weekend at the Gamut Gallery in Minneapolis. Artist, Kate Renee takes some classic characters and turns them on their heads. Want to see Sleeping Beauty as a raging alcoholic? Or Cookie Monster with a serious addiction? These princesses and fairy tales have some more modern, realistic endings that are not exactly happy. Believe it or not the artist received a grant to make these images, enjoy them through February 22nd. There will be an opening reception on Saturday from 7 until 11 pm and the price of admission, free!

Things to do the week of 1/6/2013

    Sorry for the delay; I've been spending some quality family time over the holidays and have been staying away from the computer. 

Things to do for the Family

    The First Winter Market of the New Year is this weekend, Saturday from 10 am until 1 pm at the Mill City Farmers Market. There will be tons of locally produced arts, crafts, vegetables, fruits, meats, cheeses and more. Also, live music and food trucks on site, BOOYA!

    The Winter Trails Day is this weekend, Saturday from 11 am until 4 pm at Fort Snelling State Park. REI representatives will be on site to show you how to try snowshoeing, go geochaching, cross country skiing, learn about skijoring and dogsledding. Equipment will be provided and a sweepstakes to win a pair of snowshoes, a large bonfire and hot cocoa. The event is free but you'll need a State Park vehicle permit which involves a $5 day permit or a $25 annual permit. Good excuse to go run around in the snow with your family.

Things to do for Adults

     Hops for Hunger II will be held at the Solar Arts Building on Saturday, January 11th from 5 pm - 8 pm. Drink unlimited samples from over 16 local breweries in an effort to raise money for supply local food-shelves. Drink and help charity, pretty easy on the mind. Breweries involved include Excelsior, Finnegans, Harriet Brewing, Indeed, Lucid, 612, Barley John's, Boom Island, Flat Earth, Pour Decisions, Bad Weather, Badger Hill, Burning Bros, Sociable Cider Werks, ENKI and Northgate. Food will be provided by Stanley's Food Truck! Tickets are $40 and can be purchased here.

Activities for Foodies

     Lesfe cooking class will be held at Ingebretsen's Scandinavian on Thursday. You're not a true Minnesotan if you don't know how to make Lefse, so in order to validate your citizenship you might want to get on this. The class costs $35 and is still open.

Activities for the Active

Top Pick: Minnesota Sportsmen's Boat, Camping & Vacation Show

    The 44th annual convention featuring boats, newest gear of hunting, fishing & camping is coming to the RiverCentre starting this Thursday. The Minnesota Sportsmen's boat, camping & vacation show runs Thursday through Sunday. For the kiddos, there will be animals, live bucks, fish, wolves, cougars, foxes and other wild animals which also shows the adults how cute the animals can be with their guts still on the inside. Ron Schara will be on hand to host the "Kids Fishing School" on Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are $9 for adults, $2.50 for children 6-12, and kids 5 & under are free.

       

     Riding Slushy: Protected Bike Lane at the Winter Market is this Saturday at the Mill City Farmers Market Center. There will be a pop-up protected bike lane which a group ride will follow to the Freewheel Midtown Bike Center and back. So come and bike outside... with a group of people... if that's your thing.

    Healthy Life Expo runs this weekend at the Minneapolis Convention Center. Up to 200 exhibitors will display the latest services, products and information regarding health and wellness. There will be free demos, seminars, door busters, and giveaways. Admission is $6 or free if you bring a food donation, extra points if you bring a super unhealthy donation. 

Things to do for the Arts

     Patrick's Cabaret presents "Winter Games" is this Saturday from 7:30 pm until 9:30 pm in Minneapolis. The Cabaret is open call to various artists featuring performance art, storytelling, music, poetry and comedy. Also the level of experience will vary, so buyer beware. Tickets are $8 in advance or $10 at the door.    

Unusual Activities for the week

Top Pick: Tattoo Arts Convention

    This weekend the Minneapolis Tattoo Arts Convention opens at the Hyatt Regency Minneapolis. The convention will feature world famous tattoo artists, burlesque dancers, sideshow performers, and various contests for the tattoo'd. Tickets run $20 a day and $40 for the entire weekend, children, if for some reason you want to bring them to this show are free under age 12. The show opens Friday at 2 pm and runs through Sunday. 

