Northern Spark in Lowertown - June 8, 2013

We are so excited for summer in the city. Lowertown is such a great place to be during the best season of the year.

This weekend is a perfect example, as Northern Spark takes over Lowertown for a night of art, experiencing community, and simply enjoying the creativity and beauty that the Twin Cities have to offer. A free, outdoor arts festival that is open and welcoming to patrons of all tastes and ages, Northern Spark 2013 will take over Lowertown with hundreds of artist projects in many different venues from local and national artists all in one night.

"Northern Spark is a portal to a new experience of the Twin Cities. Throughout the night we each pick a route accompanied by friends or in the companionship of familiar strangers. Together we look at art, experience community in a new way, and see the cities in a new light."

Join with fellow friends of the arts in your community on Saturday, June 8, beginning at 8:58pm. The festival runs over night until dawn (5:26am) on Sunday morning, June 9. There is plenty to see, do, and of course eat, with many food options interspersed throughout the festival. Plus, Cork's is open until 1am for your refreshment needs.

To enhance your enjoyment of the evening, Northern Spark has information to plan your night and create your own Northern Spark experience on their website. From there, you can select one of their suggested journeys, but deviation from the plan is always encouraged! Let the night take you where it will.

For a full schedule of events/exhibits, please CLICK HERE.

If you're feeling that staying up all night just isn't your thing, but you want to take part in the festival, make the Embassy Suites St. Paul - Downtown (conveniently located just blocks from all the Northern Spark happenings) your home base for the night. To reserve your room for the evening, simply CLICK HERE.

Catch a few ZZZ's and then grab Brunch (and/or some famous BYO Bloody Mary's at Cork's)  before heading home.

We hope to see everyone at Northern Spark tomorrow night!

Top 10 Things to Do in the Twin Cities - Fall

Fall has arrived, and in a hurry no doubt. From the rapidly changing colors to the sub-freezing overnight temperatures, it's that time when we, as Minnesotans, buckle down and prepare ourselves for what we know is coming, the big S-word. Snow.

However, before those flakes fly, it's the perfect time to get out there and take advantage of some of the best our Twin Cities have to offer in the fall. We've kept you posted on a few of them, but make sure you round out the season with the rest of our list. That way, you won't feel guilty hibernating those dreary, cold winter days away.

Top 10 Things to Do in the Twin Cities - Fall Edition

1. Check out the gorgeous fall colors. From Afton State Park on the beautiful St. Croix River to Minnehaha Falls Park in Minneapolis to the phenomenal landscape offered at Mounds Park, foliage viewing is plentiful. Given our state's commitment to natural resource preservation, we'd be willing to wager that there is some good park space for leaf watching near you!
2. Cheer on some runners. (Or even get into the game yourself already!) From the world-famous Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon to Minnesota's own costume-encouraged Monster Dash races, October is the season for some good running. Watching the winner of a marathon cross the finish line or the outfits that some people can run an entire half marathon in are both equally entertaining. 
3. Head back to the Fair. The Minnesota State Fairgrounds host more than just the Great Minnesota Get Together. From car shows to book festivals, swap meets and auctions, there are often quite a few fun (and occasionally free) events to check out. 
4. Get your shop on. From Grand Avenue to the Mall of America and everything in between, fall is a great time to get a jump start on that holiday shopping. Beat the crowds (and the weather) and enjoy the peace of mind of being ahead of the game. 
5. Celebrate learning new things. Both the Science Museum of Minnesota and Minnesota Children's Museum are located in close proximity to one another in our beautiful capitol city. With Tornado Alley showing in the Omni Theater at the Science Museum to crawling around in an "ant hill" at the Children's Museum, two entire afternoons of fun await your whole family! 
6. Apples, apples, apples! Visiting the apple orchard has to be the quintessentially Minnesotan fall activity. From hayrides to getting to pick your own apples, visiting the apple orchard is a fun way to spend a beautiful fall afternoon. Then, you can use your freshly picked bounty to create a homemade apple pie, apple crisp, or even just some baked apples. Think of how great your house will smell as that pie finishes baking during the Vikings game. 
7. Skol Vikings! Speaking of Vikings, they're really on a roll aren't they?! (Knock on wood, of course). Catching tickets to a game at Mall of America field and tailgating the time to kick-off away is another fun fall activity. 
8. Zoo it up. From St. Paul's very own Como Zoo and Conservatory to the Minnesota Zoo, a visit transports you worlds away from Minnesota. Both zoos have tropics exhibits, where the warm humid air and brightly colored animal residents will have you forgetting all about winter's approach. Plus, visiting during the fall months means not only are there less crowds, but the animals are often more lively since they're not hot and sleepy as in the summer months.
9. Embrace the arts. We're so lucky here in the Twin Cities to have so many great art museums in our community. From the Minneapolis Institute of Arts to the Walker with its outdoor sculpture garden (Cherry on the Spoon ring a bell?), our art community is first-rate! Another great art museum is the Weisman on the U of M Campus. Make a day of it or have a scavenger hunt and try to find much-loved pieces at each site.
10. Enjoy a meal out. Now's the time when most restaurants are transitioning to their new Fall/Winter menus, highlighting the best the season has to offer. Look for more root vegetables and lots of delicious pumpkin, butternut squash, and spiced options. (Note: Also look for Cork's new menu in the next few weeks too!) 

We hope our list gives you a great starting point to a fabulously, fun fall. Make sure to let us know in the comments section if we've left anything out! 

Lowertown First Fridays

Did you know that the first Friday of every month, local artists open their studios and host a gallery opening or event for the general public? And that's not even the best part....Most of the time these events, openings, parties, and more are FREE! That's right, you can come out in support of local artists and still not break the bank.

Throw in Happy Hour at Cork's first, and you have one very reasonable, very fun Friday night planned!

This Friday, August 3, AZ Gallery is presenting Friends with Benefits. This free and open to the public show is centered around friends of the gallery members and the inspiration they've lent those members. The First Friday gallery opening kicks off at 5pm with the reception and party running from 5:30 to 10pm. Food, music, and a cash bar are available.

If you do happen to miss the First Friday party, you can still see the show at the AZ Gallery through September 2.

If you're scouring for things to do, head into St. Paul for some great local art and Cork's is always happy to provide the refreshments.

See you Friday!