Fall fest extravaganza across the metro

FUN FINDER

A full slate of events for Indigenous People’s Weekend, as well as Twin Cities Oktoberfest and giant pumpkins in Stillwater

Filmmaker Leya Hale, second from right, conducts an interview for her Minnesota PBS documentary “Medicine Ball” last year on the University of Northwestern campus. The documentary, which explores the historical and continuing importance of basketball in Native culture, will be screened at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at Battle Creek Recreation Center. Courtesy of Leya Hale

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By Jared Kaufman

jkaufman@pioneerpress.com

If you need ideas for what to do this weekend, we’ve got ’em.

Here are details on all the German beer, giant pumpkins, Native food trucks, floating concerts, gallery receptions and more on deck for this weekend:

Friday, Oct. 9

Prost: It’s the 16th annual Twin Cities Oktoberfest at the State Fairgrounds. Enjoy plenty of local beer and food, plus the exact kind of live music you want to hear at Oktoberfest. It’s a good time. No admission charge, but IDs are a must and your own mugs are encouraged. Runs 5 to 11 p.m. Friday, Oct. 9, and noon to 10 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10. Find more info at tcoktoberfest.com.

A new musical comedy: This is opening weekend for “Boxes, Inc.,” an original play by theater artists at Interact Center. The new show is billed as “a true-ish comedy about poking holes in the tight spaces we find ourselves in,” speaking to Interact’s broader mission as a progressive studio serving artists with disabilities. The show runs through Oct. 24; ticket prices including fees are $33.42 for general admission and $17.82 for attendees with disabilities and companions. Tickets and showtimes are online at our.show/boxesinc; 1860 W. Minnehaha Ave., St. Paul.

Saturday, Oct. 10

The REAL great pumpkin: If you’ve ever wondered what it would look like to row a massive pumpkin as a boat or drop one from a 100-foot crane or just eat one, Stillwater is the place to be this weekend. The annual Stillwater Harvest Fest is one of the largest free giant-pumpkin festivals in the Midwest and also includes a beer garden, vendor market, chili cookoff and other activities. The festival bills itself as a “smashing good time,” so you know they mean business. Check out the full event schedule at harvestfeststillwater.com/scheduleofevents.

Join a celebration of Native culture and sports: This weekend is Indigenous People’s Weekend at Battle Creek Park, including the Native American Food Truck Festival and the state’s largest Native-led basketball expo. Vendors and food trucks are open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday. A full schedule is shared on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/BattleCreekRecreationCenter.

Also, don’t miss a 6:30 p.m. Saturday screening of the new Minnesota PBS film “Medicine Ball,” following two Native basketball players at the University of Minnesota Morris. This screening, like the whole festival, is at Battle Creek Regional Park & Recreation Center; 75 Winthrop St. S., St. Paul.

Ride the (historical) rails: You know the names General Mills, Pillsbury, Gold Medal … but do you know the railroads that actually made it possible for the Twin Cities to become a center of grain milling as recently as the 1970s? Come learn with a keynote presentation at 1 p.m. at the Twin City Model Railroad Museum; 668 Transfer Rd., St. Paul. Included with $10 museum admission.

Be part of new music: Aboard the Music Yacht, a floating concert venue on the Mississippi just off Harriet Island (don’t worry, it stays moored to the dock!), the local Americana duo Turn Turn Turn is performing with a full band and planning to record a brand-new song live. Proceeds support Unlocked Mission, a youth music scholarship nonprofit. Feel free to bring your own (small) food and beverage. Doors at 6:30 p.m.; music at 7. Tickets are $40 on Eventbrite; 110 Harriet Island Rd., St. Paul.

Sunday, Oct. 11

Indigenous People’s Weekend festivities: Are continuing at Battle Creek Park. Today’s highlights include a performance by Kalpulli Yaocenoxtli at 11:30 a.m., more live music from 1–3 p.m., a comedy show at 4 and a Native poetry showcase at 5, alongside food trucks and vendors open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Mallroom dance: On the other side of the metro, at Eden Prairie Center, the Minnesota chapter of USA Dance is holding a free showcase celebrating National Ballroom Dance Week. From 2 to 3 p.m., come explore dance styles from waltz to tango to foxtrot; 8251 Flying Cloud Dr., Eden Prairie.

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