   Party in the Rec Room opens this Friday at Bryant Lake Bowl at 7:00 pm. Improv related show that doesn't have much a definition on the website, but improv right? Also margaritas! Tickets are $15 or$18 at the door. 

   Bippy's Burlesque-O-Rama also opens this Friday at Bryant Lake Bowl at 10:00 pm. Fun, experimentation, and controlled chaos is how this event is described. Burlesque on a more comedic, lighter side.

The Best of Christmas Things to Do in the Twin Cities

Things to do for Families

Top pick: Macy's Santaland

 

       Macy's Santaland Display in Minneapolis to open this weekend for the last weekend prior to Christmas. After your tour Santa will be on hand for meet and greets, to listen to everything your kid plans on having you buy them and photos. Also in addition if you'd like to enjoy a buffet breakfast downtown, with a visit from Santa following you can do so for $19.95 an adult and $13.95 for children under 10. To make a reservation or for more details regarding the chow you can call 1-877-556-2297 and there's also a dinner option a few nights during the holiday season as well.

Runner-Up: Santa arrives at the Mall of America

      Not too late to visit Santa at the Mall of America. He's officially arriving on Tuesday, the 12th at 6pm in the rotunda. If you want to maximize on your time you can schedule an appointment with Santa in the Macy's court otherwise it's on walk-in, first come, first served basis in the Sears court. If you had your thinking caps on while reading that, yes two Santa's so you might want to avoid running into the other court with small kids or perhaps have a good story in the hopper (oh no, honey that's just Santa's brother, Fred Claus from that horrible movie).

     Rice Park Tree Lighting and Skating Rink  will run through January. The lighting for the park is sponsored by Xcel Energy which boasts that this tree will be as big and bright as the tree in Rockefellar Center in New York. The tree will be lit with 15,000 energy-efficient LED lights.  

   Winterlights at the Purcell-Cotts House is a 1915's style house that has tours for the holiday season where costumed tour guides walk you through the house and you can learn about the period holiday traditions. Make sure to ask fun questions such as, "Do you get lots of housework done as a housewife done since you don't have to focus on whom to vote for?" or "How many of your kids are dead from influenza, polio, measles , etc.?" Admission is $5, $4 for students and free for kids 12 & under.

     Holiday Lights in the Park is now open in Phalen Park. This event coordinates with King of Kings of Woodbury to create more than 50 lighted and animated displays that you can drive right through. The cost is $10 a vehicle but it's a discounted rate Sunday- Thursday evening at 8pm. All net proceeds go to local charities so you can feel good about where your money is going. Think of the money and time you've save not putting up your own lights and just driving your kids through the park!

     Daily the Mall of America will be transformed for a regular experience for shoppers. The Universe of Light has just opened and will be open indefinitely at this point. The show will run for nine minutes and will feature smoke, lights and music into an interactive experience, not for the epileptic. It will run Monday through Thursday at 7pm and 9:30pm, Friday through Saturday at 7pm and 10pm and finally at 7pm on Sunday at the South Entrance of Nickelodeon Universe. If you're schlepping the kids to the mall anyways to shop, might as well check it out and try to pass it off as a cheap ride.

Cinderella is now open at the Children's Theatre this week and will run through January 5th. This isn't your Disney Cinderella, rather this comical theatre play for all ages is a bit more slapstick and raucous, definitely more fun. Tickets will run you $30 - $50 depending on where you sit.

       A Christmas Carol is now open at the Guthrie this week as well. This is the 39th running year of this play at the Guthrie. Tickets will run a bit higher at $34 - $85 per person depending on where you sit and when you go, also standard child discounts will not apply to this production due to the extremely high demand. In related news the Guthrie itself will be playing the role of Scrooge in keeping with the production's theme for the remainder of the holidays.

"Hometown for the Holidays" is now open in Stillwater and besides seeing beautiful, scenic Stillwater all dressed up for the holidays you'll also have the opportunity to enjoy some holiday merriment. This weekend there will be free carriage rides, carolers as well as visits from Santa throughout the holidays including lunches with him at Dock Cafe.

     Holiday Delight at Calhoun Square in Uptown is Saturday. The event will feature a hot chocolate bar by Uptown Cafeteria, free holiday photos, kid's Christmas crafts, prize drawings, live music, free holiday cookies from Republic and local Uptown business specials. Best part about the event? Yea, it's free and did I mention free gift wrapping? The event runs from 12 - 6 pm. 


