December 10, 2015, Thursday - Little Box Sauna at Piazza on the Mall (3 days)

Little Box Sauna Heats Up the Piazza on the Mall this Holiday Season!

Little Box Sauna (LBS), a project of MRAJ Architects  has teamed up with the 612 Sauna Society and The Musicant Group to bring the nordic sauna experience The Piazza on the Mall this holiday season! 

The Little Box Sauna will be open for three, 1.5-hour shifts between 5-9:30pm on:

December 10th-12th (Th, Fr, Sat)
December 17th-19th (Th, Fr, Sat)

Every sauna experience will be accompanied by:

Free sauna with towels, t-shirts, and water
- Hot drinks
- Kubb and winter lawn games
- Fire pits and s'mores
- Friday Specials!
- Every Friday we'll have special programming to enhance the experience for sauna goers and the public alike!

Storytellers - Dec 11th
Singing Circle - December 18th

Walk-ins will be welcome, but in order to secure your spot, you must secure a (FREE) ticket, at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/little-box-sauna-sign-up-tickets

December 9, 2015, Wednesday - Sip of Science at Aster Cafe

Time: 5:30pm

Location: Aster Cafe (River Room) 125 SE Main Street

RSVP for Sip of Science 

December Sip of Science - If we found rock evidence for life on Mars, what might it look like? Microbialites from ancient lakes with Tom Hickson, Professor, University of St. Thomas.

The Mars orbiter has used remote sensing techniques to demonstrate the presence of active groundwater seeps on our planetary neighbor.  The Curiosity Rover has sent back stunning images of deposits that indicate flowing water and, from Gale Crater, what look like lake deposits.  If standing water had been present on Mars, it is more likely to have been in the form of lakes, not widespread oceans.  If life inhabited these lakes, it would be more likely to be microbial in origin.  Geologists have studied marine microbialites (rocks that formed under the influence of microbes), mainly stromatolites, for many decades. 

However, these marine microbialites differ in important and significant ways from those formed in modern and ancient lakes.  We should expect to find lacustrine (lake-influenced) microbialites on Mars if life had established itself there.  Ancient lacustrine microbialites here on Earth, mainly from the Cenozoic, provide excellent examples of what to expect if we encounter them on Mars.  In this talk, University of St. Thomas geology professor Tom Hickson will cover the basics of microbialite formation, the macro- and microscopic textures of lacustrine microbialites, and some basic microbialite chemistry. We will then focus on ancient and historical lakes from southern Nevada, with examples from other units in the Western U.S.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Thomas Hickson is professor of geology and environmental science at the University of St. Thomas.  He graduated from Stanford University in 1999 and completed a post-doc at the St. Anthony Falls Lab immediately before coming on board the St. Thomas faculty in 2000.  He is engaged in active collaborative scholarship with undergraduate students to understand the tectonics, paleoclimate, and landscape evolution of the Lake Mead region (Nevada) during the Miocene.

No cover; food and drink available for purchase.

December 9, 2015, Wednesday - Live Artist Denise Houk at The Depot

Time: 5:00pm - 7:00pm

Location: Stone Arch Bar at The Depot Minneapolis, 225 Third Avenue South

Live Artist Denise Houk

Talented local artist Denise Houk will be performing live art in our Stone Arch Bar. Join us and watch her art come to life while you sip one of our hand crafted cocktails or savor an intriguing appetizer.

December 8, 2015, Tuesday - New Downtown Park Designs Open House at Elliot Rec Center

Time:  6-8pm

Location: Elliot Recreation Center, 1000 E 14th Street

New Downtown park designs Open House

Please visit one of three open houses scheduled Dec. 3, 8 and 10 to view and comment on designs

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) invites the public to examine and comment on designs for parks and open spaces in downtown Minneapolis at one of the three open houses scheduled in December. These concepts were created after months of listening, careful planning and creative design work.

Stop by any time 6-8 pm to view the concepts created and chat with project staff. The designs for every downtown park will also be available at:

South Area Open House
Thursday, December 10, 6-8 pm
Loring Community Arts Center—1382 Willow St.
________________________________________
About this project
The MPRB's Downtown Service Area Master Plan will set the vision for future park and recreation development and improvements in the downtown area. It will establish a new, urban model for service delivery, maintenance, funding and operation of parks in downtown Minneapolis.

