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| |  | Ceramic pomegranates by Katayoun Amjadi, whose studio is located in the Q.arma building in Northeast Minneapolis. (Tiffany Bui / City Cast Twin Cities) |
| What to do at Art-A-Whirl | Our host Sean McPherson informs me that some of you are not, in fact, going to Art-A-Whirl for the art. What?! As a craft market enthusiast, this annual art crawl spanning much of Northeast Minneapolis is my Coachella. Here are my must-dos for May 15–17. [City Cast Twin Cities] | - Yeehaw: Don’t miss the Flux Arts Building, where every artist will have a disco cowboy-themed activity for you to enjoy. You can paint your own bike helmet, bedazzle a pony, and even make your own mixed-media belt buckle. [Flux Arts Building]
- Be an artist: I’m intrigued by the bra screenprinting (bra included, I assume) happening at Studio 119 in Casket Arts Building on Saturday. Or, you can let your dog do the heavy lifting with Make Your Own LICK Art at Logan Park. [NEMAA]
- Go here: You can’t miss the pop-ups at local businesses around Northeast during Art-A-Whirl; it really feels like this entire part of the city is celebrating. If you love curation and vintage, check out Moth Oddities. If you want a good vibe (and to see Dessa), go to Earl-A-Whirl at Earl Giles.
| | Note: City Cast Twin Cities is a digital sponsor of the 2026 Art-A-Whirl. | | |
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| | | Not another blank-slate venue. Berlin is a character-filled live music and cocktail lounge, available as a one-of-a-kind space for private events. With a stage, considered acoustics, and romantic decor, every occasion feels special. Parties of 10–100 welcome. Currently booking fall and winter. Inquire now. |
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| What the Cities Are Talking About |
| Tackling fraud: State lawmakers have passed a bill that would create an independent office to inspect fraud throughout the state. The inspector general would be able to investigate any agency that received public funding. Another measure lawmakers are considering would tax money stolen through fraudulent means. [Minnesota Reformer] | | Summertime: Como Park’s Groovin’ in the Garden is back beginning June 10. The concert series features a line-up of local bands, food trucks, and even a climbing wall. [Pioneer Press] | | Rise up: R.I.P the Uptown YWCA. I loved taking barre classes there. But thankfully, the former gym is getting a new life as a job training center. The Rise Up Center is “designed to turn low-wage earners in BIPOC communities into middle-class wage earners working union jobs,” writes reporter Clint Combs. Backers say the center will train 3,000 workers a year. [Spokesman-Recorder] | |  | A man is tackled after spraying vinegar at Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) (L) during a town hall she was hosting in Minneapolis on January 27, 2026. (Octavio Jones / AFP via Getty Images) |
| Syringe of vinegar: Anthony Kazmierczak, the man who lunged at Rep. Ilhan Omar and sprayed vinegar at her during a January town hall, pleaded guilty to assaulting a federal officer. Kazmierczak will spend eight to 14 months in prison. [MPR News] | | Mysterious court: Racket’s Jay Boller has a real gem. The hidden tennis court by Minnehaha Creek – and perhaps the oldest clay tennis court in the city – is for sale. The clay part is technically beneath the asphalt, but the ambiance has a mysterious allure. The owner wishes for it to be kept a tennis court, and it seems unlikely there’s room for much else. [Racket] |
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| | Monday, May 11 | | | Tuesday, May 12 | | | |
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Welcome to our new Neighbors James M., Lyndsey R., and Collin B. I bet this group knows how to bargain hunt like nobody’s business. That’s just the feeling I get. | | Do you want to meet Café Marguerite’s artist and poet-in-residence? Join us for a coffee at Café Marguerite tomorrow (May 12). The first 25 people get a $10 gift card on us! | |
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