    Skate with Santa at the White Bear Lake Sports Center is Sunday and runs from 1 - 3 pm. Besides having the obvious activity of skating with the big man there will be face painting, crafts, a DJ, Concessions, and some little gifts for the kiddos. The cost is $5 a person and skate rentals are $2.50. 

    Winter Solstice Celebration is this Saturday at the American Swedish Institute. Come out and celebrate winter's longest night, and the very slow, gradual descent towards Spring. There will be bonfires, tours of the Jul to the World exhibit, and FIKA, the on-site cafeteria will be open late for a festive dinner and glogg, which is a mulled wine (look you learned something). The holiday pop-up store will also be offering a special deal on holiday lights. The event runs 3 - 8 pm.

Things to do for Adults

Top pick: Ugly Sweater Crawl

      On Saturday there's another reason for you to bundle up and head out into the cold, and it involves booze! The Ugly Sweater Crawl is Saturday in Minneapolis and involves four bars, starting at Cowboy Jack's at 6 pm. You're heavily encouraged to wear your ugliest sweater and the first 200 people receive Santa hats and beads, if only work had such punctuality incentives. Tickets are $10, but are free if you bring an unwrapped toy donation. The ticket allows you to partake of food and drink specials at each stop on the itinerary. 

Things to do for the Active

      Sleepless in St Paul: Jumpin Jack Frost 5k - $50 fee, Saturday 4:50pm at Harriet Island. This race will be outdoors and at night against the cityscape of St Paul. Runners will wear glow sticks, Christmas lights will light the way and of course with the beautiful city in the background it will be a sight for the eyes. 

Things to do regarding the Arts

Top Pick: The Wizard of Oz at the Ordway

      It's lions, bears and tigers- oh my! (honestly where in the world do you find these three species living in the wild together?) The Wizard of Oz is now open at the Ordway. The literary, stage and film classic returns to the Minneapolis area. Opening Wednesday the show will run through December, 29th. Tickets will the gambit from a partial view obstruction at $35 a person to $120.

    "A Don't Hug Me Christmas Carol" from the folks at the Hennepin Trust Theatre is like A Christmas Carol, only it's not. Gunner Johnson from the previous play "Don't Hug Me" finds himself in a predicament when a trail of bad luck leads him to falling into a coma and conversing with Sven Yorgenson who plays the ghost of Christmas past, present and future all at once. The show opens Friday at 7:30pm. KQRS's Tom Bernard's take on it? "Go see it!"

 Born Yesterday at the Guthrie is now open. The play follows the life and times of a corrupt businessman, Harry Brock who moves to D.C. and attempts to get ahead in society with his chorus-girl sidekick, Billie Dawn. However Billie is no debutant and hijinks thus arise while attempting to turn her into a socialite, too bad she didn't have Richard Gere on her side. Tickets run from $35 to $53 depending on when you go and where you sit.

"The Christmas Founding" is now open through December 29th on The Minnesota Show Boat. The play loosely follows the story of a group of miners whom are left with an orphaned infant so basically like "Three Men and a Baby" but with miners, and Christmas.


"An Eventfully Christmas" starts this weekend at Mill City and features a play performed in the mill's elevator ride and features "The Ghost of Mill City Ghost's past." The ticket price is $14 for adults, $12 for college students and seniors and $10 for children ages 17-6 however the play is not recommended for children under the age of eight years old.

   The famous Andrew Lloyd Webber play is coming across the pond. Cameron Mackintosh's new production just finished up a sold-out tour of the United Kingdom and now is coming to Minnesota. The Phantom of the Opera is now open at the Orpheum. Tickets range from $39 to $130.

   Tidings of Joy- Christmas Festival Exultate's choir and orchestra will be playing in various locations this weekend in Minneapolis and St Paul. They will be playing a selection of old time tunes and songs to celebrate the seasons. Tickets are $20, $15 for seniors or students.

Unusual Activities

Top pick of the strange: Hello Kitty Denouement

       This art exhibit features Hello Kitty in different art masterpieces. That's right, Hello Kitty painted into various artworks from Monet to Warhol. This interesting exhibition, Hello Kitty Denouement is now open to display at the Burnet Gallery at Le Meridien Chambers Hotel in Minneapolis and will remain so until early January. The opening reception will be held 6-9pm. The gallery is otherwise open daily from 11am - 9pm. I'll leave you with Hello Kitty and Jesus from the collection;

  God's Sketchbook of Creation is a very interesting event at the Instinct Art Gallery in Minneapolis. The basic premise behind the art created for the exhibit is that these were God's rough-cut ideas for species, ones that didn't exactly make the cut. The cost is free and runs from 6pm - 8pm each day though mid January.

