9 free things to do in the Twin Cities this week
Everyone becomes a bit Irish this week with parades, Irish dancing and music.
The Minnesota Star Tribune
March 12, 2024 at 10:30AM
Calling itself the “Greatest St. Patrick’s Parade in the nation,” the St. Paul parade features pipe bands, community groups and more. (Noon Sat., parade begins at Rice Park, at 5th & Market streets, and ends near Mears Park, at 5th & Sibley streets, traveling along 5th Street. stpatsmn.org)
2. Movie Night
Relax with the family after a hectic week with a screening of “Back to the Future” starring Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd. (5 p.m. Fri., Community Activity Center, 5600 85th Av. N., Brooklyn Park, brooklynpark.org)
3. Finnegans Brew Co.
Come together in honor of St. Patrick’s Day with a weekend of music and good beer. Throughout the weekend the brewery will have performances by Blame Not the Bard, Wild Rose Cloggers, Wee Lucky Few and others. In addition to the bevy of beers, munch on food by Tavola and Broadway Pizza. (11 a.m.-midnight Fri.-Sat., 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m. Sun., 817 5th Av. S., Mpls., finnegans.org)
4. Party in the Club
Kids can grab their teddy bears for family picnic games, crafts and music by the Teddy Bear Band. (10:30 a.m.-noon Sat., Club Prior, 16210 Eagle Creek Av. SE., Prior Lake, priorlakemn.gov)
5. Irish dance performances
Eden Prairie Center honors Irish American heritage with performances by local dance groups. Saturday features the Onórach Mulhern Geraghty School of Irish Dance and Sunday spotlights performances by Hudson Irish Dance Academy. (2:30 p.m. Sat., noon & 1:30 p.m. Sun., 8251 Flying Cloud Drive, Eden Prairie, edenprairiecenter.com)
6. Minneapolis St. Patrick’s Day Parade
This year marks the 56th annual parade that’s cosponsored by the Columbia Heights VFW and Columbia Heights Lions Club. (6 p.m. Sat., starting at the intersection of 40th Av. and NE. Van Buren St., Columbia Heights, mplsstpats.org)
7. St. Paul Civic Symphony
The symphony pays tribute to the music of American Trailblazers. Hear works by Charles Ives, Jennifer Higdon, William Grant Still and Amy Cheney Beach. (3 p.m. Sun., King of Kings Lutheran Church, 1583 Radio Drive, Woodbury, spcsmusic.org)
8. Matthew Eicheldinger
The author launches his series of books featuring middle school character Matt Sprouts. Eicheldinger will discuss and sign copies of “Matt Sprouts and the Curse of Ten Broken Toes.” (6 p.m. Tue., Barnes & Noble, 3230 Galleria, Edina, barnesandnoble.com)
9. Warrior Women’s Traveling Exhibit
This year marks the 50th anniversary of Wounded Knee ‘73, where members of the Oglala Lakota Tribe and American Indian Movement occupied the site of the 1890 massacre to protest injustices. The exhibit includes life-sized banners, photographs and oral histories to highlight narratives of Indigenous women. (6:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m. Wed.-Fri., Bioscience & Health Careers Center, North Hennepin Community College, 7411 85th Av. N., Brooklyn Park, warriorwomen.org/wk50)
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