Coming Up This Fall

Left: Bed Races at the Germanic-American Institute's St. Paul Octoberfest, Sept 13 - 14
Middle: Kurt Kwan in Aubergine at Park Square Theatre, Sept 20 - Oct 20
Right: Brittany Keefe, Co-Artistic Director of DanceCo, in Expectation Station, Oct 16 - 20

In the Land of 10,000 Lakes, The Minnesota State Fair marks the annual transition from summer to fall. Between checking out this year's butter sculptures and seed art to enjoying the latest foods on-a-stick, we savor those last few days before the kids head back to school with eager anticipation of what is to come. 

And there is much to anticipate this fall! Here's what's coming up:

The Germanic-American Institute celebrates St. Paul Oktoberfest at Schmidt Brewery Sept 13–14. Minnesota's most authentic Oktoberfest, festivities include a kid-friendly carnival, dacshund races, steinheben competitions, beer hall contests, and--of course--beer imported directly from Munich.

Park Square Theatre opens its 2019-2020 season with Aubergine, a contemporary drama written by Julia Cho and directed by Park Square’s Artistic Director Flordelino Lagundino (his Park Square directing debut!). Lyrical, humorous and full of love, this story of an intergenerational Korean family struggling to relate across emotional, linguistic and cultural divides plays on the Thrust Stage September 20 through October 20.

On the Proscenium Stage at Park Square, the season kicks off with Richard O’Brien's Tony Award-nominated The Rocky Horror Show, playing Sept 27 - Nov 2. Director Ilana Ransom Toeplitz says of the campy rock musical, "The whole night should feel like a party that’s been locked up in a time machine for years, begging to come out and play."

Sidekick Theatre brings David Lindsay-Abaire's Ripcord, to Ives Auditorium in the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center in Bloomington for a run of weekday matinees and occasional weekned performances Sept 25 - Nov 21. A seemingly harmless bet between two women in a senior living facility quickly escalates into a game of practical jokes and one-upmanship in this uproarious and heartwarming comedy.

For some family fun, DanceCo and the Roe Family Singers present Expectation Station at Steppingstone Theatre in St. Paul over MEA weekend, Oct 16 - 20. With some help from Engineer Paul of the "Choo Choo Bob's Train Show," this interactive one-hour show combines dance and musical theater with a little history and a lot of fun to create a truly original performance. (Don't worry - tickets include a free pre-show workshop to teach audience members about dance and movement elements of the production!)

Oratorio Society of Minnesota's fall performance, The French Connection, traces evolution of French sacred music from Gabriel Fauré's Cantique de Jean Racine (1865) to Maurice Duruflé's Requiem (1947). Presented in the magnifcent space of the Basilica of Saint Mary on November 15, it promises to be an evening of sublime and powerful sacred French music performed by soloists, the Oratorio Society of Minnesota chorus, chamber orchestra and organ.

Big Boy (and more!) at Union Depot

We are thrilled to be working with our newest client, Union Depot, on getting the word out about all that's going on in Saint Paul's restored 1920s rail station. In addition to being a transportation hub, Union Depot is also a hub of activity.

One very special event takes place this Thursday, July 18, when one of the Union Pacific's "Big Boy" locomotives pays a visit to Union Depot. From 9:00 am to 3:00 pm, visitors will have the opportunity to see Big Boy No. 4014, interact with the crew, enjoy food booths and participate in other fun activities!

In addition to special events throughout the year, Union Depot also hosts regular free gatherings for the community, including weekly yoga classes, weekly life-size game days, and monthly historic tours. Check out their calendar to see all their upcoming events.

The Sounds of Summer - Now with Hip Hop!

In addition to Twin Cities Jazz Fest (June 20 - 22) and the Lowertown Blues and Funk Festival (July 19 - 20), we are excited to add a new client and sound to our line-up of free summer music festivals in Mears Park: For the Love Project 5, a public celebration of Minnesota’s thriving, brilliant and expansive Hip Hop community. FTLP5 takes place on Saturday, July 6, in Mears Park and will include performances by Heiruspecs, Haphduzn, Lady Midnight and Dwynell Roland, as well as 16 emcees, 3 deejays, dancers, visual arts, community vendors, and food trucks.

 And if all this music has you tapping your feet, Theatre in Residence Flying Foot Forum brings its moving dance production, Heavan, to Park Square Theatre's Proscenium stage May 31 - June 23. Featuring wild dancing, heartbreakingly gorgeous music, and a love story, Heavan follows photographer Peter Adamson on a journey with his translator Faruk to save Faruk’s wife during the Bosnian war in the 1990s.