Summer at Orchestra Hall
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Legend of Cinema: John Williams’ Greatest Scores
JUL 23—25
Sarah Hicks, conductor
This all-new program features some of Williams' most unforgettable music of the silver screen, including E.T., Harry Potter, Star Wars, Close Encounters of the Third Kind and more.
John
Holiday with the Minnesota Orchestra
FRI AUG 7 8PM
Jonathan Taylor Rush, conductor John Holiday, countertenor
Hailed as “one of the finest countertenors of his generation” by the LA Times, Holiday performs an emotional song cycle by Carlos Simon.
An American Songbook with John Holiday
SAT AUG 8 7PM
Jonathan Taylor Rush, conductor John Holiday, countertenor
Jearlyn Steele, vocals
Jevetta Steele, vocals
A vibrant program drawn from the American Songbook, featuring music by Duke Ellington, George Gershwin, Billie Holiday and more.
Hi Holida
Volume 30, Issue 808 • May 14-27, 2026
EDITORIAL
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Our Mission is to End Veteran Homelessness in Minnesota
BY NOAH MITCHELL
Summer Is Here?
I won’t make any specific claims about when April showers will end, when May flowers will bloom or when summer will start in earnest. I’ve learned my lesson about making predictions after I claimed winter would be over by the time our Spring Dine & Drink issue would hit shelves. (There was a snowstorm on the day of publication.)
Whenever summer does start, though, and however long it lasts, there will be more than enough to keep us all busy throughout!
Our Summer What-to-Do list has, I suspect, enough to keep you occupied from now through Labor Day. There’s live music, drag shows, art festivals, pro sports Pride Nights, outdoor activities and more!
The first of those events starts, if you’re reading this on the day of publication, tomorrow, with Northeast Minneapolis Arts Association’s Art-aWhirl running May 15-17. If you’re interested in attending, Sommer Wagen previewed it for us in our last issue and highlighted some LGBTQ+ artists worth checking out. If you’re not interested, you’re also in luck; there are dozens of other options for you all summer long.
Even with the glut of options on our Summer What-to-Do list, I fear I’ve buried the lede. I left something out. Nothing crazy, it’s just our Regional and Small-Town Pride Guide and the beginning of our Pride Month coverage!
In addition to everything on the Summer What-to-Do list, our Regional and Small-Town Pride Guide collects Pride festivals from around Minnesota and the surrounding area and presents them to you on a glossy paper or glass-and-LED platter, depending on where you’re reading this. Whether you just want to figure out when and where your local Pride is or try to visit as many as
possible this summer, we have you covered. We also have feature articles on Anoka Pride Day and Rochester Pride for the first time, plus the story of Pine City, Minn., receiving an official historic marker recognizing East Central Minnesota Pride as the first-ever rural Pride celebration.
And that’s just the tip of the (quickly melting) iceberg. There will be many, many more Pride events and stories in our 27th annual Pride Issue, coming out at the end of May. For now, though, I hope planning everything else you’re doing this summer is enough to tide you over.
Photo courtesy of BigStock/Sosiukin
Rock and Roll Will Fly Forever
Do you ever wonder if Johnny ever did “B. Goode”? I’d turn Chuck Berry’s 1958 tune up full blast on my ’54 Merc convertible’s radio, tooling around town with that and the other rock ‘n’ roll greats blasting through those halcyon pre-Beatles days, along with Berry’s “Maybelline,” “Nadine,” “Route 66” and “Roll Over Beethoven.”
Back then, gasoline was 29 cents a gallon, traffic was light, the nights still dark enough for my father and me to stand out in the yard, wondering at the vast Milky Way that arched across the sky, already faint or invisible to brightly lit city-dwellers.
There were typical niggling teen problems: graduating high school, getting accepted at a decent college, young romance … well, let’s just say I had plenty of time to read. But tooling about in that white convertible on its red and black leather seats blew worry away — for a while.
In 1958, when Berry, lead vocalist and guitarist, accompanied by Lafayette Leake on piano, Willie Dixon on bass and drummer Fred Below, recorded the iconic tune, I was 17, and Berry a (then) grandfatherly 37. Partly autobiographical, he later explained he’d replaced Johnny’s original “colored boy” with “country boy,” to “ensure eligibility for radio play.” Was that so far a leap to the future? Or our present?
Nineteen years later, the “country boy” learned NASA’s 1977 launchings of Voyager 1 and 2 each contained a Voyager Golden Record with his “Johnny B. Goode,” the only rock ‘n’ roll entrant selected by committee head Carl Sagan. (Ethnomusicologist Alan Lomax protested that rock ‘n’ roll was too “adolescent” for inclusion, but Sagan declared that the current planet held many adolescents.) So “Johnny B. Goode” entered the welkin to ring the “rhythm, fire and soul of Earth.”
By the time of Charles Anderson Edward Berry’s death in March 2017, Voyager 1, having passed the heliopause on August 25, 2012, had sailed through interstellar space to achieve some 12.8 billion miles (20 billion kilometers). On or about November 13 of this current year (DV), it will have reached 16.1 billion miles (25.9 billion kilometers), at which point it will require 24 hours for light or radio signals to reach Earth. One Light-Day. It’s cold in outer space at 38,000 mph (61,000 kph); Voyager’s hull is near absolute zero at -455 F (-270 C), though of course there’s no wind to resist, no untoward drafts to buffet. Inside, where the Golden Record goes a-calling, seeking an audience, the temp’s just warm enough to keep the instruments at their chores. No music yet, classical, ethnic or rock ‘n’ roll, has been tapped.
Are they audible to celestial beings in the void? Can the spirits of their creators hear their progeny or that of the others? What would Ludwig or Pyotr Ilyich make of Berry’s “Roll Over Beethoven” and “Tell Tchaikovsky the News”? Tap their feet? Side with Alan Lomax? As mysterious as the Voyager’s fantastic speed — no, I err. It seems we do know space engineers achieved that through gravity assist maneuvers off Jupiter. Hormuz would be a walk in the park for this craft.
Berry drew from his background to write the four iconic stanzas and four refrains, the latter uncannily suitable to their current task:
Go, go
Go Johnny go, go
Go Johnny go, go
Go Johnny go, go
Go Johnny go, go
Johnny B. Goode
And if, perchance, the hull is breached, Voyager’s Golden Record deciphered, operated and understood; should those beings be motivated and able to search us out, what will they find? Moist eyes and welcoming arms? Loaded arms raised with NIMBY curses and threats? Puzzlement at ruined dwellings of charred, broken stones and empty, untrafficked roadways? None of us will ever know.
Should there be no knock at the hatch, Voyager and its passengers will slide through the stars forever. Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, folk singers, balladeers and Berry names borne into infinity.
His mother told him someday you will be a man
And you will be the leader of a big old band
Many people coming from miles around
To hear you play your music when the sun go down
Maybe someday your name will be in lights,
Saying “Johnny B. Goode” tonight.
Lights? An endless cornucopia of lights, forever.
Mother knew best.
Embracing Change: Beth Graczyk’s ‘A Body (Un)Becoming’
Audiences will soon gather for a performance that resists easy explanation or definition. Created by choreographer and dancer Beth Graczyk, “A Body (Un)Becoming” blends dance, live music and sculptural elements into something both intimate and unexpected. The dance duet, made in collaboration with composer Aaron Gabriel and dancer Leah Wilks, explores what happens when things fall apart and take shape again.
At the center of the work is a simple but powerful idea.
“Two intertwined experiences drew me to that tension between decay and transformation,” Graczyk says.
Her process began with biomaterials, using everyday organic matter like pine needles, charcoal and eggshells. One material kept returning.
“Eggshells stayed with me because they were everywhere,” she says. “No matter where I was, people were eating eggs.”
What started as a common object became something more. Graczyk began grinding the shells into dust and reshaping them. What she found surprised her.
“Something fragile could become dense, durable, almost concretelike,” she says. “I was moved by that material paradox: what breaks easily can also be remade into something strong.”
In the performance, that idea appears in 8-foot sculptures made from eggshells that move alongside the dancers.
A sense of change is not just material; it is also deeply personal. After more than 20 years as a professional dancer, Graczyk began to notice shifts in her own body.
“I came out of the pandemic feeling changes in stamina, agility and recovery that I had not confronted before,” she recalls.
Dancing with Wilks, who is younger, made those differences more visible.
“The choreography became a place where age was not hidden, but present,” Graczyk says.
That visibility is central to the work.
“The aging female body feels deeply underrepresented,” she says.
Rather than hiding those changes, the piece brings them forward. It also opens up space to rethink identity.
“Even though I use the term female-identified, I stretch that to its greatest possibility through queer imagination,” she says.
Loss also shapes the piece. As the work began, Graczyk lost a close friend.
“She told me that rather than returning as human, she hoped to come back as wind, so she could move through the world lightly, visiting those she loved as something felt rather than seen,” Graczyk says.