This project is part of a joint effort between the MPRB and City of Minneapolis to improve parks and public spaces downtown. The cooperative work done on the MPRB's Downtown Service Area Master Plan and the City of Minneapolis' Downtown Public Realm Framework is known collectively as Pathways To Places: Shaping Downtown Together.

December 8, 2015, Tuesday - Learn Together: The Art of Play at Central Library

Time: 9:30am-10:30am

Location:  Central Library, Children's Library, 300 Nicollet Mall

Learn Together: The Art of Play

For families. Enjoy interactive arts and stories. Learn ideas and arts strategies for how to creatively play and bond with your child and meet other families, providers and early childhood special education staff. For families and caregivers of children age birth to 3 with or without special needs.

Presented in collaboration with Upstream Arts ; Presented in collaboration with Minneapolis Public Schools.

December 7, 2015, Monday - Minneapolis Visitor Information Grand Opening (Dec 7 - 11)

Location: Minneapolis Visitor Information on Nicollet, 505 Nicollet, Suite 100

Minneapolis Visitor Information Grand Opening

Meet Minneapolis, Convention and Visitor Association, proudly announces the upcoming grand opening of Minneapolis Visitor Information on Nicollet Dec. 7-11, beginning with a media news conference featuring the unveiling of the Mary Tyler Moore Statue in its new home Dec. 7 at 9 a.m. The new visitor center and store on the corner of Nicollet and 5th Street includes Shop: Minneapolis artistic retail, Move: resources for transit, commuting and getting around the city and Find: help with questions about what to do, where to go and how to get the most out of a visit to Minneapolis, City by Nature.

Visitor Center Hours:
Sundays Noon–5:00pm
Monday-Saturday 10:00am–7:00pm

The Grand Opening Week will be celebrated Dec. 7 – 11. Each day will feature a special aspect of Minneapolis Visitor Information: Shop. Move. Find. with special guests, discounts and activities.

Monday, Dec. 7: Grand Opening Day
Tuesday, Dec. 8: Shop Minneapolis Day – celebrating our artistic retail and Minnesota artists
Wednesday, Dec. 9: Move Minneapolis Day – celebrating our transportation partner’s services
Thursday, Dec. 10: Find Minneapolis Day – celebrating Meet Minneapolis Visitor Services and our partners
Friday, Dec. 11: Minneapolis Unwrapped Day – celebrating giving the gift of Minneapolis and Meet Minneapolis partners

All week:
· Retail discounts listed above and tote bag with $75 purchase
· Treats and coffee during lunch hours in Meet Minneapolis’ Social Media Command Center in Minneapolis Visitor Information
· More to come! Watch http://www.minneapolis.org/visitor/visitor-information/ for more details and follow Meet Minneapolis on Facebook and Twitter for updates!

December 6, 2015, Sunday - Vikings vs. Seattle Seahawks at TCF Stadium

Time: Noon

Location: TCF Stadium

- - -

Seattle Seahawks at Minnesota Vikings
Sun, Dec. 6th, 2015 12:00 PM
TCF Bank Stadium
 
Chicago Bears at Minnesota Vikings
Sun, Dec. 20th, 2015 12:00 PM
TCF Bank Stadium

New York Giants at Minnesota Vikings
Sun, Dec. 27th, 2015 12:00 PM
TCF Bank Stadium

December 6, 2015, Sunday - Families Volunteering Together at People Serving People

Time: 4:30pm - 6:30pm

Location: People Serving People, 614 3rd Street S 

Family volunteer activity for adults and children 5+ years. Join us for shelter tours, volunteer activities, and dessert.

4:30-5:00pm-Tours of People Serving People
5:00-6:00pm- Volunteer Activities
6:00-6:30pm- Program & Dessert

Cost: $5/person

Ages: 5 and up to participate in volunteer activities. Register online here.

