Twin Cities weekend: Giant pencil sharpening, Edina Art Fair, Prince celebration
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John Higgins and Curtis Ingvoldstad next to the LOTI Pencil, left, and human pencil dancers. Photos: Audrey Kennedy/Axios
It's that time of year again: The giant pencil at Lake of the Isles is getting its birthday sharpening.
Context: Since its creation in 2022, owner John Higgins has thrown a massive annual party for the community to celebrate the 16-foot-tall pencil sculpture, carved from a tree in Higgins' front yard by chainsaw sculptor Curtis Ingvoldstad.
- Previous years have included "human pencil" dancers, a drum line, T-shirt cannons, professional pencil sharpener David Rees, speeches on scrolls presented by barristers and free ice cream.
What to expect: The 4-foot-long giant pencil sharpener will make an appearance, but the rest of the programming is largely a mystery — though according to Higgins, the customary complimentary pencils handed out at the event will be purple in honor of Prince's birthday.
📍 Details: Saturday, June 7 from 1-2:30pm at 2217 E. Lake of the Isles Parkway, Minneapolis, rain or shine. Free!
More things to do ...
💜 Remember Prince's legacy at Paisley Park and downtown Minneapolis' Celebration 2025 Thursday-Sunday.
- This year's event honors "the vibrant era of 1985" and includes access to panels, concerts, dance parties, exclusive listening sessions of unreleased audio and more. Packages for the four-day festival start at $752.75
🎨 The Edina Art Fair returns Friday-Sunday at 50th & France with over 250 local and national artists alongside live music, three beer and wine gardens, plenty of food trucks and a specialty culinary artisan marketplace.
- Pro tip: Parking will be near-impossible during peak hours, but there is a shuttle available from Edina City Hall to the event Saturday-Sunday. Free
🌈 Kick off Pride month in the suburbs this Saturday as Golden Valley and Anoka both hold their city-wide celebrations.
- Expect live entertainment, activities, vendors and a beer garden in Golden Valley, and don't miss Anoka's afterparty starting at 3pm. Free
🖌️ The largest chalk festival in the Midwest returns to Maple Grove Saturday and Sunday, with over 50 artists from around the world creating mind-bending sidewalk chalk art on Main Street (rain or shine). Free; tipping artists is encouraged
😋 Eat your weight in egg rolls at the sixth annual Egg Roll Festival in St. Paul on Sunday. Options include Hmong, Vietnamese and Chinese cuisine alongside pizza, burrito, mac and cheese, Big Mac and meatball rolls, per the description. Free entry