That idea carries through the performance, adding a quiet emotional layer.
The work evolved over time, taking shape through different versions and performances in new spaces. Each iteration revealed something new. One of the biggest shifts came in its structure.
“I’ve never made a piece that is a continual transformation from the previous moment,” she says.
That continuous flow shapes the audience experience. Instead of demanding constant attention, Graczyk invites viewers to settle in.
“There is no storyline, but there are ideas that I hope will settle in their own unique ways within the audience’s body during and after the perfor-
mance,” she says. “I want the audience’s imagination, breath and lived experience to weave into the visual, kinetic and sonic imagery we build.”
Collaboration is key to creating that environment. Graczyk has worked with Gabriel for 10 years, building a strong creative partnership, while Wilks brings another perspective to the stage.
“I believe in collaborative processes,” Graczyk says. “But I love it when the piece feels like it belongs to all of us.”
For Graczyk, sharing this work in Minneapolis carries special meaning.
“Minneapolis and the Twin Cities continue to be my hero,” she says. “I feel so embraced as an artist and a person.”
It is a place where experimental and queer work can thrive. “A Body (Un)Becoming” is also part of a larger series called “Desire Motor,” which Graczyk began in 2016. Each piece builds on the last, carrying forward ideas and questions.
“I think about the relationship between emotions and physical actions,” she says, “such as the relationship between gravity and grief.”
In the end, the performance does not offer clear answers. Instead, it asks viewers to sit with change, notice what shifts and consider what might emerge next. Like the eggshells at its center, it suggests that breaking is not an end, but part of becoming.
“A Body (Un)Becoming”
May 22 and 23 7:30 p.m.
Center for Performing Arts, Minneapolis bethgraczykproductions.com
Photos by Effy Grey
BY CARLA WALDEMAR
New Star on Selby
Aubergine had been a gleam in the eyes of industry pros Megan and Bjorn Jacobse for, like, forever, fueled by pop-ups here and there. After many a “Wait for it … it’s coming!” email to fervent foodies, it’s finally open, ready to put St. Paul’s Selby Avenue back on the food map where, decades ago, it reigned.
First off, it’s pretty. The couple resuscitated a storefront previously occupied by Revival, I’m told. Its airy, two-room interior (one with fleeting view of the busy kitchen) is brushed with tones of black and cream, accented by low café curtains shielding diners from Selby’s passing parade. Well-spaced tables stand ready to serve 44 diners. On the night of our dinner, tables didn’t turn; guests were welcome to linger for hours. Good thing because, during the soft opening, service proved funereally slow. (I’m counting on them to pick up the pace as routines evolve.)
The 14-item menu ($15 for a green salad to $70 for the lamb mixed grill, which we viewed on an adjoining table) speaks with a decided French accent, recalling the bustling, informal bistros lining a Parisian sidewalk. Start, perhaps, with the appetizer sampler ($21, meant for sharing) starring a sliver of rich roasted marrow forked from within its sturdy bone. It’s accompanied by a mound of beef tartare that’s robust and sweet, plus an oeuf en gelée, which translates to a hard-boiled egg encased in meatyflavored gelatin. (Q: Why do the French consider this interesting?) It’s presented with slices of rich brioche on which to spread the lusty tartare, which proved to be the tastiest member of this starter trio.
Would I order it again? Well, probably not. I’d move on to the pâte en croûte, saluting bits of pork, pistachios and white sausage bound in a pastry crust. Or the walleye dauphine, which, our server explained, presents the sweet fish flaked in a croquette. Or the chicken wings farci, which means somebody has gone to the trouble of stuffing them with a dice of chicken heart, liver and bits of mache lettuce. (Waste not, want not: good kitchen motto.)
Instead, we summoned the grilled leeks, where cross sections of the lusty fibrous veg are grilled (but presented cold, alas) and still somewhat hard to chew. They’re accented by a lovely, sweet/savory mound of blue cheese along with maitake mushrooms that wandered onto the plate. (Why? They’re not particularly appealing served cold, either.)
Next, another dish from the outfield: oysters, tiny but sweet and juicy, baked atop their shell, then served with little, bitty creampuffs filled with a pungent smoked whitefish dip and a deep-green lovage/nettle butter. I suspect folks will either adore this combo or wonder, “What were they thinking?”
The same goes for the foie gras torchon. As readers may remember, I love-love-love foie gras whenever, wherever, but please do take care to present it with a well-thought-out partner (I favor it with rhubarb, for instance). Here, it comes, fine-textured and bursting with savory liver-y flavor, alongside pain russe, which translates, in my opinion, to the likes of a breakfast Danish — no, no, no! — set in a pool of sweet carrot puree touched up with maple. Back to the drawing board.
We were prepared to continue with an order of beet tartare tatin, served with burnt honey and sheep’s cheese ($28). But, as can happen during opening-night flurries, the kitchen lost our order. A dessert fruit tart sounded good, but by now we’d been seated for over two hours and were ready to call it a night. I sipped the last of my wine (BTG $10-30) and headed out into the sunset over Selby, glad to be back in St. Paul in such a pleasant setting. Give the kitchen a minute or two to get its rhythm and sort out the winners from the also-rans on the menu, and I’ll eagerly return. Maybe by then there’ll be aubergine on the menu, too?
Restaurant Aubergine 525 Selby Avenue, St. Paul (651) 242-1362
restaurantaubergine.com
Nashville, Tenn.: A Vibrant Destination for LGBTQ+ Travelers
Nashville, Tenn., affectionately known as “Music City,” has long been a hub of culture, creativity and hospitality. From its historic roots in country music to its burgeoning culinary scene and inclusive nightlife, Nashville offers a dynamic array of experiences for every traveler. As a former resident, I can attest to Nashville being a welcoming and inclusive community for all.
For a modern and stylish stay, the Virgin Hotel Nashville delivers an unparalleled experience. Located in the heart of the Music Row neighborhood, this sleek and vibrant property blends Southern charm with contemporary design. Upon arrival, you’re greeted by warm hospitality and unique touches like the Commons Club, a lively social space where guests and locals mingle over creative cocktails and delicious bites.
The rooms, or “Chambers,” as Virgin calls them, are thoughtfully designed with functional layouts and bold décor. The patented “Red Room” design ensures comfort and privacy, featuring sliding doors that separate the sleeping area from the dressing room. Don’t miss the rooftop pool and bar, which offers stunning views of the Nashville skyline and serves as a hotspot for both relaxation and vibrant nightlife. The property is located in a quieter section of town, away from the hustle and bustle of Lower Broadway’s honkytonks.
For dinner, head to my absolute favorite establishment in the city, Chauhan Ale & Masala House. Helmed by celebrity chef Maneet Chauhan, this Indian-fusion restaurant takes diners on an unforgettable gastronomic journey. Signature dishes like the “Lamb Keema Papadi Nachos” and “Tandoori Chicken Poutine” creatively blend Indian spices with Southern comfort food staples, resulting in an explosion of flavors. My partner and I shared the Kale Pakora and Gol Guppa shots for our starter. Both were so delicious and seasoned to perfection. For our entrée, we had farm vegetables prepared in a moilee, a Southern Indian coconut milk curry. As always, a trip to Chauhan was a masterclass in Indian cuisine, making it a must-visit for food lovers.
Nashville’s LGBTQ+ nightlife is as vibrant and welcoming as the city itself, offering a variety of bars and clubs where everyone can feel at home.
The Lipstick Lounge is a local favorite, known for its friendly atmosphere and diverse crowd. This inclusive bar hosts karaoke nights, trivia contests and drag shows, making it a lively spot for entertainment and connection. It is also one of the last lesbian-owned bars in the country.
The Parthenon, Gol Guppa Shots at Chauhan Ale & Masala House, Virgin Hotels Nashville lobby, bedroom, exterior. Photos courtesy of Joey Amato
For a more dance-centric experience, check out Play Dance Bar, one of Nashville’s premier LGBTQ+ venues. With high-energy drag performances and themed dance nights, Play attracts locals and visitors alike. The spacious dance floor and stellar lineup of DJs ensure a night of nonstop fun. Another notable spot is Tribe, a stylish lounge offering expertly crafted cocktails and an upscale vibe. The dazzling light displays and chic décor make Tribe a great place to kick off a night out or enjoy a more laid-back evening.
You should also check out Canvas in East Nashville and Trax’s new location, which is receiving rave reviews from the locals.
Beyond nightlife, Nashville’s LGBTQ+ community is supported by several organizations that work tirelessly to foster inclusion and advocacy. TN Pride Chamber connects LGBTQ+ professionals and allies, promoting economic growth and equal opportunities. Annual events like Nashville Pride and the HRC Dinner further showcase the city’s commitment to fostering an inclusive environment, drawing thousands of attendees for parades, live performances and community celebrations.
A trip to Nashville wouldn’t be complete without visiting The Parthenon, a full-scale replica of the ancient Greek temple, located in Centennial Park.
