19 Minnesotans named to 2014 U.S. Olympic Team

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The United States Olympic Committee today announced the 2014 U.S. Olympic Team that will compete at the upcoming Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia. The 230-member team is comprised of 105 women and 125 men – the largest athlete delegation for any nation in the history of the Olympic Winter Games. The United States will be represented in all 15 disciplines across seven sports, and up to 94 of the 98 medal events that will be contested in Sochi. Nineteen athletes named to the 2014 U.S. Olympic Team hail from Minnesota, with the state’s representation second only to California’s 20 athletes. Eleven Minnesota athletes are competing in ice hockey, five are competing in curling, one in cross-country skiing, one in biathlon, and one in long track speedskating. Continue Reading

Minneapolis actor Barkhad Abdi a contender in 86th Oscar awards

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Minneapolis actor and resident Barkhad Abdi is an Oscar contender for best performance in a supporting role, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced. Abdi is one of eight first-time acting nominees. Abdi is nominated for his role as Muse in the 2013 film “Captain Phillips.”

(Above: Barkhad Abdi as Muse in “Captain Phillips.” Photo courtesy Sony Pictures)

Actor Chris Hemsworth and Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs announced the nominations for the 86th Academy Awards on Jan. 16 live from Beverly HIlls. Continue Reading

New one-day attendance record at Minnesota State Fair on Sunday; People’s Choice Awards

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On Sunday, September 1, the Minnesota State Fair’s turn-out of 236,197 set a single-day attendance record, according to Fair officials. The record-setting Sunday came after a week of unrelenting heat and humidity, which lowered attendance  in the middle of the Fair’s 12-day run. The 2013 State Fair started out strong, with the first three days beating the 2012 daily attendance records. Then Sunday, August 25’s higher temperatures caused the Fair to lose gate crowds. Thursday, August 29 saw a slight increase, then a dip again. Continue Reading

Minnesota State Fair: A new year, a new Luminarium

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Last year, the Minnesota State Fair premiered Architects of Air’s Luminarium Mirazozo exhibit, a popular stop with fairgoers. This year, Architects of Air return with a new theme on their Luminarium display: Exxopolis. Co-exhibition manager Jayne Willox said lots of people from last year’s State Fair “came right away the first day of the Fair just to see the new Luminarium.”

The Luminarium is a walk-through sculpture of winding paths, private coves and soaring domes of light and color. Inspired by natural geometry, Islamic architecture and Gothic cathedrals, the Exxopolis is constructed of 32,000 square feet of plastic shaped into 9,000 individual pieces joined by nearly four miles of seams.

Alex Gilham, of Nottingham, England, one of the four on-site exhibition managers, said Exxopolis is slightly bigger, and completely different, than the Luminarium of last year. Exxopolis has been called very “cathedral-istic,” said Gilham. Continue Reading

Four-hooved superstars greet Minnesota State Fair visitors

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Standing ovations, paparazzi photos and wild applause greeted the Budweiser Clydesdale’s return to the Minnesota State Fair Mall parade on Opening Day. The horse team’s last appearance was in 2006, said Lara Hughes, State Fair Communications Supervisor. A large group gathered ahead of parade start-time, finding the team’s location at the Fair’s greenhouse parking lot. Throngs of people positioned for family photos and videos in front of the horse team and posting on social media that they were with….the Budweiser Clydesdales. The Clydesdales took all of it in stride, seeming to enjoy the spotlight. Continue Reading

St. Paul Firefighters heat up the Minnesota State Fair

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The Minnesota State Fair “just got hotter” with the addition of a booth selling the St. Paul Firefighters calendar. The calendar, now in its fifth year, is sold to help raise money for the Children’s Cancer Research fund, according to the Midwest Firefighters website. The St. Paul Firefighters calendar displays physically fit firefighters in shirtless poses. Continue Reading

MUSIC REVIEW | Under the Sun tour with Smash Mouth, Sugar Ray, and Gin Blossoms at the Minnesota State Fair Grandstand: Big bands, small crowd

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Barb: The first band to perform were the Gin Blossoms. Lead singer Robin Wilson didn’t let a receding hairline stop his youthful excitement and interaction with the audience, mostly in their 20s and 30s. Wilson’s vocals were youthful as well, with a strong, clear voice. Wilson likes to give away white tambourines to female audience members. The Minnesota State Fair was the first, he said, where he gave one of his famed tambourines to a male, “Because there are no girls up front. I have a lot more tambourines for the girls that want to come up to the stage.”

The lack of female audience members rushing the stage for Wilson’s tambourine giveaways could be because of the low crowd attendance; the Grandstand was about a quarter full. Continue Reading

Getting to the 2013 Minnesota State Fair: new Fridley Express route, transportation options

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Whatever way you are getting to the Minnesota State Fair — Park & Ride; Park Free, Ride Free; bikes; motorcycles,; wheelchairs — here’s what you need to know! The City of Fridley has been added to the 2013 Minnesota State Fair Express bus service Park & Ride route. Approximately every half-hour, the Fridley Express bus will leave the Fridley Station on 61st Ave. and Main Street NE. The cost for all Park & Ride State Fair Express rides is $5 round-trip. Continue Reading