Minneapolis Roundup

Jaycub's Jammin Media
  • 0.0 (0)
  • Places & Travel

Three times a week, the Twin Cities in 12 minutes. Real restaurants you should try, real local business news, real events worth your weekend. Sponsored by mplsveganhub.com and mncannabishub.com — for serious Minneapolis business owners, also brought to you by Quiet Coyote (quietcoyotemn.com).

  1. 1d ago

    Mill City's Last Call, Cava Lands, Lynx Playoffs & MN Cannabis Turns 1

    Your Twin Cities week in review for Sept 28, 2026: farmers markets in their final outdoor stretch, big food news, Lynx playoff basketball, and Minnesota's legal cannabis market hitting a major milestone. In this episode: Mill City Farmers Market's last weekend of the season — Sat 8am–1pm next to the Guthrie St. Paul Farmers' Market downtown still outdoors Sat 7am–1pm, Sun 8am–1pm at 290 5th St E Cava's first Twin Cities location opened Sept 24 — plus local plant-based alternatives Lynx vs. Liberty WNBA Playoffs Round 1 at Target Center; Minnesota is the #1 seed Flip the Script Fest LGBTQ+ film festival Oct 1–11; Twin Cities Oktoberfest Oct 9–10 at the Fairgrounds Foster the People + Goth Babe at The Armory Mon 9/28; Mico at First Avenue Wed 9/30 Guthrie's Waiting for Godot runs through Oct 11; Kunene and the King opens Oct 10 Minnesota's adult-use cannabis market turns 1: ~$150M in sales, 230+ dispensaries, 369 licensed businesses, 43% social equity licensees Sources: Mill City Farmers Market St. Paul Farmers' Market Twin Cities Geek — This Week in Geek Twin Cities Oktoberfest First Avenue Shows Guthrie Theater 2026-2027 Season Lynx vs. Liberty Playoffs Game 1 St. Paul Saints Home Games 2026 Minnesota United FC Season Axios: Cava enters Twin Cities Mpls.St.Paul Mag: New Restaurant Openings MPR News: Legal Cannabis in Minnesota Turns 1 TCB Mag: 2026 EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Winners Subscribe: mplsvegan.com Full transcript George: —and I'm telling you, Laura, I walked over the Stone Arch this morning and the light was doing that thing. Laura: That thing. George: You know the thing. Laura: George, "the thing" is not a weather report. George: Okay, okay. That low, gold, end-of-September light where the river looks like it's showing off. Laura: Now THAT I'll take. George: See? I can be descriptive. Laura: When pressed. When pressed. George: Ope, called out already and we haven't even said hi. Laura: Hi, everybody. George: Hi, everybody. Welcome back. Laura: It's the last Monday of September, which is wild. George: It genuinely snuck up on me. I still had the fan on last week. Laura: Same. And then this weekend I needed a hoodie by like… four in the afternoon? George: Yep. That's the tell. When the sun goes and the air just DROPS. Laura: That's Minnesota clearing its throat. Like, "hey, remember me?" George: "Remember me. I live here too." Laura: Uff da. George: So we've got a lot to get into today. Farmers markets are still going— Laura: Barely. George: Barely, yes. Lynx are in the playoffs. Laura: Skol Lynx. George: There it is. Laura: You knew it was coming. George: I did. And Cava finally landed here, which people have OPINIONS about. Laura: Oh, we're getting to Cava. We are absolutely getting to Cava. George: But first, real quick, shout to our friends. This show is brought to you by mplsvegan.com and mncannabishub.com. Two of the best local guides you can bookmark. Laura: Genuinely. Not just saying it. George: Not just saying it. Okay. Weather. Laura: Mornings are crispy, afternoons still let you sit outside if the sun's on you. George: That's my sweet spot, honestly. Laura: You LIVE for this week. George: I do. I really do. Patio with a jacket. Coffee that stays hot the whole time. Laura: Pop that stays cold for once. George: There you go. Laura: What? It's the season for it. George: I'm not correcting you, I'm ENJOYING you. Laura: Okay. George: So let's talk farmers markets, because we're basically on the last call. Laura: Mill City wraps up at the end of the month. George: Which is this week. Laura: Which is THIS week. So Saturday, eight to one, next to the Guthrie — that's your last shot in the good stretch. George: I love that market. The view of the river, the flour mill ruins right there… Laura: George is doing history brain again. George: I can't help it. That corner of the city TELLS you something. Laura: Oh no, the buildings are speaking to him. George: They ARE though. Laura: Okay, okay. And if you're on the East Side, St. Paul Farmers' Market downtown, Fifth Street East, Saturday seven to one, Sunday eight to one. Still outside. George: Free parking. Laura: Free parking, which in downtown St. Paul is basically a love letter. George: It really is. Laura: Grab your last tomatoes. Grab weird squash. Grab whatever's ugly and cheap. George: Ugly and cheap is the fall move. Laura: The ugly ones taste better. I will die on that hill. George: I don't know enough to argue. Laura: Good. Don't. George: Okay, food scene. This is where you've been vibrating. Laura: Cava. George: Cava is here. Laura: It's HERE, George. Axios had the report last week — first Twin Cities location opened the 24th, suburbs to follow. George: For folks who don't know, Cava's the fast-casual Mediterranean chain out of DC. Bowls, pitas, that whole thing. Laura: And the discourse has been… lively. George: Lively. Laura: Because half the city's like "finally," and the other half is like "we already have places." Laura: And, like… both are true? George: I was gonna say. Both can be true. Laura: I'll try it. I'm not gonna pretend I won't. George: Of course you'll tr...