Originally built in 1897 for Tennessee’s Centennial Exposition, this architectural marvel stands as a testament to the city’s dedication to art and history.
Inside, you’ll find a 42-foot statue of Athena, adorned with gold leaf and surrounded by intricate details that capture the essence of Greek mythology. The Parthenon also houses an impressive art museum featuring works from American artists, making it a cultural hub for visitors. Whether you’re a history buff, an art enthusiast or simply looking for a serene spot to enjoy Nashville’s natural beauty, The Parthenon is a must-see.
Nashville’s reputation as the epicenter of country music is celebrated at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. This iconic institution is home to a treasure trove of memorabilia, including costumes, instruments and personal artifacts from some of the genre’s most legendary artists.
Interactive exhibits allow visitors to explore the evolution of country music, from its roots to its modern-day influence. Highlights include the historic RCA Studio B, where legends like Elvis Presley and Dolly Parton recorded some of their greatest hits. Whether you’re a lifelong fan of country music or new to the genre, the museum offers a fascinating look at the stories and sounds that define Nashville.
For a sophisticated yet intimate dining experience, head to Black Rabbit, a chic restaurant and bar located in the Printers Alley neighborhood. The dimly lit, speakeasy-inspired setting creates an ambiance of mystery and charm, perfect for a romantic evening or a night out with friends. We stopped by for brunch and decided to try their biscuits ‘n gravy, cinnamon roll and breakfast tacos. Every item on the menu is scratch-made, and you can taste it in the food. If one thing is for certain, you will not leave hungry.
Nashville seamlessly blends its rich history with modern innovation, creating a destination that appeals to a wide range of interests. Whether you’re indulging in world-class cuisine, exploring cultural landmarks or immersing yourself in the city’s vibrant LGBTQ+ scene, there’s something for everyone in Music City. With its welcoming spirit and endless opportunities for adventure, Nashville invites you to create memories that will last a lifetime.
2026
Rochester Pride
Rochester Pride
May 16 • 12-5 p.m. • Soldiers Memorial Field, Rochester, Minn. rochmnpride.org
East Central Minnesota Pride
Regional and Small-Town Pride Guide
June 6 •11 a.m. to 5 p.m. • Robinson Park, 200 Fifth St. SE, Pine City, Minn. eastcentralminnesotapride.org
Anoka Pride Day
June 6 • 10 a.m. • Riverfront Memorial Park, Minn. facebook.com/AnokaPrideDay
Northfield Pride in the Park
June 6 • Central Park, 421 Fourth St. E., Northfield, Minn. northfieldpride.com
Thunder Pride
June 6 • Friendship Gardens, Thunder Bay, Ontario thunderpride.ca
Detroit Lakes Area Pride
June 7 • Detroit Lakes, Minn. dlareapride.org
Marshall Pride
June 12-14 • Independence Park, Marshall, Minn. marshallpride.org/home
Cook County Pride
June 13 • Harbor Park, Grand Marais, Minn. cookcountypride.org
Golden Valley Pride
June 13 • Brookview Park, 200 Brookview Pkwy. N., Golden Valley, Minn. goldenvalleypride.com
Chippewa Valley Pride in the Park
June 13 • 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. • Phoenix Park, Eau Claire, Wis. cvlgbt.org/pride-2026
STP Pride
June 13-14 • Dual Citizen Brewing Co., University Ave. and Hwy. 280, St. Paul stppride.org
Sioux Falls Pride Parade & Festival
June 13 • Parade in Downtown Sioux Falls 10-11 a.m. • Festival at Yankton Trail Park 12-5 p.m. • Sioux Falls, S.D. siouxfallspride.org
Bloomington Pride
June 14 • Bloomington Civic Plaza, Bloomington, Minn. bloomingtonpridemn.org • bloomingtonpridemn.org/festival
Hopkins Pride
June 14 • Downtown Park, Hopkins, Minn. hopkinspride.org
Itasca Pride Festival
June 14 • 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. • Grand Rapids, Minn. itascapride.org
Albert Lea Pride
June 20 • 12-4 p.m. • Rain date will be June 21 if needed • Central Park, Albert Lea, Minn. explorealbertlea.com/pride
Fergus Area Pride
June 20 • The Kirkbride Building, Fergus Falls, Minn. facebook.com/profile.php?id=61563277160991
Lake Minnetonka Pride Festival
June 20 • 12-8 p.m. • Spring Park, Minn. lakeminnetonkapride.org
Marshfield Pride
June 20 • Wenzel Family Plaza, Marshfield, Wis. facebook.com/MarshfieldPride
Red Wing Pride
June 20 • 1-5 p.m. • Central Park, Red Wing, Minn. facebook.com/RedWingMNPride
Valley Wide Pride Fest
June 21 • Lakefront Park, Hudson, Wisc. hudsonwipride.com
Aberdeen Area Pride Festival
June 23-25 • PRIDE Fest 1-4 p.m. • City Lights Event Center, 316 S. Second St., Aberdeen, S.D. aberdeenareapride.org
Brookings Pride in the Park
June 27 • 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. • Pioneer Park, Brookings, S.D. facebook.com/BrookingsPRIDE
Twin Cities Pride
June 27 and 28 • Loring Park, Minneapolis tcpride.org
WSP Pride in the Park
July 11 • 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. • West St. Paul Sports Complex, 1650 Oakdale Ave., St. Paul • Skate Night held July 10 at Harmon Park wsppride.com
Photo courtesy of BigStock/Prathan.
Lakes Area Pride
July 11 • 11 a.m. • City Park, Alexandria, Minn. facebook.com/LakesAreaPride/
Wright Sherburne Pride
July 18 • 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. • Ellison Park, Monticello, Minn. wrightsherburnepride.com/home • facebook.com/profile. php?id=100087038725043
Willmar Pride
August 1 • 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. • Rice Park, 805 Third St. SE, Willmar, Minn. facebook.com/people/Willmar-Pride/61567785221950/
Fargo-Moorhead Pride
August 7-9 • Island Park, Fargo, N.D. fmpride.org • facebook.com/FMPride
Range Iron Pride
August 8 • 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. • Iron Trail Motors Event Center, 919 Sixth St. S., Virginia, Minn. rangeironpride.org
MN POC Pride Festival presents Twin Cities
Black Pride 2026
August 12-16 • Location to be determined, visit website for updates mnpocpride.org
Bemidji Pride
August 27-29 • Rail River Folk School, Bemidji, Minn. bemidjipride.com
Duluth Superior Pride
September 3-6 • Bayfront Festival Park, Duluth, Minn. duluthsuperiorpride.com
South Central Minnesota Pride
September 10-13 • Big Festival on Saturday • Riverfront Park, Mankato, Minn. scmnpride.org/festival
La Crosse Pride in the Park
September 5 • 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. • Riverside Park, La Crosse, Wis. 7riverslgbtq.org/pride-in-the-park
Brainerd Lakes Pride
September 12 • 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. • Gregory Park, Brainerd, Minn. facebook.com/brainerdlakespride • sowingroom.org/2slgbtqia
Carver County Pride
September 12 • Carver County Fairgrounds, Waconia, Minn. carvercountypride.org
Columbia Heights Pride
September 12 • 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. • Kordiak Park, 1845 49th Ave. NE, Columbia Heights, Minn. heightsnext.org/events/pride
St. Cloud Pride
September 14-20 • Pride in the Park September 20 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. • Lake George/Eastman Park, St. Cloud, Minn. stcpride.org
Decorah Pride
October 10 • Several events will be held leading up to Pride, Festival is on Saturday • Downtown Decorah, Iowa decorahpride.org
Austin Pride
October 10 • 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. • Bandshell Community Park, Austin, Minn. austinmnpride.com
‘Northern Lights’ – Anoka Pride Turns Night Into Day
Once a year, the town is overrun by traditional avatars of fear: ghosts, goblins, gremlins and fleshless skeletons; devils, demons, dinosaurs and flesh-eating zombies; caped super-heroes, caped super-villains, caped vampires, two-legged animals and clowns — sad, happy, spooky … and sometimes caped.
They’re just people wearing disguises, of course. In those masks, they cavort down a jack-o’-lantern-lined Main Street, witnessed by smiling townsfolk and foliage the color of blood. This is Anoka, Minn. — seat of the county, with a population just under 20,000 souls — but every October 31st, the northern suburb reasserts its claim as Halloween Capital of the World.
Halloween is generally associated with masks, darkness and night … but three years ago, a small clique of Anoka citizens took the opposite approach when christening their summertime cavorting “Pride Day.”
“Initially, we just wanted it to be one day — like, literally, one day,” remembers Amber Bullock, owner of Anoka-based Metta Coffee and unapologetic planner of Pride.
Perhaps Bullock’s business experience helped with the nascent event’s branding.