Any questions? Contact Mallory Haugen, Volunteer & Events Manager, mhaugen@peopleservingpeople.org, 612-277-0256

December 6, 2015, Sunday - 1850s Holiday Party at the Ard Godfrey House

Time: 12:30pm–3:30pm

Location:  Ard Godfrey House, in Chute Square at corner of University and Central (across from Lunds)

The public is cordially invited to attend an 1850s Holiday Party at the historic Ard Godfrey House.  Visit the oldest remaining wood frame residence in Minneapolis, built in 1849. The house is decorated for the holidays in the modest style of the era.

- Light refreshments and musical entertainment
- Tour the House with Woman’s Club guides dressed in period costume
- See how the Godfrey family might have celebrated the holidays in the new community at St. Anthony Falls
- Free Godfrey House buttons for the kids

Admission is free (but donations are suggested and welcome). No reservations required. Sponsored by the Woman’s Club of Minneapolis.

For information: 612-813-5300

December 6, 2015, Sunday - DRG Neighborhood Christmas Party

Time: 11 am – 2 pm

Location: DRG, 700 Washington Avenue North

DRG Neighborhood Christmas Party

Join DRG, Santa and his reindeer for a jolly good time! They’ll have music, festive food and beverages, face painting and fun for the whole family!

December 5, 2015, Saturday - Downtown Community Choir Rehearsal at the Guthrie

Time: 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm

Location: Guthrie, 818 S 2nd Street
 
The Downtown Minneapolis Neighborhood Association, MacPhail Center for Music and Emanuel Housing have partnered to pilot a free community choir.  All abilities welcome are welcome and there is no cost to participate. J.D. Steele has graciously agreed to lead the choir. Contact Joan.Bennett@thedmna.org to pre-register.

Check out our article in the Mill City Times for more background.

December 5, 2015, Saturday - EQ: R. Vincent Moniz Jr. and Natalie Diaz at The Loft

Time: 8:00pm

Location: The Loft Literary Center, at Open Book (Performance Hall), 1011 Washington Ave

EQ: R. Vincent Moniz Jr. and Natalie Diaz

R. Vincent Moniz, Jr. has been a part of the Twin Cities artistic community for over two decades as an actor and only recently has begun to share his poetry. He has performed at The Loft Literary Center’s highly acclaimed Equilibrium series, Revolver Magazine's Revolver at the Ritz, The Chazen Museum of Art, The Minneapolis Institute of Arts and the outdoor amphitheater of the Minneapolis American Indian Center. Vincent's themes contain multitudes. From growing up in the Phillips neighborhood to speaking against Native American Stereotypes, Moniz finds agency, humor, and poetry in the adventure of being an Urban Indian. The work of this Southside firestarter has been published in the Yellow Medicine Review, onl...ine as part of Native Literatures: Generations, and The Center for Victims of Torture as part of their 30th anniversary It Starts With Hope series. His work can be seen on the walls of the MIA as a part of their new exhibit “Arriving at Fresh Water: Contemporary Native Artists from Our Great Lakes” and on the Cedar avenue people bridge in the center of the Little Earth of United Tribes housing projects. Moniz was selected as a 2012 Jerome Fellow, a 2013 Beyond the Pure Fellow, 2014 Verve Fellow, 2015 Loft Literary Center Spoken Word Immersion Fellow and most recently Vince was selected to be a recipient of the Minnesota Emerging Writers’ Grant. At the E. Donald Two-Rivers Memorial Poetry Slam, Vincent was crowned and is now the current and reigning Individual World Poetry Slam, Indigenous Poetry Slam Champion. View his performances online at redoubted.com.

Natalie Diaz was born and raised in the Fort Mojave Indian Village in Needles, California, on the banks of the Colorado River. She is Mojave and an enrolled member of the Gila River Indian Tribe. She was a member of the 1997 NCAA Old Dominion University Final Four women’s basketball team that lost to Tennessee in the championship game. Her first poetry collection, When My Brother Was an Aztec, was published by Copper Canyon Press. Her second book will be published by Copper Canyon Press in 2016. She is a Lannan Literary Fellow and a Native Arts Council Foundation Artist Fellow. In 2014, she was awarded a Bread Loaf Fellowship, the Holmes National Poetry Prize, a Hodder Fellowship, and a PEN/Civitella Ranieri Foundation Residency, as well as being awarded a US Artists Ford Fellowship. Diaz teaches at the Institute of American Indian Arts Low Rez MFA program and lives in Mohave Valley, Arizona, where she directs the Fort Mojave Language Recovery Program, working with the last remaining speakers at Fort Mojave to teach and revitalize the Mojave language.

