Minneapolis Roundup

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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

    Twin Cities Oct 16: Saint Paul Art Crawl, Front Porch Pies, Spark MN & Stelline

    George and Laura break down the Twin Cities weekend of October 16–18, 2026: art crawls, horror fest, a vegan bakery finally getting a storefront, Travail's new pasta spot, Somali diaspora fine dining, and a cannabis milestone up in Mille Lacs County. In this episode: Saint Paul Art Crawl Fri–Sun across 31 venues, billed as the longest-running art crawl in the U.S. Twin Cities Horror Festival XV opens Fri Oct 16 at 6pm at The Crane Theater in NE Minneapolis. Front Porch Pies, the vegan bakery, opens its first retail shop at 3008 36th Ave S (former Savory Bake House space). Stelline Italian Kitchen — Travail Collective's new NE Minneapolis spot at 1304 NE 2nd St, pasta-forward with grilled salmon and duck confit. Martiya, Abdirahman Kahin's first full-service halal restaurant serving Somali diaspora cuisine, soft-opened Oct 1 with a Nov 1 grand opening. Spark MN in Milaca opened Oct 10 as Mille Lacs County's first adult-use rec dispensary; Minnesota's licensed market has topped $250M in year one per the Office of Cannabis Management. Live music at First Avenue: Judah & The Lion (Fri), Daði Freyr (Sat), Medium Build (Sun); Minnesota United FC hosts St. Louis City SC Sat at Allianz Field. Guthrie's "Kunene and the King" through Nov 8; Children's Theatre "Pinocchio" closes Oct 18; Mill City, Midtown, Kingfield and St. Paul Lowertown farmers markets all open this weekend. Sources: Saint Paul Art Crawl guide Twin Cities Weekend Family Guide (Horror Fest, Great Pumpkin Fest) Zombie Pub Crawl Minneapolis First Avenue JamBase: First Avenue listings Guthrie Theater Children's Theatre Company MPR News Shortlist Minnesota United vs. St. Louis City SC Minnesota Wild schedule Vikings vs. Colts at U.S. Bank Stadium Stelline & Front Porch Pies openings Star Tribune: Martiya soft opening MJBizDaily: Minnesota cannabis market Spark MN opens in Milaca Mill City Farmers Market St. Paul Farmers' Market Midtown Farmers Market Kingfield Farmers Market Subscribe: mplsvegan.com Full transcript George: ...and I'm telling you, I walked down Nicollet this morning, Laura, and the trees are just GOING. Laura: Going how? Peak going or past-peak going? George: Peak. Like, that stop-you-on-the-sidewalk peak. Laura: Okay, George, you say that every October. George: I do NOT say that every October. Laura: You absolutely do. George: Okay... maybe I do. But this year it's for real. Laura: Uff da. Here we go. George: Don't uff da me. The light hits the Stone Arch and it's just... I don't know. Painted. Laura: It is nice down there. I'll give you that. George: Thank you. Laura: But you've been romantic about that bridge since like 1998. George: Longer than that, probably. Laura: So we're not doing patios today, I take it. George: Ope, patios? Laura. It's jacket season. Laura: Some folks are still sitting out, bundled up. I saw it on Hennepin yesterday. George: Yeah, with the heaters cranking. Those are the real ones. Laura: The real ones, doncha know. George: Alright, so this weekend... there's actually a LOT going on. Laura: There's a lot going on. The art crawl is the big one for me. George: Saint Paul Art Crawl, right. Friday through Sunday. Laura: Thirty-one venues. Three one. George: Which is... wild. For a weekend. Laura: They say it's the longest-running art crawl in the country. George: Is it? I didn't know that. Laura: Yeah, that's the pitch anyway. Been going forever. George: Huh. I always just wandered in without knowing. Laura: That's the move though. You walk Lowertown, you walk West Seventh, you see what's open, you talk to the artists. George: West Seventh has become something, hasn't it. Laura: George. It's ALWAYS been something. George: Fair. Laura: You just discovered it recently. George: Rude. Accurate, but rude. Laura: I'm just saying. George: Okay, if people are hungry out there, let's do food corner. We gotta talk Front Porch Pies. Laura: Oh, finally opening the retail shop! George: Yeah, vegan bakery, 36th Ave South. Over by where Savory Bake House used to be. Laura: I've been waiting for this. I used to order from them pop-up style for a while. George: And they're good? Laura: George. GOOD. George: Okay, you're selling me. Laura: Like, the crust is the thing. Vegan crust is usually sad. George: Usually a brick. Laura: Usually a brick. Theirs is not a brick. George: Alright. So if you're over south this weekend, that's the stop. Laura: That's the stop. And honestly pair that with Trio. George: Trio Plant-Based. Laura: Full brunch energy. You can make a day of it. George: Make a day of it. And shoutout as always to our friends at mplsvegan.com — if you want the whole plant-based map of the Cities, that's where it lives. Laura: They've got everybody. J. Selby's over in St. Paul. George: Hard Times Cafe for the night owls. Laura: Herbivorous Butcher in Northeast — classic. George: Hello Pizza, Reverie Cafe, The Herbalist... Laur...