“We didn’t want it to sound like it was ‘Pride in Anoka,’” she continues. “We wanted it to be a ‘Day of Pride.’ Not that we don’t otherwise have pride here in Anoka — we do, we live here. We really do hope we can someday do more outreach with some different things … but ‘Day’ is where we landed.”
Photos by Auden
Day 2026 kicks off at 10 a.m. on Saturday, June 6, at Anoka’s Riverfront Memorial Park. The whole operation is stuffed like a bag full of tricked treats, with such family-friendly events as “Interactive Make-and-Takes [and] hands-on creative activities for all ages,” according to the event’s press release.
This kid-friendly emphasis is no accident.
“We have a lot of queer youth in the north metro, so we want to make it really clear that all ages are welcome,” she assures. “It isn’t just for adults or for people who are super-involved in the queer community — it’s for everybody.”
In a way, this emphasis is merely a reflection of what already exists within the town’s demographics.
“There are so many queer families up here — single parent, multi-parent, poly everything, this is a really safe space,” Bullock points out. “That’s really important to us.”
The citizens benefit from this emphasis … but the city itself does, as well.
“First and foremost, it’s diversity — we are so diverse, this brings more diversity here, more inclusion and a real visibility for everyone, not just the queer community.” Bullock asserts. “It shows this great version of Anoka. It shows how much diversity and love and acceptance we have of everyone. Secondly, we bring in a ton of business that day!”
That business is measured in more than just dollars and cents. Each sponsor provides part of the background for what Pride Day’s press release calls
Pride
“Game in Town — A City-Wide Adventure.”
“Last year, we had 17 businesses, Pride Day sponsors, put up a word of affirmation,” Bullock asserts. “Players would go into the business and find that word of affirmation.”
But the scavenger-hunt-esque game isn’t a cynical attempt by local proprietors to pad their profits.
“You don’t have to purchase anything; you just have to find the word of affirmation and put it on your sheet. Then, [when all of the affirmations are collected], it’ll spell something out,” Bullock says. “It’s been a cool way to bring the whole community in, to be part of it.”
That same community is brought together in another way, too.
“The question we always get is, ‘Is there pushback?’” Bullock recounts. “We really haven’t had any pushback in the last three years — just some random online trolls who don’t even live in our area … which is funny.”
Entertainment will be provided, entertainment sure to contradict the autumn spirit for which the town is best-known … at least, so far. While it’s currently most famous for being the avatar of a holiday that centers on darkness and fear, Anoka will redefine itself as a place of acceptance and truth and light — at least for one day.
“It’s not scary to come to Pride Day in the north metro,” Bullock insists. “Seriously, it is so loving.”
And unmasked love always conquers masked fear, even when such fear is put on parade.
“People can bring their kids to Pride Day — they’re safe there, and they can come as they are,” Amber Bullock declares. “Love is everywhere — it is!”
Anoka Pride Day: Celebrate Love & Acceptance Saturday, June 6, 10 a.m. Riverfront Memorial Park, Anoka, Minn. Free and open to the public anokaprideday.org
BY NOAH MITCHELL
Rochester Pride Can’t Be Contained to One Day
There’s something that Lori Milanowski, vice chair of the Rochester Pride Board of Directors, doesn’t like about Rochester Pride: it only lasts one day.
“Rochester Pride is unfortunately one day of the year,” Milanowski says. “But we are working really hard to grow Rochester Pride into a yearround community. But it is one day to connect with your community, both community members and supportive organizations, businesses, artists, folks who want to create moments of queer joy, at least for that five-hour chunk of time.”
This year, that day is May 16, when Rochester Pride will take place from noon to 5 p.m. at Soldiers Field Park in Rochester, Minn. Although Milanowski laments that’s all the time they have, for those five hours, the park will be packed with art, entertainment, valuable resources and, most importantly, community.
“So this year’s focus in particular, our slogan is ‘Connecting Community,’” Milanowski shares. “It was really making sure that our vendors and our artists and everyone who’s going to be taking part are really great community members and community partners.”
One new way that Rochester Pride will be connecting community this year is through its True Self Studio, a gender-affirming pop-up closet and studio. It combines gender-affirming clothing and accessories with gender-affirming services, and it will all be free for the community to use, according to Milanowski.
Those services will include gender-affirming haircuts from a local queer hairstylist, queer-affirming health services including basic testing and connections to relevant providers, and hopefully, although not confirmed at time of writing, legal services including assistance with changing legal names and gender markers.
All of these resources will be available at Soldiers Field Park on May 16. Milanowski says she hopes that’s just the beginning, though, as Rochester Pride aspires to find a permanent location for True Self Studio in the future.
True Self Studio isn’t the only new feature of Rochester Pride this year, though. They’ve also partnered with nonprofit MNeurodivergent to add a sensory tent for those who are looking for a place to escape what can otherwise be an overwhelming sensory environment. The Landing MN, which provides services to people facing homelessness, is another organization joining what Milanowski describes as “a really strong network of nonprofits that service the community” at the festival this year.
In addition to nonprofits, there are new vendors, too, including Sinner Sota, which offers dirty sodas and energy drinks.
Along with all of the new features this year, Rochester Pride’s event stage will continue to anchor the festival. Within the five-hour festival, the stage will see 10 performances, including two bands, drag storytime, an improv show, a clown performance and a puppy parade, all accompanied by ASL interpreters.
Even with all of the exciting offerings packed into Rochester Pride, Milanowski still laments that they only get one day. However, that isn’t strictly
Photo by Katie Klaus Photography
true! There are also several events before and after the festival, extending the moments of queer joy Milanowski spoke of.
Those events will begin with Rochester Rainbow Choir’s pancake breakfast and performance fundraiser at nearby Zumbro Lutheran Church the morning of the festival. Then, at 6:30 p.m., after the festival concludes, national parks expert Mikah Meyer will be showing four of his short films and providing behind-thescenes commentary at Tyrol Ski Shop. Finally, at 2 p.m. on May 17, the History Center of Olmsted County is hosting a screening of Mark Wojahn’s documentary on Patrick Scully, “The Dance Is Not Over,” accompanied by a Q&A with Scully himself.
Rochester Pride is also starting their work to connect community year-round through their Community Outreach & Engagement committee, which is new this year. The committee, which Milanowski sits on, hosts quarterly events, like their recent zine creation event honoring Trans Day of Visibility, and listens to the local community to learn and try to address their needs.
That outreach isn’t limited to Rochester, either. Milanowski says that Rochester Pride offers a different experience from Twin Cities Pride, and encourages people from the Twin Cities and elsewhere to check it out themselves.
“I do think that Rochester Pride has a little bit different of a vibe, especially from Twin Cities Pride,” Milanowski says. “We’re very focused on activities, and everything’s in a very central location, so at any one point you can know what’s happening in the festival.” Continued on page 22
Photo by Tessa Marie Photography
It’s also the first Pride of the year in Minnesota, which could entice anyone who just doesn’t want to wait any longer for Pride season to get started. Milanowski is among those who are very ready for it to kick off.
“I am excited to see the community out and about,” Milanowski says. “I know, at least speaking for myself personally, these first three-and-a-half months of 2026 have been really rough with everything that is going on in the world, all the attacks that are happening on our queer community. It’s been a lot to process.”
“And I know for me, one of the bright lights in all this has been creating these opportunities to get together with folks and just talk about what’s happening, or even better, find outlets for expressing all of the feelings with folks who understand what you’re feeling,” Milanowski concludes. “And so I really see this year’s Pride as that opportunity to just say, ‘We’re still here.’ Not to be cheesy, but, ‘We’re here, we’re queer, we’re not going anywhere,’ and just to exist in joy together, for, even if it’s just five hours, one afternoon. It’s really a space to grow stronger together.”
Rochester Pride May 16, noon to 5 p.m.
Soldiers Field Park, Rochester, Minn. rochmnpride.org
Photos by Katie Klaus Photography
East Central Minnesota Pride Puts a Mark on History
With a population of around 4,000 residents, Pine City, Minn., is a rather small community known for its beautiful landscapes and quiet residential atmosphere. However, despite its size, Pine City is home to a very active and supportive community of LGBTQ+ people and allies. Each year, Pine City hosts East Central Minnesota (ECMN) Pride, America’s first rural Pride.
Since its start 21 years ago, ECMN Pride has continued to build upon itself, growing larger, livelier and more inspirational with each celebration. This year, ECMN Pride organizers were able to do something even bigger than before: honor and mark LGBTQ+ history with a commemorative plaque.
Aaron Bombard, chair of the ECMN Pride planning committee, has been working with other organizers on getting ECMN Pride recognized as the first rural Pride celebration. Coming from the metro area, Bombard was unfamiliar with what it would be like living in a small town. However, after he arrived in Pine City almost 15 years ago, he soon realized how welcoming and special the community is.