Mansfeld Manor: Peculiar Color Illustrations and Sculptures in Fetted Wool at Gallery 360 is now open with an opening reception from 7pm until 10pm. The Event is odd, but very interesting all at once. These felted creations made from wool and dyed fibers are hauntingly strange and revolve around strange, fanciful and morbid tales. Think of the mice from Dinner for Schmucks, meets Wallace and Gromit, meets Tim Burton.

"Erotic Art Craft Fair" - no you read that correctly. For all your handmade erotic crafts please see the Smitten Kitten. There will be sex educators on hand to demonstrate craft activities... yea, I'm leaving it at that, as all I'm picturing is adults with macaroni shells, glue and glitter making... you're on your own from here on out.

On a final note, I started a twitter. Why? Well it's easier to keep up on all the cool stuff happening by following pretty much every food truck, brewery, magazine, newspaper, etc. in the Twin Cities and I do try to retweet the best looking stuff. So... if that sounds cool to you, check it out here at the handle MerryMinnesotan.

Things to do the week of 12/16 in the Twin Cities

Things to do for the Family

Top pick: Holiday Delight at Calhoun Square

      Holiday Delight at Calhoun Square in Uptown is Saturday. The event will feature a hot chocolate bar by Uptown Cafeteria, free holiday photos, kid's Christmas crafts, prize drawings, live music, free holiday cookies from Republic and local Uptown business specials. Best part about the event? Yea, it's free and did I mention free gift wrapping? The event runs from 12 - 6 pm. 


    Skate with Santa at the White Bear Lake Sports Center is Sunday and runs from 1 - 3 pm. Besides having the obvious activity of skating with the big man there will be face painting, crafts, a DJ, Concessions, and some little gifts for the kiddos. The cost is $5 a person and skate rentals are $2.50. 

    Winter Solstice Celebration is this Saturday at the American Swedish Institute. Come out and celebrate winter's longest night, and the very slow, gradual descent towards Spring. There will be bonfires, tours of the Jul to the World exhibit, and FIKA, the on-site cafeteria will be open late for a festive dinner and glogg, which is a mulled wine (look you learned something). The holiday pop-up store will also be offering a special deal on holiday lights. The event runs 3 - 8 pm.

Things to do for Adults

Top pick: Ugly Sweater Crawl

      On Saturday there's another reason for you to bundle up and head out into the cold, and it involves booze! The Ugly Sweater Crawl is Saturday in Minneapolis and involves four bars, starting at Cowboy Jack's at 6 pm. You're heavily encouraged to wear your ugliest sweater and the first 200 people receive Santa hats and beads, if only work had such punctuality incentives. Tickets are $10, but are free if you bring an unwrapped toy donation. The ticket allows you to partake of food and drink specials at each stop on the itinerary. 

Things to do for Foodies

Top Pick: Surf and Turf, Cooks of Crocus Hill

          Not only will your get a demonstration on making surf and turf but you'll also get to sample each local wine pairing at the Surf and Turf Demonstration in Stillwater. Meat, seafood and wine, what's not to love? You'll be directed by a head chef and a sommelier through the class. The class is at the Stillwater location of Cooks of Crocus Hill and runs 6 - 9 pm on Thursday night. 

         Holiday Food for a Crowd cooking class is this Tuesday at Nordicware 7 pm - 9pm. Nervous about cooking for your family, have high-maintenance in-laws you scrutinize your every move- wow them with your skills once you take this class! You'll learn to make an entire Christmas Day meal complete with dessert. The class costs $25 and you'll need to register.

Things to do for the Active

      Sleepless in St Paul: Jumpin Jack Frost 5k - $50 fee, Saturday 4:50pm at Harriet Island. This race will be outdoors and at night against the cityscape of St Paul. Runners will wear glow sticks, Christmas lights will light the way and of course with the beautiful city in the background it will be a sight for the eyes. 

Things to do in the Arts

        The SOO Visual Arts Local Holiday Show is open for it's last weekend this weekend on 35th and Nicollet in downtown Minneapolis. The pop-up shop will have crafts and art from area artists and will run 12-4 pm Saturday and Sunday.