  2. 3d ago

    Twin Cities This Week: Saint Paul Art Crawl, Martiya Opens & Wolves Home

    Golden-hour George and Laura walk the last good patio stretch of the year with a vibe map of Twin Cities food, markets, art, and sports for the week of October 14, 2026. In this episode: Mill City Farmers Market and Midtown Farmers Market Saturdays 9 a.m.–1 p.m. through October; Minneapolis Farmers Market on Lyndale open daily this fall. Saint Paul Fall Art Crawl Oct 16–18, free across all seven wards from Lowertown to Cathedral Hill. Twin Cities Horror Fest at the Crane Theater — 14 productions over 16 days. Martiya, the new halal Somali-diaspora spot at Lake & Nicollet in the Opportunity Crossing development (soft open Oct 1, grand opening Nov 1). Midway Diner in United Village added dinner and a full bar Oct 5 — walk-over territory after a Loons match. Timberwolves vs. Pistons at Target Center Weds 10/14 at 7 p.m.; Minnesota United vs. St. Louis City SC at Allianz Field Sat 10/17 at 3:30 p.m., then Sporting KC 10/28. Vikings vs. Colts at U.S. Bank Stadium Sun 10/25 at noon; Wild vs. Islanders at Grand Casino Arena Thu 10/29. Minnesota cannabis sales hit ~$250M in year one with 396 licenses issued; Fond du Lac Band broke ground on a tribal dispensary in Duluth. Sources: Mill City Farmers Market Bring Me The News — 2026 farmers markets guide Family Fun Twin Cities calendar Visit Saint Paul — Art Crawl guide Racket MN — Twin Cities Horror Fest First Avenue schedule (Songkick) Minnesota United home schedule Minnesota Wild schedule Vikings 2026 schedule Yahoo Sports — Lynx playoff recap MSP Magazine — new restaurant openings TCB Mag — 2026 Entrepreneur of the Year winners Cann.Dev — Minnesota cannabis sales 2026 MJBizDaily — Minnesota tribal/municipal dispensary Subscribe: mplsvegan.com Full transcript George: —and I'm telling you, Laura, this is the LAST good patio stretch of the year. Like, this is it. Laura: George, you said that two weeks ago. George: Okay but this time I MEAN it. Have you been outside? Laura: I have been outside, yes, I live here too. George: Fair. Laura: It's that... crispy afternoon, cold-at-night thing. Classic October in the Cities. George: Classic. You get that one perfect hour around four o'clock where the light hits and everybody on the sidewalk looks good. Laura: Golden hour George. George: Golden hour George is a real guy, don't make fun. Laura: Ope, wouldn't dream of it. George: There it is. Laura: So what are we doing today. Because I know you have a list. George: I have a small list. Not even a list. More like... a vibe map. Laura: A vibe map. George: Patio holdouts, farmers markets while they're still open, art crawl weekend, you know. The real stuff. Laura: Okay I'm into it. But before we go anywhere — Mill City is still running Saturdays, right? George: Yeah. Through October. 9 to 1, down by the river. Laura: Good. Because last year I showed up in November like a fool. George: You did not. Laura: I DID. Walked up with my little tote bag, nothing. Just the wind. George: Oh no. Laura: Just me and the wind and my shame. George: Okay so this year, mark it — Saturdays, 9 to 1, through the end of the month. Midtown's open too, same hours. Laura: Midtown is my spot, by the way. East Lake Street. That's my neighborhood market. George: It's a good one. And then Lyndale, the Minneapolis Farmers Market down on Lyndale, that's open daily right now for the fall season. Laura: Daily is wild to me. Who's going on a Tuesday? George: Retired people. People who work from home. Me, allegedly. Laura: Allegedly. George: I've been once. Laura: Once? George: In like, a year. Don't tell anyone. Laura: Golden hour George, part-time farmer. George: Okay — before we keep going, quick shout, this episode is brought to you by our friends at mplsvegan.com. If you want the actual plant-based map of this city, that's where you go. Laura: Legit. They do the work so you don't have to Google at 11pm hungry. George: Which I have done. Many times. Laura: We know, George. George: Speaking of — can we do food first? I need to talk about food. Laura: Please. George: Okay. J. Selby's. St. Paul. Laura: The Dirty Gyro. George: THE Dirty Gyro. Laura: You don't even have to say more. That's a complete sentence. George: It's a complete sentence AND a complete meal. And in October, going into St. Paul for that — it just hits different. Laura: It really does. There's something about crossing over to the East side in fall. The leaves on Summit, the whole thing. George: Yes. Yes. And then — pivoting — Herbivorous Butcher. NE Mpls. Laura: Classic. Grab a sandwich, walk the Arts District a little. George: Have you been to Reverie lately? Laura: Reverie I love. South side, cozy, you can sit there for hours. George: Patio's winding down over there but the inside is like... it's a soft chair and a warm drink kind of place now. Laura: Which is the whole point of October, honestly. George: And Hard Times. Shoutout to Hard Times. Laura: Hard Times forever. George: That place has been there since before I had opinions. Laura: George, you were BORN with opinions. George: Rude. True. Laura: Trio is my pick though. Trio Plant-Based, over on the north side. George: The brunch? Laura: The brunch. I don't need t...