“I’ve gotten involved with East Central Minnesota Pride, and that’s been exciting to do because I think that was one of my biggest fears about moving to a small town,” Bombard shares. “It’s really easy to find acceptance and find cliques and groups in the cities, and my perception was that that was not the same in a small town, and I know Pine City is a little bit more unique than most small towns, but it ended up being the opposite here.”
It was within the welcoming community of Pine City that Don Quaintance decided to bring a group of gay, bi and questioning men together in an organization he called East Central Men’s Circle. Starting in 2000, members of Men’s Circle would come together to celebrate Pride with one another over small dinners and events.
By 2005, Men’s Circle had decided to extend this event to surrounding allies and members of the LGBTQ+ community. This decision not only brought forth years of celebration but also marked LGBTQ+ history.
“Don Quaintance and Randy and Nate, I think, are our three final remaining members that are original to the start, but they all were a part of what was called Men’s Circle, which still exists, which is a group for queer men in the area,” Bombard explains. “They started just kind of getting together
Photo by Nathan Johnson
at a local restaurant, just kind of a social thing to stay connected to people, and then about five years into that they decided, ‘Hey, let’s start something official.’”
This first ECMN Pride event was hosted at Voyageur Park and only consisted of about 20-40 people. However, according to Bombard, the event has since grown so significantly that it has moved to the larger Robinson Park.
“These days we do it in Robinson Park because it has a little bit more space since we’ve grown, but it was originally just kind of like a picnic in the park, kind of potluck … I think they had said the original had like 20 to 40 people at it. It was a lot of people from the Men’s Circle,” Bombard shares.
Two years ago, Bombard and other organizers of ECMN Pride were preparing to bring to life their 20th annual celebration. The group already believed ECMN Pride to be the first rural Pride event; however, there was no official recognition of this status. But, with this exciting landmark nearing, some within the group discussed starting the process of getting historically recognized.
“Some of the group had decided … we should really try to figure out how to commemorate that we were the first rural Pride and, you know, we don’t take credit necessarily for the Pride movement as a whole, because there’s so many major cities that have put a lot of work into that,” Bombard says. “But, since we’ve started our Pride, I mean, I feel like even in the last 10 years, you’ve seen so many rural Prides taking off and a lot of them have reached out to us to ask us, ‘Hey, how are you doing it?’”
Soon, the organizers connected with multiple universities to establish the necessary documents and evidence needed to present to the Minnesota Historical Society as proof that ECMN Pride is the first rural Pride event. From their research, they felt more confident than ever that ECMN Pride was the
first rural Pride event, and they composed a proposal for the Minnesota Historical Society detailing their findings.
“They awarded us a historical and cultural heritage grant which would cover the cost of the historical marker,” Bombard explains. “So, we will be a true historical marker just like you would see with a lot of different elements in Minnesota, where history is honored, will be on the map of historical landmarks in the state … and it’ll be the first LGBTQ+ marker in the state as well.”
Bombard hopes that the plaque will stand as a marker that recognizes the overall community of Pine City as the welcoming and fearless city that it is. With so much of history being lost to time, having a plaque honoring this significant and unique event is extremely valuable to ECMN Pride and Pine City itself.
“I hope that for the people who do already live here that they know that this is something that the community as a whole has worked towards, right, not just the LGBTQ+ community here, but also all of our allies that have fought fearlessly to defend Pride and keep it what it is,” Bombard shares. “It’s being recognized as something that’s historically important for our community, which is often overlooked in terms of the historical sense of honoring our steps that we’ve made towards equality.”
A ceremony for the plaque is being held where it all began, Voyageur Park in Pine City, Minn., on May 28. Because the hard work and research have already been completed, all that is left is to celebrate. Attendees can expect live music, decadent rainbow desserts and speeches from many prominent figures, including Kent Bombard, Minnesota’s only openly gay mayor and husband to Aaron Bombard.
EAST CENTRAL MEN'S CIRCLE
EAST CENTRAL PURPLE CIRCLE
820 Main Street S. | Pine City
2026 Summer What-to-Do
Summers in Minnesota are all too short, with their warm and golden days to be savored and treasured after a long, cold winter. Residents here know not to squander them; we know that we have to fill them with as much fun and activity as we can, and local communities are more than happy to help out by providing a multitude of festivals, fairs and celebrations to fill these long, sun-soaked days. We’ve compiled a list of some of the events you can find around the area in these hazy, lazy days of summer to enjoy when you’re not up at the cabin or out on the lake!
Art-A-Whirl
May 15-17 • Friday 5-10 p.m., Saturday 12-8 p.m., Sunday 12-5 p.m. • Northeast Minneapolis
The largest open artist studio tour in the country, Art-A-Whirl showcases over 1,600 NEMAA member artists, galleries and businesses in 100plus locations. Free and open to the public! nemaa.org/art-a-whirl
Drag Brunch With the Divas – With Sunny Dee-Lite
May 17 • Brunch at 11 a.m., Show at 12:30 p.m. • Chanhassen Dinner Theatres, Main Stage, 501 W. 78th St., Chanhassen, Minn.
Get ready to brunch like a queen at Nina DiAngelo’s flagship drag extravaganza, where you never know which legendary diva might take the stage! chanhassendt.com/dragshows
Kickoff to Summer at the State Fair
May 21-24 • Tickets $14 online, $17 at gate, children 4 and under are free • Event is rain or shine • Minnesota State Fairgrounds, St. Paul
Join us for the fifth annual kickoff, which will feature more food than ever, a one-of-a-kind puzzle hunt, a free prize wheel, music, shopping and entertainment! mnstatefair.org/kickoff-to-summer
Cantus presents “Covers: Dolly & Friends”
May 30 to June 7 • Tickets $5-$47 • Luminary Arts Center, 700 N. First St., Minneapolis
Get ready for an unforgettable night of music celebrating the legendary Dolly Parton and her profound influence on generations of artists
as Cantus will have you tapping your toes, singing your hearts out, and embracing the joy, heartbreak and hope that only Dolly and other iconic female artists can bring. cantussings.org
Edina Art Fair
June 5-7 • Friday 12-8 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. • 50th and France, Edina, Minn.
With approximately 250,000-300,000 visitors to this three-day festival, this top-ranked art fair is not one to be missed!
50thandfrance.com/art-fair
St. Anthony Park Arts Festival
June 6 • Activities from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. • Como & Carter Ave., St. Paul
Join us for a day full of fun! The festival offers 70-plus artist booths, two music stages, a beer and mead garden, plus plenty of family activities to suit any age. sapfest.org
Grand Old Day
June 7 • 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. • Grand Avenue, St. Paul
Join us for the largest free one-day festival in the Midwest! St. Paul’s kick-off to summer promises food, music, fun and even a 3K run for all ages. grandave.com/events/grandoldday
Lakewood 2026 Music in the Chapel: Twin Cities Gay Men’s Chorus: Borealis
June 7 • $20 advance, $30 door • 3-4 p.m. • Historic Memorial Chapel, Lakewood Cemetery, 3600 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis
Borealis, a dynamic 10-bass chamber ensemble from the Twin Cities Gay Men’s Chorus, brings their powerful voices to the chapel to connect, heal and celebrate the voices of all. lakewoodcemetery.org/events-calendar/musicin-the-chapel
Trans Joy Fest
June 7 • 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. • Park Point, Duluth Hosted by Trans Northland, this event aims to bring love, hope and joy into the transgender, two-spirit and gender expansive community. The festival will feature many vendors, performers, youth- and family-friendly activities, food trucks and so much more. transnorthland.org
Minnesota Twins Pride Day
June 12 • 7:10 p.m. • Twins vs. St. Louis Cardinals • Target Field, Minneapolis
Dress in your sportiest rainbow gear and cheer on the Twins as they celebrate the vibrant LGBTQ+ community so prevalent here in Twins Territory. mlb.com/twins
Excelsior Art on the Lake 2026
June 13 and 14 • Sat 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sun 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. • Water Street, Excelsior, Minn. Spend your day perusing 120-plus artists displaying original works alongside live music and a variety of food offerings. Enjoy Excelsior’s unique shops, galleries and eateries while you check out the many booths and vendors! excelsiorlakeminnetonkachamber.com/art-onthe-lake/
Drag Divas & Pride Anthem at Chanhassen Dinner Theatre
June 14 • Brunch at 11 a.m., Show at 12:30 p.m. • Age recommendation 13-plus • Chanhassen Dinner Theatres, Main Stage, 501 W. 78th St., Chanhassen, Minn.
Wear your pride loud and turn up the volume with this drag brunch featuring bold beats, fierce performances and unapologetic joy. chanhassendt.com/dragshows
Saint Paul Saints Pride Night
June 18 • 7:07 p.m. • Saints vs. Omaha Storm
Chasers • CHS Field, St. Paul
Dress in your rainbow best and come out to see the Saints take on Omaha! milb.com/st-paul
Twin Cities Jazz Festival
June 19 and 20 • Mears Park, 221 Fifth St. E., St. Paul
The Twin Cities Jazz Festival is celebrating its 28th year! The festival is free and open to all. twincitiesjazzfestival.com
Photo
In Greater Palm Springs, every traveler belongs. Explore a vibrant oasis where inclusivity and individuality shine beneath endless blue skies — and mark your calendars for November 5-8 to join us for Greater Palm Springs Pride, an annual celebration of love, joy, and community.
