PHOTOS | Derek & Julianne Hough’s “Move Live On Tour” at the Northrup Auditorium

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The unexpected success of television show “Dancing with the Stars” has been a launch pad for the careers of Derek and Julianne Hough. While Derek has remained on the show as one of the fans favorite professionals, sister Julianne has ventured into acting and toured as a Country music singer. Finally, they have combined forces to bring their many talents together on one stage. The Hough’s brought their dance crew to the beautifully renovated Northrup Auditorium July 9th to perform their “Move Live On Tour.” The high energy show was entertaining on many levels to a broad range of viewers and included a variety of music, singing and many different styles of dance. Continue Reading

The Gateway: Bridge art connects Downtown Minneapolis to Northside

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The John Biggers Seed Project (Seed), a public art and design effort that engages renowned African-American artists in mentoring young artists, revealed its designs for a massive art project that seeks to transform the Olson Memorial Highway Bridge over Interstate 94.The plans were displayed at the University of Minnesota Urban Research and Outreach-Engagement Center (UROC), 2001 Plymouth Ave. N. UROC is one of the project partners. Seed plans to rebuild the walls of the bridge between East and West Lyndale Avenues over the freeway to make the area more pedestrian-friendly and to create a “new gateway” between north Minneapolis and downtown.It will feature over 300 porcelain enamel panels, approximately 4×6 feet tall, created by fusing glass material onto steel, allowing for vibrant and intricate artwork. Besides its elegance and color, the artists decided to use porcelain enamel because it is exceptionally durable compared to other art media. Construction on the bridge is expected to be complete in early 2015.Thirteen local emerging artists are learning the enamel process at the Chicago Avenue Fire Arts Center, 3749 Chicago Ave. Continue Reading

TC Weekend | Twin Cities Jazz Fest, Twin Cities Pride Fest, Beer Dabbler, MN Food Truck Fair and more!

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Updated: 6/27/2014 2:19 pm Can you believe we’re almost at the end of June? Time flies, so spend it wisely — get out and enjoy some of the outdoor happenings around the cities. This weekend offers two big festivals — the Twin Cities Pride Fest in Minneapolis and the Twin Cities Jazz Fest in Saint Paul, along with other fun happenings around town. Just like the last couple of weekends, this weekend might be a bit wet so plan accordingly.See this weekend’s lineup below, and use the comment section or email tcweekend@tcdailyplanet.net to let us know about an event in your community.  Music and Movies in the Park, June 27 – 28 Music and Movies in the Park is celebrating over 100 years of free entertainment in Minneapolis parks with 250 free concerts and movies taking place this summer. Bring a chair or blanket, some snacks and some bug spray and enjoy a night in the park. Continue Reading

TC Weekend | Back to the 50s Car Show, Swedish Heritage Day, GermanFest, Posters and Pints & more!

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Updated: 6/21/2014 – 9:59 pmThis weekend offers a spirited mix of events to help mark the official start of summer (Saturday, June 21). The lineup is less congested than last weekend’s, but every bit as rich and lively. This weekend’s weather forecast appears to be a bit brighter as well. See what’s on tap for the weekend below:Back to the 50s Car Show, June 20 – 22 Take a drive down memory lane at the 41st Annual Back to the 50s Weekend, sponsored by Minnesota Street Rod Association. Enjoy over 11,000 hot rods, live entertainment, a T6 flyover, food and fun for the entire family. Continue Reading

TC Weekend | Green Line kickoff, Juneteenth, Northern Spark, Greenway Glow, Stone Arch Bridge Fest & more!

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Festival-palooza is upon us, people! This weekend may be the biggest for outdoor festivals this summer. It’s certainly the biggest thus far, with a flurry of events, from the numerous Green Line kickoff celebrations, to Juneteenth, the Stone Arch Bridge Festival, Northern Spark and much more.  In honor of the Green Line launch, Metro Transit light rail and bus service will be free of charge both June 14 and 15, making it even easier to get around to all the happenings.This weekend should prove particularly enjoyable for night owls, with night-time festivals that are bound to provide stunning visuals! It’s also Father’s Day weekend — why not take Dad along to some of the events below? Continue Reading

Walker Art Center a culprit in badness of Hennepin/Lyndale bottleneck

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The Hennepin/Lyndale Bottleneck: Not great by any measure. The City of Minneapolis is working on a plan to, basically, repave it. Many well-written thoughts about that project and whether or not it’s a good idea and what we’d do if we had exponentially more funding for it can be found here. But as with many large public works projects of questionable value, there are some helpful little things we can do on the side that cost considerably less than millions of dollars but still go a long way towards improving the experience of being alive in the area when not driving a car. Continue Reading

TC Weekend | LynLake Street Fest & Open Streets, West By West Bank, Art in the Hollow and more!

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Local art and music, books, open streets: there’s a lot to love about this weekend’s line up with festivals and activities all over town!  As with last weekend, this weekend’s weather forecast seems to call for a bit of rain, but after our winter, what’s a few raindrops?!  See this weekend’s vibrant line up below:Art in the Hollow, June 7Art in the Hollow, the only art fair on Saint Paul’s east side, will feature over 50 visual and performing artists creating art in a variety of forms – murals, mosaics, sculpture and more, with many artists creating on-site. There will be a prize-awarded sculpture installation contest, a teen art poster contest, a teen gallery and much more! Go here for more information.Swede Hollow Park 720 Payne Ave., Saint Paul10 am – 5 pm Ancestry Books Grand Opening, June 7Come out and celebrate the good things happening in North Minneapolis with the grand opening of Ancestry Books! Enjoy great local music from hip-hop artist Toki Wright, and vocalist Mankwe Ndosi, plus a live painting by Jordan Hamilton and food and drinks.Lowry & Penn AvenueMusic, food, 12 pm – 2 pmBookstore opening 2 pm  It’s Easy Being Green, June 7 Are you interested in learning to garden or make your own green household cleaner? How about gaining a better understanding about the risks of lead paint or composting? Continue Reading