  3. 5d ago

    MEA Weekend in Minneapolis: CiderWeen, PopUp Bagels, Twin Cities Film Fest

    It's MEA weekend in the Twin Cities and we're running down everything open, opening, and worth hitting from the North Loop to Lowertown. Markets, music, movies, cider, bagels, and an honest sports beat. In this episode: Farmers markets still open: Mill City (Sat 8–1, through Oct 31), Midtown on East Lake, Kingfield at MLK Park through Oct 25, and St. Paul Farmers' Market in Lowertown both weekend days. CiderWeen 2026 at Sociable Cider Werks in NE Minneapolis — Sat Oct 17, noon–6 p.m., with a 50+ artist Halloween market. Twin Cities Film Fest runs through Oct 21 at Marcus West End (St. Louis Park) and the Edina Mann — 70+ in-person films plus 70+ online. First Avenue mainroom stack: Paris Paloma (Oct 14), Zack Fox (Oct 15), Judah & The Lion (Oct 16), Daði Freyr (Oct 17), Medium Build (Oct 18). The Armory: Godsmack with Dorothy on Oct 14, Steve Aoki's "30 Years of Dim Mak" on Oct 17. Guthrie Theater: John Kani's Kunene and the King on the McGuire Proscenium, Oct 10 – Nov 8; Waiting for Godot closed Oct 11. Food openings: PopUp Bagels debuts its first Minnesota shop in the North Loop's Saxon building, and Travail Collective relaunches its NE cocktail bar as an Italian-leaning neighborhood spot with housemade pastas. Cannabis beat: Minnesota's adult-use market hit a record ~$22M monthly in mid-2026 with 100+ licensed retailers, and Anoka Cannabis Company — the state's first municipally-run dispensary — is being studied as a model. Honest sports beat: no Twins (season ended Sept 23), no Vikings or MLS home game, and the Lynx were bounced in round one — the WNBA Finals (Oct 17–31) are Atlanta vs. Golden State, not us. Sources: Mill City Farmers Market Explore Minnesota – Mill City Bring Me The News farmers market guide St. Paul Farmers' Market Visit Saint Paul farmers market guide Twin Cities Film Fest lineup (Mpls.St.Paul Magazine) CiderWeen / MEA weekend guide Meet Minneapolis fall events First Avenue calendar The Armory calendar Palace Theatre calendar Guthrie Theater – What's On Guthrie 2025–2026 season 2026 WNBA playoffs bracket Twins schedule (ESPN) New restaurant openings 2026 Artful Living – Top 8 2026 MJBizDaily – MN adult-use sales MJBizDaily – Anoka municipal dispensary Subscribe: mplsvegan.com Full transcript George: —and I'm telling you, I walked over the Stone Arch this morning and the river just had that... fall LIGHT on it, you know the one. Laura: George, every week you come in here with a Stone Arch Bridge monologue. George: I do not. Laura: You do. You absolutely do. George: Okay, maybe like... every other week. Laura: Every other week. Sure. George: Hey, listen. It's mid-October, the leaves are doing their thing, and I'm allowed one bridge moment per show. House rules. Laura: House rules you just made up. George: Correct. Welcome back to Minneapolis Roundup, by the way. Laura: Ope, there he goes. Finally. George: "Ope, there he goes." That's gonna be the cold open forever now, isn't it. Laura: Pretty much. So — MEA weekend coming up, kids are off school Thursday and Friday... George: Which means the whole metro is either at a hockey tournament or up north at the cabin. Laura: Or they're staying put and actually enjoying the Cities for once. George: Right. Which — honestly — not a bad play this weekend. Laura: Not a bad play at ALL. Let's talk about why. George: Okay so — markets first. Mill City is still going Saturdays, eight to one, down by the Guthrie. Laura: Through the end of the month, yeah. Oct 17, 24, 31 and then they wind it down. George: And Midtown is still open Saturdays over on East Lake, nine to one. Laura: Kingfield too, Sundays at MLK Park, through October 25th. George: Is Kingfield the one at Nicollet and like... 40th? Laura: 4055 Nicollet, yeah. George, you LIVE here. George: I know, I know. I always come in from the north side, so the south-side numbers scramble in my head. Laura: Oh, the north-south divide, deeply confusing. George: Hey. Laura: And St. Paul Farmers' Market in Lowertown is doing both days — Saturday seven to one, Sunday eight to one. George: Which, if you've never done the St. Paul one on a Sunday morning, you're missing out. Laura: It's a vibe. Walk around Lowertown, grab coffee, don't think about Monday. George: Don't think about Monday. That's the whole fall move. Laura: Okay — food. Can I say something? George: Please. Laura: PopUp Bagels is finally opening their first Minnesota shop in the North Loop. Like, this month. George: In the Saxon building, right? Laura: Yes. George: I'm actually hyped about this one. Midwest expansion, we got picked. Laura: We got PICKED, George. George: We got picked. I'll take it. Laura: And Travail Collective is relaunching their NE cocktail bar as more of an Italian-leaning neighborhood spot. Housemade pastas. George: Travail does what Travail does. I trust them. Laura: Same. George: Now — vegan corner. Shout out mplsvegan.com, by the way, one of our sponsors. Laura: The best resource for this stuff, genuinely. George: If you're doing MEA weekend a...