Stone Arch Bridge Festival
June 20 and 21 • Saturday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. • West River Parkway, 11th Ave. S. to N. Fourth Ave., Minneapolis
Join more than 200 artists and culinary artists from a broad spectrum of mediums for this festival along the river in our 29th year. stonearchbridgefestival.com
Twin Cities Gay Men’s Chorus presents “Disney PRIDE in Concert with Minnesota Orchestra”
June 20 and 21 • 7 p.m. on Saturday, 2 p.m. on Sunday • Tickets $28-$53 • Orchestra Hall, 1111 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis
Join TCGMC as they celebrate LGBTQ+ life, love, family and pride in a spectacular new concert that draws inspiration from both iconic Disney films as well as modern classics. Visit TCGMC’s website to purchase tickets. tcgmc.org
Minnesota Lynx Pride Night
June 21 • 5 p.m. (Time subject to change) • Target Center, Minneapolis
Come out and celebrate Pride Night as the Lynx take on the Washington Mystics. lynx.wnba.com
Breakaway Music Festival
June 26-27 • Friday 3-10:30 p.m., Saturday 3-10:30 p.m. • 18-plus • Allianz Field Festival Grounds, 400 Snelling Ave. N., St. Paul
Come out and enjoy a great lineup of queer artists for a weekend of youthful dance music. universe.com/events/breakaway-minnesota2026-tickets-FR16NP
Pride Beer Dabbler 2026
June 26 • 6-9:30 p.m., 5 p.m. with Early Access • Minneapolis Sculpture Garden
Get ready to dress cute and raise your glasses and Pride flags because Pride Beer Dabbler is back this year for its 14th year and bringing together over 70 Minnesota breweries and cideries!
beerdabbler.com/festivals/pride-beer-dabbler
Wayzata Art Experience
June 27 and 28 • Downtown Wayzata, Minn. The jewel of Lake Minnetonka welcomes art lovers from across the Twin Cities to enjoy a celebration of art, music, food and fun for all ages.
artexperience.wayzatawestmetrochamber.com
One Voice Mixed Chorus presents “Royalty”
June 27 and 28 • Saturday 7-9 p.m., Sunday 3-5 p.m. • Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, 345 Washington St., St. Paul
Blending choral music, drag artistry and storytelling, this concert uplifts queer history, challenges choral traditions, and honors drag as both an art form and resistance.
onevoicemn.org/upcoming-events
LGBTQIA2S+ Pride Demonstration Box
Tending on Nicollet Island
June 30 • 6-8 p.m. • Nicollet Island, Minneapolis
Join us for a special evening during Pride Month to come together and revitalize the planting demonstration boxes in the Nicollet Island prairie. fmr.org/events/lgbtqia2s-pride-demonstrationbox-tending-nicollet-island
Taste of Minnesota
July 3 and 4 • 4-10 p.m. on Friday, 12-10 p.m. on Saturday • Washington Avenue and Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis
Delicious food vendors, standout local businesses, talented artists, inspired makers and an all-star lineup of music — your Fourth of July weekend will never be the same! tasteofmn.com
Red, White and Boom!
July 4 • 6 p.m., Fireworks begin at 10 p.m. • West side of Mississippi River at Water Works and Stone Arch Bridge parking lot, Downtown Minneapolis
Join us to help celebrate Independence Day! Live music, food trucks and spectacular pyrotechnics. minneapolisparks.org/activities-events/events/ red_white_and_boom
79th Annual Fourth in the Park
July 4 • 8-6 p.m. • St. Anthony Park/Langford Park/ Como Avenue
Pull out your flag, grab your lawn chair and dress in your patriotic best! There will be a fun run, a parade, food trucks, park activities, live music, a kids’ zone and so much more for a full day’s worth of fun and celebration at one of the longest-running parades in Minnesota! 4thinthepark.org
Lakefront Music Fest 2026
July 10 and 11 • Lakefront Park, Prior Lake, Minn. Rock music? They’ve got it. Country music? They’ve got that, too! Billy Idol will headline Saturday’s lineup, while Keith Urban will take the stage as headliner for Sunday. See them and more!
lakefrontmusicfest.com
Continued on page 30
Lakewood 2026 Music in the Chapel: Mwago Kuria
July 12 • $10 advance, $15 door • 3-4 p.m. • Historic Memorial Chapel, Lakewood Cemetery, 3600 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis Mwago Kuria, a Minneapolis-based artist specializing in blues, R&B and funk, brings his uplifting and deeply soulful music and joyful energy to the Chapel. lakewoodcemetery.org/events-calendar/musicin-the-chapel
Cantus presents “Genius Child”
July 14-17 • Tickets $5-47 • Various venues — check website for locations of specific dates Cantus will take you on a journey to explore what it means to create beauty in the face of injustice with the works of brilliance created by Black poets, musicians and artists during the Harlem Renaissance. cantussings.org
Spirit of the Lakes Festival
July 16-18 • Surfside Park, Mound, Minn. Lakeside yoga, movies in the park, food, music or the Wakesurf Open on Lake Minnetonka — there are 10,000 ways to celebrate Minnesota and its 10,000 lakes! spiritofthelakes.com
Minnehaha Falls Art Fair 2026
July 17-19 • Friday 3-8 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. • Minnehaha Falls Park, 4801 S. Minnehaha Dr., Minneapolis
Over 180 artists, food and drink, kids’ activities, live entertainment, all at beautiful Minnehaha Falls! homespunevents.com/minnehahafallsartfair
Lumberjack Days
July 17-19 • Downtown Stillwater, Minn. Embrace Minnesota’s lumberjack history and culture with lumberjack shows, parade, downhill derby, a 5K and 10K race, a boat cruise and plenty of live music in beautiful downtown Stillwater! lumberjackdays.com
Minnesota Yacht Club Festival
July 17-19 • Various Ticket Levels Available • Harriet Island Regional Park, St. Paul
Set the summer on fire with music from The Lumineers, The Black Keys, Marcy Playground, Matchbox Twenty, The Strokes and more! Three days of performances over two stages with no overlapping sets. minnesotayachtclubfestival.com
July Drag Brunch
July 19 • Brunch at 11 a.m., Show at 12:30 p.m. • Chanhassen Dinner Theatres, Main Stage, 501 W. 78th St., Chanhassen, Minn.
Get ready to brunch like a queen at Nina DiAngelo’s flagship drag extravaganza, where you never know which legendary diva might take the stage! chanhassendt.com/dragshows
Loring Park Art Festival
July 25 and 26 • Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. • Loring Park, Minneapolis
A Twin Cities staple since 2000, this urban oasis of art and culture features over 150 visual artists showcasing and selling their work, strolling musicians, stage performances, children’s activities and numerous culinary options for everyone.
loringparkartfestival.com
Minnesota Pottery Festival
July 25-26 • Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. • West Masonic River Park, Les Kouba Pkwy. NW, Hutchinson, Minn. Featuring 35 potters from all over the nation, you can browse racks of original, unique gifts from the weird to the wonderful. Demonstrations, free kids’ activities, food and beverage trucks and more.
mnpotteryfestival.com
20th Annual Dragon Boat Races
July 30 to August 1 • Bemidji, Minn.
Great food, a 5K and Kids Fun Run, entertainment, music, a parade of teams, cultural performances — you’ll find it all here! bemidjidragonboat.com
35th Annual Powderhorn Art Fair
August 1 and 2 • 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days • Powderhorn Park, Minneapolis
Come on out for the 35th annual fine art and fine crafts event featuring over 150 artists, immersive art installations, food vendors and more! The Fair features artwork across 20 media. powderhornartfair.com
The 35th Annual Polo Classic
August 2 • Rain or Shine • 6755 Turner Rd., Maple Plain, Minn.
Elegant hats, summer fashion, champagne, tasty appetizers, tailgating, divot stomping and sleek horses thundering across the field as their riders wield mallets to knock balls through the goal — what more could you ask for in regards to a great way to spend a summer day? How about the proceeds going to This Old Horse to give retired and rescued horses green pastures for their golden years! It’s a win-win for everyone! thepoloclassic.com
33rd Annual Minnesota Fringe Festival
August 6-16 • Various venues
There’s something for everyone at the Fringe! minnesotafringe.org
Uptown Art Fair 2026
August 7-9 • Friday 1-7 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. • Lake of the Isles Parkway, Minneapolis
The Uptown Art Fair returns with approximately 300 gallery-quality artists from across the country. Live art demonstrations, music, food trucks and family-friendly activities. zapplication.org/event-info.php?ID=14541
Northern Minnesota CampOUT
August 6-9 • West Forty RV Park Campground, Gilbert, Minn.