  2. 6d ago

    Open Streets Lyndale, Porchfest, Chroma Zone & Lynx Playoffs

    It's the last full week of September in the Twin Cities and the calendar is stacked. George and Laura run down the weekend — street festivals, porch music, murals, ballgames, brunch, and a big-picture look at cannabis and community investment. In this episode: Open Streets Lyndale — Saturday Sept 26, 11 a.m.–5 p.m., car-free stretch of Lyndale Ave S with vendors, music, and a kids' zone. Powderhorn Porchfest — Friday 4–10 p.m., 17th Ave between 32nd & 34th in South Minneapolis. Chroma Zone Mural & Art Festival closing weekend in St. Paul's Creative Enterprise Zone (Raymond/University), running through Sept 27 with live painting and studio-crawl stops. Mill City Farmers Market Saturday 8 a.m.–1 p.m. at 704 S 2nd St, plus Midtown, Kingfield, Northeast, and Nicollet Mall markets still running. Live music: BERTHA: Grateful Drag at First Avenue Sat Sept 26; Hail the Sun (Wed) and Holding Absence / Arm's Length (Thu) at the Varsity Theater. Theater: David Strathairn stars in "Waiting for Godot" at the Guthrie, directed by Joseph Haj, running through Oct 11. Sports: Twins host the Texas Rangers Thu Sept 25, 7:10 p.m. at Target Field; Minnesota Lynx clinch the No. 1 seed with WNBA Round 1 starting Sun Sept 27 at Target Center. Food & local business: Sweetgreen's 5th metro spot inside Mall of America's Culinary on North food hall; Bar Eloise launches Sunday brunch; Houston White named creative director of the GroundBreak Coalition, aiming for $5B in community investment by 2034; MN's legal adult-use cannabis market turns one with 369 licensed businesses and 230+ dispensaries. Sources: Mill City Farmers Market Meet Minneapolis farmers market roundup City of Minneapolis September events MplsArt calendar (Chroma Zone) First Avenue shows Guthrie Theater 2026–2027 season Minnesota Twins schedule Lynx clinch No. 1 seed (CBS Sports) Mpls.St.Paul Magazine restaurant openings Star Tribune: Houston White & GroundBreak Coalition MPR News: MN cannabis market turns 1 Subscribe: mplsvegan.com Full transcript George: —and I'm telling you, Laura, the light on the Stone Arch this morning was UNREAL. Laura: George, every morning the light on the Stone Arch is unreal to you. George: Okay, fair. Laura: You'd stop mid-jog for a sunrise on a parking ramp. George: I have. I absolutely have. Laura: I know you have. George: But this one had that... you know that gold September thing? Where it's not summer light anymore, it's got a little edge on it? Laura: Yeah. That's the good stuff. That's the "run don't walk to the patio" light. George: Exactly. Which — hi, everybody, welcome back. It's the last full week of September in the Cities and it is GORGEOUS out. Laura: Genuinely gorgeous. Like, don't-waste-it gorgeous. George: Highs mid-seventies, cool nights, that little crisp thing in the morning. Laura: The kind of week where if you don't have plans by Wednesday, you're doing it wrong. George: Okay so let's fix that for people. Let's talk weekend. Laura: Let's talk weekend. George: Because there is a LOT going on, and I want to actually be useful for once. Laura: Oh, a useful episode. New format. George: Rude. Laura: Deserved. George: Alright, first thing — Open Streets Lyndale is Saturday. Laura: Yes. Yes yes yes. George: Eleven to five, they close a big stretch of Lyndale Ave, vendors, music, kids' zone, the whole deal. Laura: That one is my favorite of these. Lyndale hits different when the cars are gone. George: Doesn't it? You realize how wide the street actually is. Laura: And how many little businesses you drive past without ever stopping. George: Right! You're always at forty going, "I should check that place out sometime." Laura: And "sometime" is Saturday. George: Sometime is Saturday. Laura: I'm gonna walk the whole thing. I always say I'll bike it and then I don't. George: Bike it! It's flat! It's Lyndale! Laura: George, I know it's flat, I grew up on it. George: Ope. Sorry. Mansplaining Lyndale. Laura: Mansplaining Lyndale to a South Minneapolis kid. Bold move. George: Genuinely, my bad. Laura: You're forgiven. Barely. George: Okay — also Saturday, Powderhorn Porchfest is actually Friday, four to ten. Laura: Wait, Friday? George: Friday night. Seventeenth Ave between 32nd and 34th. Laura: Ohhh. Okay. So you do porchfest, then you sleep, then you do Open Streets. George: That's the itinerary. Laura: For folks who haven't done a Porchfest — it's exactly what it sounds like. Bands, on porches. You walk the block. George: It's such a Minneapolis thing. Laura: It really is. Like, "let's just do music on the porch and everybody comes." And people DO come. George: And nobody's trying to sell you anything. It's just... neighbors. Laura: Do you think that's a Minnesota thing, though? Or is it just a neighborhood thing? George: Uh. Genuinely don't know. I've never lived anywhere else. Laura: Same. So we're both useless on that one. George: We are deeply provincial and we're okay with it. Laura: Skol. George: Skol. Laura: Okay what else. George: Over in St. Paul — Chroma Zone. The mural festival. Laura: In the Creative Enterprise Zone, right? Raymond and University area? George: Yeah. It's been going since the 17th and it wraps up the 27th, so this weekend's the closing push. Laura: Which means live painting. Which is the best part. George: The best part. Watching somebody put up a two-story mural in real time is just... unreal. Laura: It's meditative! You just stand there with a coffee going, "how." George: "How." Yeah. Laura: There's studios open too, right? Like a crawl?