  4. Oct 9

    Twin Cities Oct 9-11: Owámni Falling Water Fest, Oktoberfest, MNUFC & More

    George and Laura walk through the Twin Cities weekend of Oct 9–11, 2026: Indigenous Peoples' Day festivities at the riverfront, Oktoberfest at the fairgrounds, farmers markets still outdoor, and a stacked slate of music, sports, and theater. In this episode: Owámni: Falling Water Festival at Father Hennepin Park, Sat 11 a.m.–4 p.m., tied to Owámniyomni / St. Anthony Falls and Indigenous Peoples' Day. Twin Cities Oktoberfest at the MN State Fairgrounds' Historic Progress Center — free entry, Fri 5–11 p.m., Sat noon–10 p.m. Autumn Brew Review at Boom Island Park (Sat 1:30–5 p.m.) and the City of Lakes Art Fair at Bde Maka Ska (Sat 10 a.m.–5 p.m.). Farmers markets still running outdoor: Mill City (every Saturday in October), Midtown on E Lake St, and Saint Paul's Lowertown market (plus the Prince St indoor market Tue–Sun). Live music: Shaboozey + Kashus Culpepper at The Armory Sat, Waylon Wyatt at First Avenue Oct 10, Snail Mail & Soccer Mommy at the Palace, MUNA on Oct 11. Sports: Minnesota United vs. Houston Dynamo Sat at Allianz Field, with Vikings vs. Colts and the Timberwolves home opener coming Oct 25. Guthrie Theater: Waiting for Godot closes Oct 11; Kunene and the King previews begin Oct 10. Food + local biz: Travail Collective reopening in NE as an Italian-leaning spot, Shake Shack Minnetonka opening October, and Erick DeLeon of "Of the Lion" named MN Retailers' Entrepreneur of the Year. Sources: Mill City Farmers Market Twin Cities Farmers Market Guide Saint Paul Farmers' Market Twin Cities Oktoberfest MPR: Indigenous Peoples' Day in Minnesota Racket MN: Freeloader Friday First Avenue calendar The Armory upcoming shows Palace Theatre upcoming shows MPR: Guthrie's Kunene and the King Minnesota United home schedule Vikings 2026 schedule Timberwolves 2026-27 season Mpls.St.Paul Magazine: New restaurant openings MN Retailers: 2026-27 Retail Champions MN Cannabis Hub: Mid-2026 licensing update Subscribe: mplsvegan.com Full transcript George: —and I'm telling you, the light this morning off the Stone Arch Bridge, Laura, it was that specific October gold. Laura: Oh, I know that light. George: Like somebody turned a dimmer on the whole river. Laura: George, you say this every single October. George: Because it's TRUE every single October. Laura: Okay, fair. George: You betcha. Laura: Ope, there it is. Three minutes in. George: I didn't even plan that. Laura: Sure you didn't. George: Alright, so where are we today... it's the ninth, we're deep in it, leaves are turning, patios are still kinda holding on if you dress right. Laura: Patios in October are a whole personality type. George: What do you mean? Laura: Like, you're either the person with the blanket and the hot toddy, or you're the person in a t-shirt pretending it's not forty-eight degrees. George: I am absolutely the t-shirt guy. Laura: I KNOW you are. George: Minnesota nice, Minnesota denial. Laura: Put that on a shirt. George: Okay so weather-wise, we're in that stretch where mornings are cold, afternoons are glorious, and then by six it's a different season again. Laura: Layers week. George: Every week is layers week here, Laura. Laura: True, true. George: But especially now. Alright, let's actually get into it, because there's a LOT going on this weekend. Laura: There really is. I was looking at the list earlier and I was like, okay, pick two. George: You can't do it all. Laura: You cannot do it all. George: So top of mind for me — Twin Cities Oktoberfest is going on at the fairgrounds. Last night and tonight. Laura: At the Progress Center, right? George: Historic Progress Center, yeah. Free to get in, which is the part people always miss. Laura: Free entry is wild for an Oktoberfest. George: You pay for what you drink, you pay for what you eat, but the door's open. Laura: Noon to ten on Saturday? George: Yep. And it was five to eleven last night. Laura: Okay so that's a daytime hang. George: It's a daytime hang. German beer, the food, the oompah thing— Laura: Please do not say oompah on this podcast. George: I literally just did. Laura: You absolutely just did. George: It's part of the deal, Laura. Laura: I know it is. George: Big pretzels, that's really what I'm there for. Laura: See, THAT I respect. George: Pretzel the size of your face. That's a Minnesota October to me. Laura: Okay but here's my pushback. George: Go. Laura: Oktoberfest is fine. It's a thing. But if we're talking about what you should actually show up for this weekend, I think the Falling Water Festival is the one. George: Owámni. Laura: Owámni, yeah. Father Hennepin Park, Saturday, eleven to four. George: And this is tied to Indigenous Peoples' Day on Monday. Laura: Exactly. Food, art, music, dance — and it's all rooted in the falls themselves, Owámniyomni, which is the actual name of that place. George: Which I did not know until like a few years ago, honestly. Laura: Right? And you grew up here. George: I grew up here and I didn't know. That's the thing. Laura: That's why it matters. George: Yeah. You know what, I'm gonna say it — if you only do one thing on Saturday, do that one. Laura:

  5. Oct 7

    Stelline Opens, Oktoberfest, First Ave & Mill City Market — Oct 7

    George and Laura walk through the Twin Cities week of October 7, 2026 — new restaurants, farmers markets at peak, Oktoberfest, big weekend shows, and sports. In this episode: Stelline Italian Kitchen opens Oct 1 from Travail Collective at 1304 NE 2nd St in the former Stargazer space — pastas and small plates. Martiya (Somali diaspora, halal) soft-opens at 3036 Nicollet Ave with a Nov 1 grand opening; Mandalay Kitchen reopens on W University after a January car-crash shutdown. Farmers markets in full swing: Mill City Saturdays 9–1 by the Guthrie, Midtown Sat 8–1 and Tue 3–6, St. Paul Lowertown Sat–Sun. Twin Cities Oktoberfest at the State Fairgrounds Fri–Sat Oct 9–10; City of Lakes Art Fair at Bde Maka Ska Sat–Sun 10–5. First Avenue stacked: Pinhead Gunpowder Tue, Starbomb Thu, Waylon Wyatt Fri; Malcolm Todd's Do That Again Tour at The Armory Fri. Palace Theatre weekend: Snail Mail & Soccer Mommy co-headline Sat Oct 10; MUNA's Gets So Hot Tour with hemlocke springs Sun Oct 11. Guthrie: Waiting for Godot on the Wurtele Thrust through Oct 11; Kunene and the King (dir. Ruben Santiago-Hudson) opens Oct 10 on the McGuire Proscenium. Sports: Minnesota United vs Houston Dynamo at Allianz Field Sat Oct 10, 7:30pm; Wild host Vegas at Grand Casino Arena Mon Oct 12. Minneapolis Foundation activates a $3.5M emergency fund for immigrant-owned small businesses downtown and on Lake Street hit by ICE-operation foot-traffic drops. Minnesota cannabis milestone: 392 business licenses and 223 adult-use retail sites statewide; Walz's 2026 Omnibus Cannabis Bill creates eight new "macrobusiness" licenses. Sources: millcityfarmersmarket.org mspmag.com — Twin Cities farmers markets stpaulfarmersmarket.com minneapolis.org — fall events jambase.com — First Avenue armorymn.com Palace Theatre upcoming shows guthrietheater.org Minnesota United tickets 2025–26 Minnesota Wild season vikings.com — 2026 schedule Timberwolves tickets Star Tribune — restaurant roll call tcbmag.com — Minneapolis Foundation $3.5M fund themarijuanaherald.com — MN cannabis licenses mjbizdaily.com — MN supply chain merge mprnews.org — new cannabis laws Subscribe: mplsvegan.com Full transcript George: — and I'm telling you, I walked across the Stone Arch this morning and the light was doing that thing. That gold thing. Where the river looks like it's showing off. Laura: The river's showing off. George, the river does not care about you. George: Laura, the river and I have an understanding. Laura: Mm-hm. You and the Mississippi. Sure. George: Look, it's October seventh, it's crisp, it's that... that specific kind of Minneapolis morning where you need