        The Ballet of the Dolls: Nutcracker (not so suite) is running at the Ritz Theater. Yuppie Marie lives in her ritzy New York penthouse playing with her Barbie dolls until one Christmas she gets a brand Ken doll and all hell breaks loose,. It's a modern, fun spirited take on an old classic. The show goes through the 31st and tickets run between $23.50 - $150.

Unusual Activities

Top Pick: Comedy Roast of Mr Scrooge

         Bringing the modern times to the old school classics, The Comedy Roast of Mr Scrooge at the Camp Bar in St Paul with make you jolly in time for the holidays. Watch as the cast of The Christmas Carol has one too many 'nogs and start telling Mr Scrooge just what they think of him. This is a very adult production, so 18+ strictly and tickets run $14.50 - $24.50 depending on whether you buy in advance and/or can take advantage of any group rates. This show ends this weekend!

       The British Arrow Awards which celebrate the best in UK Commercials is currently going on at the Walker. The Brits must think we're crazy, paying to see commercials, especially for brands we're not aware of. However, let's face it with most commericals these days you tend to forget what the Ad was even for. The screenings run through January and are $12.

Rice Park Winter Lights Opening Ceremony

       I've been meaning to type this up for awhile now but the holidays and work has made our lives crazy, but it's starting to calm down... well for now :)

   So, we attended the Rice Park Winter Lights Opening and Tree Lighting Ceremony in Saint Paul the weekend after Thanksgiving. We parked somewhere half away between Barrio and Rice Park, because we like to eat and word was no food trucks on site, which is such a bummer.

  So we hiked through the urban jungle, Todd reminding me to keep my voice down maybe a bit this time because last time we did this I was talking out loud... ok really loudly and we attracted a pickpocket who probably assumed I was an easy target. It wasn't THAT big of a deal since he was looking for a purse when he bumped into my shoulder but surprise buddy, I carry my cards in my wallet in my pocket when downtown. The hilarious part was when, after bumping into me he tried to excuse it like he was out jogging even though he was wearing extremely baggy jeans.

  

    Seriously how pretty is that bowl of guac? And it tasted as good as it looked. I'm such a huge fan of Barrio, some say it's over-rated but I say it's taste-tastic! The guacamole was spicy and had such a great kick with the jalapenos. We ordered a line-up of tacos, the mahi-mahi, pork carnitas and steak respectively.

      Now the flavors were very good this time around as well but I will say I thought the shells were a little stale. That's my only critique, the tacos were fantastic and also pretty gorgeous to look at as well. Barrio is still one of my favorite hangouts down town and everything tastes so fresh and you can identify all the individual ingredients.

    So we braved the cold and trekked back to the Landmark Center full of cilantro, lime and jalapeno goodness! The Landmark was pretty in the dusk, the lights now on in the park. Walking up to the park I was overwhelmed with the distinct smell of vomit which was permeating the whole area, which was pretty gross. However it was beautiful even if it smelled like puke.

   I made a mental note that I have to come back here and skate on this rink at some point, it was so pretty with the buildings all around. The skating, which sits adjacent to The Landmark and Rice Park was closed for most of the evening for actual figure skaters who were doing jumps and spins which was really fun to watch... well for me, Todd was semi-interested.

      I mean, who wouldn't want to skate on that? It's gorgeous! So next we went over to The Landmark for the tree lighting ceremony in smack dab into more vomit-smell. I was accusingly avoiding every trash can I saw.

    The Landmark Center is such a gorgeous building, love this part of St Paul. The only thing I wish is more restaurants over in this area but it's mostly entertainment, government buildings, and hotels but we can walk perfectly fine.

        This is Dave Dahl's backside during the beginning of the ceremony... there were SO many people it wasn't worth getting closer. You don't really need to be that close to see fireworks, note to everyone there.

   The fireworks starting over the main tree in the park. We walked around the exterior of the park and under the trees, still smelling strongly like puke and then I overheard a conversation behind me. The main point of this said conversation was about how everything smelled like vomit because it was due to the rotting crabapples decaying on the ground. There was the smoking gun and it was all over my boots... great!

    Puke-smelling crabapples all over my boots or no- you can't deny that's not a pretty sight! Rice Park is gorgeous- go check it out!