We’re putting out this thicker-than-normal edition of the Northeaster – jam-packed with all sorts of goodies for readers. Then we’ll scatter for various vacations again. As we did about a month ago, at least one of us will be around in stay-cation mode, checking on the office, mail and email so that news and business can inch forward. Next deadline August 14.
There’s much to do for folks able to be in town to enjoy the winding down of summer. For those who’ve commented “I had to go back to work to get some rest,” consider just hanging out, or taking day trips so the physical transportation stress is minimized. It’s the mental transportation that matters. Do something different, let the brain get at least a change of pace, and at best, some stimulation that might help the rest of the year feel brighter and more alive.
Some ideas:
Live music on Thursday nights at Salo Park at 7:00 through August 9, and at Silverwood Park Wednesday evenings 6:30-9:00-ish through August 29. On the 15th, 22nd and 29th, Silverwood will also show movies, starting with “Casablanca.”
You don’t have to be a theater snob to enjoy the Fringe Festival. (In fact it helps, as Fringe said one year on a poster, to “check your cultured ass at the door.”) It’s 11 days of randomly-selected ideas for 60-minute-or-less shows, amazingly programmed into venues clustered such that a motor vehicle is not necessary nor advised, to travel between them. August 2 through 12, many shows in Northeast, the rest around Cedar-Riverside. Buy in bulk for the best deals, and immerse yourself in the vibe. This seems to be sport for very young adults and retirees, who find common ground while waiting in line. One of the best ways to experience it is to volunteer — an idea for next year if you haven’t already.
Another certain sign that summer is waning: Mixed Precipitation, with their picnic operettas in gardens and other outdoor venues, just a few in the cities. This year’s offering is a new adaptation of Otto Nicolai’s German opera, The Merry Wives of Windsor, with a bit of Minnesota history and the music of Bruce Springsteen. This mashup is set in a mining town going bust on Minnesota’s North Shore. Preview August 16 and opening August 17 at Washburn Fair Oaks Park, and the closest they get to the Northeast area is J.D. Rivers’ Children’s Garden, 2900 Glenwood Ave. N., September 9 at 2 p.m.
Families: Check out parks, playgrounds and lakes in other parts of Minneapolis and the region, the various nature preserves, or historical society-managed sites. There’s architecture and art, museums and other attractions throughout the Twin Cities to be discovered.
Vacation time is a great time to experiment in the kitchen, especially with the kids, letting them learn some food science, back-timing, artistic presentation and the wonderful taste of fresh-picked seasonals from the farmers’ markets (there’s one open somewhere almost every day of the week).
Take a day-long art class and discover how the hands take over and just do stuff you didn’t know you could do. Or carve out a few evenings or parts of weekends to learn something more involved. Art helps find voice for what’s trapped inside. Today’s artists who teach are generally not the prescriptive paper-cutters of your elementary school memories. Art is permission that transports the mind whenever you need it to go.
Whatever you choose, enjoy your time!