December 5, 2015, Saturday - Washburn A Mill Tour at Mill City Museum

Times: 1:00pm

Location: Mill City Museum, 704 2nd Street South

Fee: $14 adults, $12 seniors and college students, $10 children ages 6-17 and MHS members. Tour includes museum admission.

Reservations: required, call 612-341-7555 or register online.

Take an in-depth look at the historic Washburn A Mill complex and the award-winning Mill City Museum building. A museum interpreter will take visitors into the building’s many nooks and crannies, highlighting the lives of the men and women who worked there, how the building functioned during its peak flour milling years and the many changes to the building over time.

This is the only opportunity for a guided tour through the entire museum building and the only chance to see some of its non-public spaces. The tour includes admission to the museum gallery, Baking Lab, Water Lab and Flour Tower show.

December 5, 2015, Saturday - Researching the History of Your Home at Central Library

Time: 10:30-11:30am

Location: Central Library, 300 Nicollet Mall

Researching the History of Your Home

Discover the history of your house or building, the people who lived there, the history of your neighborhood, and more using the Minneapolis History Collection. Special Collections has a variety of resources on the history of houses and buildings in Minneapolis. We’ll guide you through the use of these print and digitized materials.

Stay after the formal instruction to continue researching the history of your own home. If you live outside the city of Minneapolis, check with your local municipality for house history resources.

UPCOMING WORKSHOPS

Saturday, January 2, 2016, 10:30-11:30am
Saturday, February 6, 2016, 10:30-11:30am

All programs will be held at the Minneapolis Central Library in the Special Collections Department on the 4th floor.

Registration not required, but recommended. Register Online https://apps.hclib.org/events/register.cfm?SessionNo=33212

December 5, 2015, Saturday - Feast of Words Family Event at Mill City Museum

Time: 11 am – 3 pm

Location: Mill City Museum, 704 S 2nd Street

Feast of Words Family Event

Minnesota. Where did this name come from? The Dakota language is the first language of Minnesota, yet few Minnesotans know the meaning of the name of their state. Feast of Words is a family event centered on this place we all call home, Mnísota (Minnesota). Learn about indigenous place names throughout the state, try local indigenous foods, learn to prepare wóžapi, a traditional Dakota berry pudding, and immerse yourself in the Dakota language. The program begins at 11 am and again at 1:30 pm and lasts 90 minutes. This program is presented by the Dakhóta Iápi Okhódakičhiye (Dakota Language Society) and the Healing Place Collaborative.

The program is free, but reservations are required. For reservations: http://tickets.mnhs.org/show_events_list.asp?shcode=692

December 5, 2015, Saturday - Snow Play Workshop at MCBA

Time: 10:00am-Noon

Location: Minnesota Center for Book Arts, 1011 Washington Avenue South

Snow Play with Ellen Ferrari

For families with children ages 2 and up

Kate Spohn’s Snow Play will get us ready to build a blizzard of books: a soft fluffy snowball book, a sled book with runners, a snow fort book that sparkles in the sun, and a warm mug-of-hot-chocolate book. We provide the “snow” and you write the snow stories!

Join Ellen Ferrari for Saturday mornings of family book arts fun! Each workshop starts off with a story and game to warm up your creativity and then dives into a book arts project. Workshops accommodate a range of developmental levels so that adults and children (or) adult/child teams may choose to work together or side-by-side. Each participant receives supplies to use during the workshop, but may choose to bring one set home if working with his or her partner. Ellen will provide older children with suggestions for extending their learning.