  3. Sep 2

    MN State Fair Finale, Square Roots Opens & Twin Cities Vegan Picks

    It's the last hurrah of summer in the Twin Cities: the Great Minnesota Get-Together wraps up on Labor Day after record-setting crowds, a mission-driven African-Creole Southern restaurant opens on East Lake Street, and we check in on our favorite local vegan spots. In this episode: The Minnesota State Fair closes Labor Day, Sept 7 — at 8 p.m., an hour earlier than past years Back-to-back attendance records: 155,000+ on opening Thursday, then 204,065 the first Friday Square Roots, an African-Creole Southern restaurant with a built-in apprenticeship program, opening at 2700 E. Lake St. Minnesota Renaissance Festival in Shakopee runs Sept 5–7 and weekends through late September Vegan check-in: Herbivorous Butcher, J. Selby's, Reverie, Trio Plant-Based, Hello Pizza, Hard Times, and The Herbalist Mill City Farmers Market Saturdays 8 a.m.–1 p.m. and St. Paul Farmers' Market in Lowertown Saturdays 7 a.m.–1 p.m. Coming up: Guthrie Theater's "Waiting for Godot" with David Strathairn (Sept 12–Oct 11), Sugar at First Avenue, Brandon Flowers and Liz Phair at the Palace Theatre St. Paul Saints close the season at CHS Field vs. Syracuse Sept 8–13; Lynx host the Liberty Sept 18 Sources: Minnesota State Fair Star Tribune State Fair attendance tracker Mill City Farmers Market St. Paul Farmers' Market — Lowertown First Avenue shows Palace Theatre Guthrie Theater 2026–27 season Minnesota Twins schedule St. Paul Saints schedule Minnesota Lynx schedule Minneapolis seasonal events Star Tribune Restaurant Roll Call Twin Cities Business on MN startup capital Minnesota cannabis license update Subscribe: mplsvegan.com Full transcript George: —and I'm telling you, Laura, I walked past the Stone Arch this morning and there was already a guy set up with a folding chair, a thermos, and a little transistor radio. Like he was staking out a spot for a parade that isn't happening. Laura: Ope, that's peak Minneapolis. George: It really is. Laura: What was he listening to? George: I couldn't tell. Something with horns. He gave me a little nod like we were in on the same secret. Laura: See, that's the thing about this week. Everybody's got that energy. Fair's wrapping up, weather's still holding, we're all trying to squeeze one more good weekend out of it. George: One more, yeah. Laura: I love this stretch though. Like, genuinely. George: Me too. There's something about early September in the Cities that just — Laura: Don't get sappy on me yet, we're four minutes in. George: I wasn't! I was gonna say practical things. Laura: Sure you were. George: Okay so, State Fair. Closes Labor Day, this coming Monday, September seventh. Laura: Which is TODAY-ish for our listeners, depending on when you're catching us. George: Right. And here's the little wrinkle — this year they're closing at eight p.m. on Labor Day. Not nine. Laura: Wait, really? George: An hour earlier than past years. Laura: Huh. Okay. Why? George: I don't actually know. I didn't dig into the reasoning. Laura: That's interesting though, because everybody's got that muscle memory of "oh I'll swing by after work, grab a Pronto Pup, watch the sun go down." George: Exactly. And this year that window's tighter. Laura: So plan accordingly. George: Plan accordingly. If you're doing the last-day thing, get out there earlier than you think. Laura: George, did you go this year? George: I did. Twice. Laura: Only twice? Slacker. George: Listen, I paced myself. Laura: I went opening Thursday actually. George: Oh that was the record day, right? Laura: One of them. Opening Thursday was over 155,000 people, and then Friday jumped to like 204,000. Back-to-back single-day records, per the Strib tracker. George: 204,000. In one day. Laura: In one day. At one fair. George: That's a small city. Laura: That's Rochester walking through the gates in twelve hours. George: I was gonna say it felt busier this year and I thought maybe I was just getting old. Laura: No, you're right AND you're old. George: Thanks, Laura. Laura: You're welcome. George: Okay, so fair closes Monday. What else is happening this weekend? Laura: Ren Fest is open. Shakopee. This weekend's dates are September fifth through seventh. George: That runs through late September, right? Laura: Weekends through late September, yeah. George: Have you ever gone? Laura: I've been ONCE. In like, high school. A guy tried to sell me a turkey leg the size of my forearm and I have never recovered. George: That's the whole point of Ren Fest. Laura: I know it's the point! I'm just saying, I was not emotionally prepared. George: Fair enough. Laura: What about you, are you a Ren Fest guy? George: I've gone a few times. I like the jousting. Laura: Of course you like the jousting. George: Why "of course"? Laura: Because you're George. You like the wholesome slightly cheesy stuff. You probably clap for the horses. George: I do clap for the horses. Laura: I rest my case. George: Okay let's talk food, because we've been circling it. Laura: Yes. Please. I'm hungry just thinking about mini donuts. George: So the big food story I saw this week — Square Roots is opening on East Lake. Laura: African-Creole Southern, right? George: African-Creole Southern, twenty-seven hundred East Lake Street. And what I love — they've got a built-in apprenticeship program. Laura: That's the part that...