Enjoy an LGBTQ+ safe space, make new friends and explore the beauty of Northern Minnesota! This year’s CampOUT will be coordinated with Range Iron Pride. Owners Paul and Chuck will host their usual CampOUT CookOUT as well! westfortyrvpark.com/campout-weekend.html
Lakewood 2026 Music in the Chapel: Flutes and Low
August 9 • $10 advance, $15 door • 3-4 p.m. • Historic Memorial Chapel, Lakewood Cemetery, 3600 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis
Folk duo Ben Pichler and Cambria Haen, also known as Flutes and Low, create lush sounds and memorable melodies that are deeply influenced by the rich landscapes of the Midwest. lakewoodcemetery.org/events-calendar/musicin-the-chapel
37th Annual Bayfront Blues Festival
August 14-16 • Bayfront Festival Park, Duluth, Minn.
One of the largest annual outdoor music events in the upper Midwest hosts nearly 20,000 fans to hear more than 30 different acts on two stages. bayfrontblues.com
August Drag Brunch
August 16 • Brunch at 11 a.m., Show at 12:30 p.m. • Chanhassen Dinner Theatres, Main Stage, 501 W. 78th St., Chanhassen, Minn.
Get ready to brunch like a queen at Nina DiAngelo’s flagship drag extravaganza, where you never know which legendary diva might take the stage!
chanhassendt.com/dragshows
LGBTQ+ Boundary Waters Trip
August 19-23 • $895 per person, with possible financial assistance based on need • Groups of 4-8 • Ages 18-plus • Ely, Minn.
Ely Outfitting Company & Boundary Waters Guide Service is a gay-owned business that supports diversity and inclusion in outdoor spaces, so this is a great opportunity to make new friends and meet interesting people in a beautiful locale! This trip is queer-guided & open exclusively to those who identify as members of the LGBTQ+ community.
elyoutfittingcompany.com/lgbtq-boundarywaters-trip/
2026 Minnesota State Fair
Aug 27 to September 7 • Minnesota State Fairgrounds, St. Paul
Pronto Pups, cheese curds, deep-fried everything on a stick, music, animals and hanging out with tens of thousands of people? It can only be The Great Minnesota Get-Together! mnstatefair.org
Pride in Every Note: Jazz Brings the Twin Cities Together
Established in 1999, the Twin Cities Jazz Festival unifies St. Paul’s Lowertown into a community of swing, syncopation, complex harmonies and unique voices.
And, although my love for jazz only began upon watching “La La Land” for the first time (yes, Ryan Gosling does indeed know how to play jazz piano), many have loved the genre for much longer.
Dayna Martinez, Executive Director of Twin Cities Jazz Fest, is one of those people.
In high school, Martinez played the flute, and her mother taught her how to play the piano at a young age. She sang and danced in her local swing choirs, “Madrigal Swingers,” and although she never played jazz, she loved listening to it and “meeting her passion halfway,” through her school’s marching and concert bands.
Yet, when Martinez attended Avila University, a catholic college in Kansas City, “I might have been the only music major,” she says.
Here, she took piano and voice lessons, but ultimately found she wanted to be involved in the arts in a nontraditional way. So, Martinez took three years off before heading to graduate school, eventually obtaining a degree in performing arts management and leading the Flint Hills Family Festival for 10 years at the Ordway, in the only full-time position.
“We are a small crew, but we truly love what we do,” Martinez says. “I love the planning part, but my favorite part is when it’s actually happening … seeing the people enjoy the music and each other’s company.”
Although the two-day festival doesn’t start until June 19, Martinez says the planning process goes on all year, especially since the festival is a nonprofit organization with free admission.
From applying for grants, sponsorships, obtaining licenses and permits to booking artists and coordinating vendors for sound, staging, and food trucks, the behind-the-scenes work is what keeps the festival free and accessible to all.
This year, there will be approximately 20 venues and 200 artists, accepting submissions from local and regional jazz musicians and bands, with the Yellowjackets headlining. The lineup organically embodies a contemporary jazz theme that weaves in traditional, manouche, electronic, global and standards jazz.
For those who aren’t already involved in the jazz music scene, Martinez says this festival serves as the perfect opportunity to connect with other humans, especially as the city of Minneapolis heals together.
Wanting to do things a little differently each year, she arranged a new family zone at Twin Cities PBS (TPT) and an activated Sixth Street to house a beer garden and a performance space.
“You don’t even have to bring anything with you … just come and come as you are, and come and sit down and listen to some great music or dance, if you’d like,” Martinez says.
Artist Spotlight: Leslie Vincent
From the very start of her career, Leslie Vincent’s “why” always led back to the concept of creating something that resonates with people, saying,
Photo courtesy of Leslie Vincent
Community Connection brings visibility to local LGBTQ-friendly non-profit organizations. To reserve your listing in Community Connection, email advertising@lavendermagazine.com.
ANIMAL RESCUE
Second Chance Animal Rescue
Dedicated to rescuing, fostering, caring for, and adopting out dogs and cats into forever homes.
P.O. Box 10533
White Bear Lake, MN 55110 (651) 771-5662 www.secondchancerescue.org
BUSINESS ASSOCIATIONS
Quorum
Minnesota's LGBTQ+ and Allied Chamber of Commerce working to build, connect, and strengthen for a diverse business community.
2446 University Ave. W., Ste 112 St. Paul, MN 55114 (612) 460-8153 www.twincitiesquorum.com
ENVIRONMENT
The Nature Conservancy
TNC is an environmental nonprofit working to create a world where people and nature thrive. 1101 W. River Pkwy., Ste. 200 Minneapolis, MN 55415-1291 (612) 331-0700 minnesota@tnc.org www.nature.org/minnesota
EVENT VENUES
Landmark Center
A classic venue, with a grand cortile and beautiful courtrooms, accommodates celebrations of all sizes.
75 W. 5th St. St. Paul, MN 55102 (651) 292-3228 www.landmarkcenter.org
FOUNDATIONS
University of Minnesota Foundation
Connecting passion with possibility to transform the future through philanthropy. 200 Oak St. SE, Ste. 500 Minneapolis, MN 55455 (612) 624-3333 giving@umn.edu www.give.umn.edu
GRANTMAKERS/FUNDERS
PFund Foundation
PFund is the LGBTQ+ community foundation that provides grants to students and grants to non-profits. PO Box 3640 Minneapolis, MN 55403 (612) 870-1806 www.pfundfoundation.org
HEALTH & WELLNESS
Aliveness Project
Community Center for individuals living with HIV/AIDS – on-site meals, food shelf, and supportive service. 3808 Nicollet Ave. S. Minneapolis, MN 55102 (612) 824-LIFE (5433) www.aliveness.org
COMMUNITY CONNECTION
MEDIA & COMMUNICATIONS
Radio K
Radio K is the award-winning studentrun radio station of the University of Minnesota. 330 21st. Ave. S. Minneapolis, MN 55455 (612) 625-3500 www.radiok.org
MEDICAL SERVICES
Red Door Clinic
HIV and STI screening, treatment, education, and referrals. Doxy PEP, nPEP, PrEP, and Reproductive Health. 525 Portland Ave., 4th Fl. Minneapolis, MN 55415 (612) 543-5555 reddoor@hennepin.us www.reddoorclinic.org
MUSEUM
Minnesota Historical Society
Create your own adventure at MNHS historic sites and museums around Minnesota. www.mnhs.org
Minneapolis Institute of Art
Home to masterpieces from around the world and through the ages. Always free. Everyone welcome.
2400 3rd Ave. S. Minneapolis, MN 55404 (612) 870-3000 www.artsmia.org
Science Museum of Minnesota
Mississippi Riverfront Museum featuring dinosaurs, hands-on exhibits, Omnitheater films, and interactive science performances. Café onsite.
120 W. Kellogg Blvd. St. Paul, MN 55102 (651) 221-9444 www.smm.org
PERFORMING ARTS
ARENA DANCES
ARENA DANCES presents innovative contemporary dance, fostering community, dialogue, and inclusion through performance and education 711 W. Lake St., Studio 308 Minneapolis, MN 55408 (612) 804-0238 www.arenadances.org
Chanhassen Dinner Theatres
The nation's largest professional dinner theater and Minnesota's own entertainment destination.
501 W. 78th St. Chanhassen, MN 55317 (952) 934-1525 www.chanhassendt.com
Children’s Theatre Company
Children’s Theatre Company excites the imagination with world-class family-friendly theatre for kids, teens, and adults.