$30 ($27 members) + $6 supply fee for an adult/child pair;
$15 ($13.50 members) + $3 supply fee for each additional participant

December 5, 2015, Saturday - Taste Twin Cities Downtown Minneapolis Skyway Tour

Time: 11:00am

Location: Tour begins at LaSalle Plaza (800 LaSalle Plaza)

Taste Twin Cities Downtown Minneapolis Skyway Tour

What You Need to Know
•Indoor 3 hour walking tour in the heart of downtown Minneapolis using the skyway system
•Flat route with slight inclines and declines, approximately .8 of a mile, bathrooms available at some stops
•5 stops
•Tour limited to 12 people, advance tickets required.  Private tours available year round for larger groups.
•Begins at LaSalle Plaza (800 LaSalle Plaza), located on Hennepin Ave between 8th & 9th Street; ends at Metro Building (80 9th Street S)
•$45/pp

Tour Description

While it's chilly outside, join us as we weave our way through the cozy corners of downtown Minneapolis skyways on a food adventure.  We will stroll through the "Broadway" Theatre District and enjoy VIP service as we visit some of the newest and hottest award winning restaurants downtown has to offer. The tour includes seeing the Minneapolis skyscraper that was modeled after the Washington Monument and visiting the famous Statue of Mary Richards tossing her hat.  Along the way we will also visit quaint eateries that have pride in local ownership; including a favorite since 1932.  You will participate in tea sampling and learn the secrets behind the great food you are enjoying.  You'll leave the tour with a tasty experience of some of the best food finds Minneapolis has to offer all while learning history of downtown and soaking in the local culture.

Tastings
•Mouth watering flat bread pizza at a local hot spot
•Fine chocolates to be savored
•Locally brewed Minnesota draft beer paired with appetizer (non-alcoholic tastings available)
•Ham and Pear Crisp Sandwich with fresh home-made chips from the restaurant that has "damn good food"!
•Sinfully delicious variety of cupcakes (private tours only)
•Deliciously sweet and salty popular Chicago Mix® popcorn
•Sip on warm and comforting loose leaf tea (private tours only)
•Variety of a delicious French pastry; the Macaroon (private tours only)
•Featured on the Cooking Channel Unique Sweets - Bourbon Whiskey Caramel Donut Bread Pudding Loaf (private tours only)

*Tastings subject to change without notice. Most dietary restrictions can be accommodated.

December 4, 2015, Friday - 15th Annual Jeff Arundel Holiday Variety Show at Aster Cafe

Time: 9:00pm - 11:00pm $10

Location: Aster Cafe, 125 Main Street SE

Mr. Arundel has hosted this annual holiday variety program for 14 long years. This edition is likely the most ambitious and talented–from New York City, you have Ms. Ann Klein, snapping off Clapton-esque riffs and singing like the sweetheart of the rodeo. You also have veteran L.A. bluesman Doug MacLeod, bringing the Christmas soul. You have wonderboy Steele Arundel, fresh off his “Cloudhouse” record release, and you have the Willmar Womens Ensemble making the pilgrimage from the windswept prairies to the big city. Finally you have the elder Arundel himself, supported by the notorious “Hammsmen”, often billed as the “most sensitive band in America, on and off the stage”. Seasonal hilarity, fellowship, sweet sadness, and in the end, a send-off into whatever may lay ahead during this holiday madness. Reservations highly recommended, pleasure guaranteed.
 

December 3, 2015, Thursday - MHS Members' Double Discount Days at Mill City Museum (Dec 3-6)

Time: 10:00am to 5:00pm Thursday-Saturday; Noon to 5:00pm Sunday

Location: Mill City Museum, 704 2nd Street South

Minnesota Historical Society (MHS) members will receive a double discount (20 percent) on Minnesota-inspired, quality gifts in time for the holidays at a pre-holiday sale at Double Discount Shopping Weekend at the Mill City Museum. Purchases help support the Society’s programs.

Visitors also can sample freshly baked samples of winning recipes from the Star Tribune Cookie Contest on December 5.

Double Discount Dates include December 3, 4, 5 and 6.

December 3, 2015, Thursday - Holidazzle in Loring Park (Weekends thru Dec 20)

Join the Minneapolis Downtown Council and Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board at the 2015 Holidazzle. It's taking place in Loring Park, is free and open to the public, and even includes a skating rink!

Thursdays through Sundays:
Thursdays & Fridays from 5:00pm – 9:00pm
Saturdays & Sundays from 11:00am – 9:00pm

Enjoy holiday movie classics that have brought us together to enjoy the season for generations. Upcoming schedule includes:

Sunday, December 06 | 5 pm: Polar Express
Sunday, December 13 | 5 pm: Home Alone
Sunday, December 20 | 5 pm: Frozen

More Info