  4. Aug 31

    State Fair Finale, Square Roots Opens & MN Cannabis Omnibus Law

    George and Laura count down the final days of the Minnesota State Fair, welcome Square Roots to the Coliseum Building, hit peak farmers market season, and break down Minnesota's new cannabis omnibus law — plus a vegan reset after all those cheese curds. In this episode: Minnesota State Fair wraps its 12-day run on Labor Day, Monday Sept 7 — last chance for Machine Shed cheese curds Square Roots, an African-Creole Southern restaurant with an apprenticeship program, opens in the Coliseum Building at 2700 E Lake St (the former Lagniappe / Du Nord Cocktail Room space) Mill City Farmers Market Saturday Sept 5 (8 a.m.–1 p.m.) and Saint Paul Farmers' Market in Lowertown, open Saturdays and Sundays through November Twins host the Detroit Tigers at Target Field Sept 1–2, 7:40 p.m. first pitch Vegan corner: J. Selby's, Herbivorous Butcher, Hard Times, Reverie, Trio Plant-Based, and The Herbalist Minnesota's 2026 cannabis omnibus law took effect Aug 1, merging medical and adult-use supply chains and creating a new "macrobusiness" license category (capped at eight through 2030, effective Jan 1, 2027) Grand Rapids City Council approved plans Aug 24 to become Minnesota's second municipal dispensary, with construction starting mid-October and a July 2027 target open Also on the radar: Guthrie Theater opens Waiting for Godot with David Strathairn on Sept 12, and Chat Pile plays First Avenue Sept 17 Sources: Minnesota State Fair Visit Saint Paul — State Fair Mill City Farmers Market Saint Paul Farmers' Market — Lowertown Visit Saint Paul — Farmers Markets Guide Twins 2026 Schedule — Baseball Reference St. Paul Saints Schedule Minnesota Lynx 2026 Schedule — Target Center Minnesota United Schedule First Avenue Shows The Armory Guthrie Theater 2026–27 Season Mpls.St.Paul Magazine — Guthrie Season Mpls.St.Paul Magazine — 2026 Restaurant Openings Twin Cities Business — 2026 Entrepreneur of the Year Finalists MJBizDaily — Municipal Cannabis Dispensary Cann.dev — Minnesota Cannabis Omnibus Bill Subscribe: mplsvegan.com Full transcript George: —and I'm telling you, Laura, I walked over the Stone Arch this morning and the river just had that... late-summer glow on it. Gorgeous. Laura: Ope, here we go. George doing his Ken Burns voice about the Mississippi again. George: I can't help it! It's my bridge. Laura: It's EVERYBODY'S bridge, George. It's a public bridge. George: Okay, fair, fair. But you know what I mean. There's a specific kind of light this week. It's the "fair's almost over, summer's almost done" light. Laura: See, that I'll give you. There is a mood. My mom called me this morning just to remind me the Fair wraps on Labor Day. George: Monday the seventh. Last twelve-day stretch of the season. Laura: So if you have not gotten your cheese curds yet— George: The Machine Shed ones— Laura: —yeah, the Machine Shed curds, this is your week. Don't come crying to me on Tuesday. George: This is a public service announcement. Go to the Fair. Laura: The George Public Service Network. George: Brought to you by, uh, one guy who eats too many things on sticks. Laura: Speaking of eating, can we talk about Square Roots real quick? George: Yes. YES. This is the one I've been waiting to talk about. Laura: African-Creole Southern, opened this month, over in the Coliseum Building on East Lake. George: The old Lagniappe space. Du Nord Cocktail Room space before that. Laura: That building has GOOD bones. And they're doing an apprenticeship program too, which is the part I actually care about. George: That's the part, right? Because a restaurant opening is one thing— Laura: A restaurant opening that's also training the next round of cooks? Different story. George: That's a Minneapolis story. That's how you build a scene. Laura: See, that I'll let you get warm about. George: Thank you. Thank you for the permission. Laura: Have you been yet? George: I have not. I'm going this weekend. I'm gonna report back. Laura: Take notes. Actual notes. Not vibes. George: I always take vibes, Laura. Vibes ARE the notes. Laura: Sure. Great. Very rigorous. George: Okay, quick pivot — farmers markets. Because this is the sweet spot right now. Laura: Oh man, yes. Mill City on Saturday— George: Saturday the fifth, eight to one, right there at 750 South Second. Laura: And Lowertown in St. Paul is open both days, Saturday and Sunday, all the way through November. George: That's the underrated one. People sleep on Lowertown. Laura: They do. And I'll say it — I think the Saint Paul market this time of year is actually... maybe better? George: Laura. Laura: I said what I said. George: In OUR own show? On Minneapolis Roundup? Laura: The tomatoes are the tomatoes, George. I don't make the rules. Cross the river. George: Ugh. Fine. FINE. I'll cross the river. For tomatoes. Laura: Bring a tote. Bring cash. Get there early. George: This is good practical advice. Everyone should pop over. Laura: Hit West Seventh after. Make a day of it. George: You know, my grandma used to take me to a market when I was little and I— Laura: George. George. Sponsor break. Stay with me. George: Right, right, saved by the sponsor. Laura: This one's easy — mplsvegan.com. If you are trying to figure out where to eat plant-based in the Cities, that is the map. George: They keep it updated too. I use it all the time. Laura: Which... segues nicely. ...