2400 3rd Ave. S. Minneapolis, MN 55404 (612) 874-0400 www.childrenstheatre.org
Guthrie Theater
Open to the public year-round, the Guthrie produces classic and contemporary plays on three stages. 818 S. 2nd St. Minneapolis, MN 55415 (612) 377-2224
www.guthrietheater.org
Minnesota Opera
World-class opera draws you into a synthesis of beauty; breathtaking music, stunning costumes & extraordinary sets. Performances at the Ordway Music Theater - 345 Washington St. St. Paul, MN 55102 (612) 333-6669
www.mnopera.org
Minnesota Orchestra
Led by Music Director Thomas Søndergård, the Minnesota Orchestra, one of America’s leading symphony orchestras. 1111 Nicollet Mall Minneapolis, MN 55403 (612) 371-5656, (800) 292-4141 www.minnesotaorchestra.org
Twin Cities Gay Men’s Chorus
An award-winning chorus building community through music and offers entertainment worth coming out for! 1430 W. 28th St., Ste. B Minneapolis, MN 55408 (612) 339-SONG (7664) chorus@tcgmc.org www.tcgmc.org
RELIGIOUS & SPIRITUAL
All God's Children Metropolitan Community Church
A welcoming, inclusive, safe place to explore and discover God's love for ALL God's children. 3100 Park Ave. Minneapolis, MN 55407 (612) 824-2673 www.agcmcc.org
Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church
Everyone is welcome at Hennepin Church! Vibrant Worship. Authentic Community. Bold Outreach. 511 Groveland Ave. Minneapolis, MN 55403 (612) 871-5303 www.hennepinchurch.org
Spirit Garage
A Christian community of creative, quirky, curious folx where All Means ALL. Sundays, 10:30am. 100 W. 46th St. Minneapolis, MN 55419 bigdoor@spiritgarage.org www.spiritgarage.org
Westminster Presbyterian Church
An open and affirming congregation, welcoming persons of all sexual orientations, gender expressions and identities. 1200 Marquette Ave. Minneapolis, MN 55403 (612) 332-3421 www.westminstermpls.org
SENIOR LIVING
Lyngblomsten
Offering caregiver education, resources, support groups, and The Gathering (daytime respite, memory-loss enrichment program).
1415 Almond Ave. St. Paul, MN 55108 (651) 632-5320 caregiving@lyngblomsten.org www.lyngblomsten.org/CServices
SOCIAL GROUPS
Let’s Do Coffee & Let’s Do Lunch hosted by Friends & Co. Free, drop-in gatherings. LGBTQ+ adults 62+. Various locations. Coffee, pastries, or lunch—no RSVP needed.
2550 University Ave. W., Ste. 260-S St. Paul, MN 55114 (612) 721-1400
www.FriendsCo.org
SOCIAL SERVICES
Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota
Serving all Minnesotans with individualized services that promote full and abundant lives.
lssmn.org | (651) 642-5990 | (800) 582-5260 Foster Care and Adoption | chlss.org | (651) 646.7771
PICS (Partners in Community Supports) | (651) 967-5060
Pooled Trust | (888) 806-6844
Supported Decision-Making | (888) 806-6844
SPORTS & RECREATION
The Loppet
Minneapolis nonprofit connecting people to the outdoors through experiences that grow community.
1301 Theodore Wirth Pkwy. Minneapolis, MN 55422 (612) 604-5330 www.loppet.org
TRAVEL DESTINATIONS
Westopolis
Minnesota’s Sweet Spot! St. Louis Park & Golden Valley offer exceptional dining, attractions, shopping, hotels and event space.
1660 Hwy 100 S., Ste. 501 St. Louis Park, MN 55416 (952) 426-4047 www.westopolis.org
“That’s like the whole point, for my music to speak to someone.”
As an openly queer jazz vocalist and songwriter, Vincent says much of her music speaks to her and her wife’s life together, and weaves in stories about her experiences as a queer woman into her shows.
“The reality of me is that I have a really big mouth, and even though I often prep what I’m going to say during a show, I almost never follow it,” Vincent says. “And so I end up just talking about things in the moment, so there was never a world where I could not talk about my wife.”
This year, Vincent will be performing much of her new album, “Little Black Book,” her first collection of all original tunes, recorded with her longtime band. Her first single, “Tallying History,” is about her dating history.
When Vincent found out she was accepted into Jazz Fest this year, she says she was filled with excitement, the kind long-awaited after years of applying and not making it in.
“I’m so pumped, this is a huge deal for me … it’s been my dream,” Vincent says.
The native-born Marylander describes the jazz scene in Minneapolis as “so full,” alluding to the robust nature and sheer amount of venues. And, for Vincent, she sees jazz as undefinable.
“I always get a lot of people who tell me they don’t like jazz, and I always tell them, ‘To me, that’s like saying you don’t like the Beatles,’ because the genre has so much range … it’s hard to believe they can’t find something,” Vincent says.
To truly reach all types of audiences, Vincent has taken an unconventional approach to how she presents herself on social media, naming herself “the proudest millennial.” She uses her authenticity as her advantage.
Across her Instagram, she uses her content to lean into the thesis of her work, discussing the realities of queer dating in modern life, and carries her mission to keep jazz in the mainstream with the #jazztok and intimate, raw conversations with the camera.
Although Vincent has a large following on social media, she says jazz has shaped her own
sense of community through the audiences at her shows, especially through post-show interactions.
“I did a gig recently where I played a show and didn’t think anything of it, and someone came up to me,” Vincent says. “It was in a small town, and they said, ‘I just want you to know we have this, like, underground queer community. They never come out, like, they never go out in our town. And they were mostly all here tonight.’”
Gambit Brewing Co.: Hosting Sounds and Fostering Inclusivity
Located in Lowertown, St. Paul, Gambit Brewing Co. was built on the idea of being more than a taproom, creating a safe space for queer and trans communities, artists, and neighbors.
General Manager Mike Christensen says that with the absence of gay- and trans-friendly places in St.Paul, being a place where everyone can come as they are was a priority. And, while Gambit signaled this attitude with a pride flag on their windows, its continual support toward the queer music, comedy, and arts community has actively reinforced this message.
Christensen studied jazz percussion in university, nodding to the fact that his husband used to perform as a pianist for The Wolverine, and that having Gambit as a venue for Jazz Fest felt right.
Owner Josh Secaur says they have been involved in Jazz Fest for three years, offering a whole different clientele that continues to revisit.
The week of Jazz Fest, there will be a lineup of specialty drinks, including a tap beer, a cocktail, and an alcoholic slushy, something Christensen says will be crafted upon talking and collaborating with the artists performing.
On Friday, June 19, Blanche The Jazzy Jewess of South Minneapolis will be performing, with Gonzoes Planet on Saturday. Both shows run from 6-8 p.m.
“They’re jazz, but more kind of rock-focused jazz,” Christensen says. “I feel like every year for Jazz Fest, we get the jazz bands that are a little more up-tempo and a little more pushing the envelope of traditional jazz.”
7:30am-4:30pm
Main Stage in Mears Park. Photo by Benny Moreno
Pie In The Sky Project, Part 2
Thank you Governor Shapiro, Mayor Parker
We’re going to build a new, larger community center and include 40 LGBTQ+ affordable senior apartments on the top of that new community center.
That’s a bold statement. Some might even call it a “pie in the sky” idea. I’ve used that headline before, when we first announced what became the John C. Anderson LGBTQ Senior Affordable Housing project, developed by dmhFund. Back then, I said it would be a long road, with real challenges along the way.
And yet … we built it.
Over a year ago, the board co-chairs of William Way LGBT Community Center had a conversation with Judge Dan Anders, who then reached out to me. The question was simple: since dmhFund successfully developed John C. Anderson, could we help William Way address its current challenges?
For me, this is personal. Alongside John Herzins, Jeff Moran and John Cabiria, we secured the original $300,000 federal grant from then-Congressman Thom Foglietta that allowed us to purchase 1315 Spruce Street. Before that, William Way moved from location to location, as Bill Way used
to say, “a community center without walls.” That building gave the community stability and pride.
But time has taken its toll. The current structure faces significant infrastructure issues that make renovation impractical and limit its future potential.
So instead of thinking small, we chose to think boldly.
Working with elected officials and our development partners at HELP Development, we began exploring funding opportunities and asking a simple question: What does our community need for the next 50 years — not the last 50?
The answer is a larger, modern community center with expanded square footage to grow programs and services — paired with 40 units of LGBTQ affordable senior housing, with its own separate entrance, ensuring dignity, safety and sustainability.
Will there be bumps in the road? Of course. Every meaningful project has them. But we’ve walked this road before. What once seemed like a dream became John C. Anderson.
This is not “pie in the sky.”
It’s vision, backed by experience and a belief that our community deserves more than just preserving the past. We deserve to build the future.
THE EXPERTS MINNESOTA MOVES WITH.
At Summit Orthopedics, we’re proud to be Minnesota’s only top-ranked orthopedic and spine outpatient surgery center as recognized by U.S. News & World Report. And while our expertise sets us apart, it’s how we care for people that defines us. Even after thousands of procedures, we treat each patient like the only one.