a jacket but not a COAT. You know what I mean? Laura: Oh, I know. That window. That tiny little window before it turns. George: Two weeks. Three if we're lucky. Laura: Don't jinx it. Last year you jinxed it and we had snow by Halloween. George: That was NOT me. Laura: That was absolutely you. George: Okay so — patios. People are still sitting outside. I saw folks on a West 7th patio last weekend in flannels, pretending it wasn't cold. Laura: That's such a Minnesota move. Flannel and a space heater and we call it summer. George: You betcha. Laura: Oh no. Not already. George: I'm pacing myself. Laura: Sure you are. Okay, where do you want to start? Food? Music? What people are actually doing this weekend? George: Let's do food first because I want to talk about Stelline. Laura: Yes. Okay. George: So Travail Collective — you know, the folks behind that whole experimental thing — they opened Stelline on October first. NE Second Street. In the old Stargazer space. Laura: Pastas and small plates, right? George: That's what I'm hearing. I haven't been yet. Laura: Wait, YOU haven't been? George, you were there the day Stargazer opened. George: I know, I know. I've failed you. I'm going this week. Laura: Great. The city's food scribe hasn't been to the biggest opening on his beat. George: Okay, okay, I'll bring you a takeout box. Laura: You better. Also — Martiya opened the same day. Nicollet Ave. George: Yeah, Somali diaspora, halal menu. Soft open now, grand opening November first. Laura: That's the one I'm most excited about honestly. Because Nicollet needs that. That stretch has been... quiet. George: It has. And a soft open gives them a month to get the kitchen humming before the big push. Laura: Smart. And — ope, I almost forgot — Mandalay Kitchen reopened. George: Over on West University. Laura: Yes! After that car crash shut them down back in January. George: Nine months. That's a long time to be closed. Laura: Nine months of their regulars just... waiting. And they came back. George: Karen, Thai, Burmese — that menu is special. I'm glad they're back. Laura: Me too. Okay but — shoutout real quick to our friends at mplsvegan.com, because they've been tracking the plant-based patio situation like it's their job. George: Which it IS. Laura: Which it is! George: And speaking of plant-based — J. Selby's over in St. Paul has been doing their thing all fall. That dirty Selby's sandwich does not care what season it is. Laura: It is a four-season sandwich. George: It really is. Laura: Herbivorous Butcher's still rolling. The deli counter in NE never sleeps. George: Reverie, Hard Times — Hard Times might outlive us all. Laura: Hard Times will be there after the heat death of the univ...