  5. Aug 28

    Minneapolis Roundup - August 28, 2026

    Your laid-back Twin Cities guide — local food, vegan spots, cannabis, and weekend vibes in Minneapolis and St. Paul. New episodes Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. More at mplsvegan.com and mncannabishub.com.

  6. Aug 26

    Minneapolis Roundup - August 26, 2026

    Your laid-back Twin Cities guide — local food, vegan spots, cannabis, and weekend vibes in Minneapolis and St. Paul. New episodes Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. More at mplsvegan.com and mncannabishub.com.

  7. Aug 24

    Minneapolis Roundup - August 24, 2026

    Your laid-back Twin Cities guide — local food, vegan spots, cannabis, and weekend vibes in Minneapolis and St. Paul. New episodes Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. More at mplsvegan.com and mncannabishub.com.

  8. Aug 21

    Minneapolis Roundup - August 21, 2026

    Your laid-back Twin Cities guide — local food, vegan spots, cannabis, and weekend vibes in Minneapolis and St. Paul. New episodes Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. More at mplsvegan.com and mncannabishub.com.

See All (94)

About

Three times a week, the Twin Cities in 12 minutes. Real restaurants you should try, real local business news, real events worth your weekend. Sponsored by mplsveganhub.com and mncannabishub.com — for serious Minneapolis business owners, also brought to you by Quiet Coyote (quietcoyotemn.com).

Information

  • Creator
    Jaycub's Jammin Media
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    94
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Minneapolis Roundup. All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Minneapolis Roundup