  6. Oct 5

    Twin Cities Oct 5–11: Oktoberfest, Cine Latino, Shaboozey & Mill City Market

    Gold October light, crisp mornings, and a packed Twin Cities weekend. George and Laura walk through farmers markets, Oktoberfest, Cine Latino, local sports, the vegan bench, and where Minnesota cannabis sits mid-2026. In this episode: Mill City Farmers Market shifts to 9 a.m.–1 p.m. Saturdays for October at 704 S. 2nd St.; St. Paul Farmers' Market in Lowertown runs Sat 7–1 and Sun 8–1. 16th annual Twin Cities Oktoberfest, Fri Oct 9 (5–11 p.m.) and Sat Oct 10 (noon–10 p.m.) at the Historic Progress Center, MN State Fairgrounds. Cine Latino at The Main Cinema Oct 7–11 — five days of Spanish- and Portuguese-language film plus food trucks; City of Lakes Art Fair Oct 10–11 along W. Bde Maka Ska Parkway. Live music: Pinhead Gunpowder (Oct 7), Starbomb (Oct 9), Waylon Wyatt (Oct 10) at First Avenue; Jim Henson's Labyrinth: In Concert at the Fitzgerald Oct 6; Shaboozey "Outlaws Never Die" at The Armory Oct 10. Sports: USMNT vs. Canada Oct 6 and Minnesota United vs. Houston Dynamo Oct 10 at Allianz Field; Twins eliminated Sept 20; Lynx swept 2–0 by New York in round one. St. Paul Scary Movies screens "Hocus Pocus" Fri Oct 9 at dusk at Como Park Midway Pavilion; Zombie Pub Crawl returns Oct 13 to NE Minneapolis. Food: Aubergine opened its first brick-and-mortar in St. Paul earlier in 2026; Šhotá Indigenous BBQ is incoming at 2601 E. Franklin Ave.; vegan shoutouts to J. Selby's, Herbivorous Butcher, Reverie, Hard Times, Trio Plant-Based, and Hello Pizza. Minnesota cannabis: 240 licenses issued from 3,541 applicants, ~96 adult-use retailers, Omnibus Cannabis Bill effective Aug 1 (≤10 mg THC/serving, 200 mg/package), and a testing-lab capacity crunch causing shelf gaps. Sources: Mill City Farmers Market St. Paul Farmers' Market, Lowertown Twin Cities Oktoberfest Meet Minneapolis Calendar (Cine Latino, City of Lakes, USMNT, Labyrinth, Shaboozey) St. Paul Parks & Rec — Scary Movies First Avenue shows Minnesota United FC tickets 2026 Minnesota Twins season Lynx 2026 playoffs Zombie Pub Crawl (Star Tribune) Twin Cities restaurant openings TCB: Minnesota startup capital debate MN Cannabis Hub — mid-2026 update MJBizDaily — municipal dispensary Subscribe: mplsvegan.com Full transcript George: —and I'm telling you, the light this morning on the Stone Arch was that gold October light, Laura. The kind that makes you forgive the city for everything. Laura: Forgive it for what, George? What did Minneapolis do to you this week? George: I don't know, the potholes maybe. The parking tickets. All of it. Laura: Uh huh. So we're starting the show with you forgiving the pavement. George: We're starting the show with GRATITUDE. Big difference. Laura: Mm. Okay. I'll allow it. George: Thank you. Laura: But real quick — did you actually walk the bridge or did you just drive past and look at it? George: I walked it. Partially. Laura: Partially. George: I walked to the middle and then I got cold and turned around, which is a very Minnesota thing to do. Laura: That's the most honest thing you've said all month. George: It's crisp out there! Like, real crisp. Hat weather. You can smell the leaves doing their thing. Laura: You can. And can we just acknowledge — October in the Cities when the sun shows up? There is nothing better. George: Nothing. Laura: NOTHING. George: Which brings me to my pitch for the weekend. Hear me out. Laura: Oh boy. George: Saturday morning. Mill City Farmers Market. Nine a.m. Laura: Nine, not eight? George: They shifted it later for October, which, honestly? Bless them. The eight a.m. summer start was a lot. Laura: It was a LOT. You remember I showed up one Saturday in July like 8:15 and you were already two cups of coffee deep? George: I was so smug. Laura: You were SO smug. George: And now I have to be humble because they moved it to nine and I can't lord it over anyone anymore. Laura: Ope, there goes your whole personality. George: Gone. Just vaporized. Laura: Okay but the market in October is genuinely my favorite version of it. All the squash, the apples, that late-season — you know, the kale that's finally sweet because it's been cold on it. George: Yes. YES. Frost-kissed kale. Laura: "Frost-kissed." Listen to yourself. George: What? That's the term! Laura: That's a BRUNCH-MENU term, George. George: Okay, fair. Laura: And if you're over on the East side, St. Paul Farmers' Market in Lowertown is going too. Saturday seven to one, Sunday eight to one. George: Which is wild to me because that's a FULL weekend of market energy if you're ambitious. Laura: Who's doing both? George: Me. Theoretically. In my head. Laura: In your head. George: In reality I'm doing one and then taking a nap. Laura: There it is. George: Alright, so — before we go further, little housekeeping. This show is brought to you by our friends at mplsvegan.com, your map to the plant-based scene in the Cities. Laura: And mncannabishub.com for everything happening in Minnesota cannabis — which, trust me, is a lot right now. George: We'll get to that. The cannabis stuff is actually kind of a story this week. Laura: It IS a story. Hold that. George: Holding it. Food first. Laura: Food first, always. George: So. Oktoberfest is this weekend, right? Sixteenth year. Laura: Friday night, Saturday all day. Out at the Fairgrounds, the Progress Center. George: W...

  7. Sep 28

    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...

  8. Sep 23

    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?

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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
    100
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Minneapolis Roundup. All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Minneapolis Roundup