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Plenty of new exhibitions are opening at local museums just in time for spring. Here are three to check out this weekend.

🎨 "Abstraction and Ourselves"— Cafesjian Art Trust Museum: The Shoreview museum's latest exhibition features large-scale abstract paintings, mixed media and glass pieces by artists like Dyani White Hawk and Georgia O'Keeffe.

Curators say it's the first abstract painting and glass sculpture exhibition at this scale in the United States — and every painting but one is by a woman artist.

Open now through July 31. Free walk-in admission on Friday evenings and all day Saturday, with guided tours available by reservation. 

🔈 "Christine Sun Kim: All Day All Night" — Walker Art Center: Artist and activist Christine Sun Kim — whose native language is American Sign Language — examines sound's place in society across drawings, videos, sculptures and large-scale murals.

The exhibition surveys work from 2011-2026 and "challenges the assumption that spoken languages hold greater value than those that are signed," per the Walker. 

Open March 28 through August 30. $18 adult admission, free for ages 18 and under. 

📡 "Unseen Signals" — Pavek Museum of Electronic Communication: The unique St. Louis Park museum, which has one of the nation's largest collections of antique radios, televisions and broadcast equipment, is hosting a traveling show exploring the life of radio pioneer Edwin H. Armstrong.

The exhibition showcases the cultural and political impact of broadcasting during World Wars I and II. It also features unique ephemera, like the original superheterodyne receiver from which modern radios are descended. 

Now through Aug. 22. $12 adults, $7 ages 4-17.

🧸 Meet the Hamm's Bear at Saint Paul Brewing's first Hamm's Fest, an all-day tribute to the Minnesota-founded beer.

Activities include tours of the brewery by a local historian and a collector's market with vintage memorabilia. Six local breweries will brew tribute flights in hopes of winning the Hamm's Crown. Free entry, tours are $19.61

🐦 Greet great blue herons at the Mississippi River this Saturday during the annual Welcome Back The Herons party, celebrating the return of herons, cormorants and egrets to their rookery in Northeast Minneapolis.

Park rangers will be on-site giving education talks and assisting with spotting scopes, but plan to BYOB (bring your own binoculars). Free

💭 Audrey's thought bubble: I went in 2024 and was astonished by the sheer number of herons. Even if you're not a regular birdwatcher, it's quite a sight!

🏎️ Watch 56 handcrafted cars (potentially) crash at the return of the Pintwood Derby, a display of "creativity, craftsmanship and just a little chaos" this Saturday.

Cars will attempt to race down Fulton Taproom's custom track in a double-elimination showdown to win the Pintly Trophy and a $200 travel voucher. Competition spots are sold out, but spectating is free. ‍

🪦 Discuss all things death (and life) at the March Death Cafe this Sunday in Minneapolis.

The groups, which meet all over the world, offer participants a place to have "a tangible, factual, honest conversation around death," Axios' Carly Mallenbaum writes.

Note: It's a discussion group, not a grief support circle. Free

Twin Cities weekend: Hamm's Fest, welcome herons, death cafe

Six local breweries will brew tribute flights in hopes of winning the Hamm's Crown.

Illustration of a film reel inside a glass museum case.

Plenty of new exhibitions are opening at local museums just in time for spring. Here are three to check out this weekend.🎨 &quot;<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Abstraction and Ourselves" data-vars-click-url="https://cafesjianarttrust.org/abstraction/" data-vars-content-id="30670d19-6a9f-4481-a48f-0b3a31a0da33" data-vars-headline="Twin Cities weekend: Hamm&#x27;s Fest, welcome herons, death cafe" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://cafesjianarttrust.org/abstraction/" target="_blank">Abstraction and Ourselves</a>&quot;— Cafesjian Art Trust Museum: The Shoreview museum&#x27;s latest exhibition features large-scale abstract paintings, mixed media and glass pieces by artists like Dyani White Hawk and Georgia O&#x27;Keeffe.

Things to Do

Midtown Global Market is welcoming two new vendors this week. After closing its LynLake restaurant last October, vegan soul food spot Trio Plant-Based is reopening inside the market Friday, per a release.

Somali eatery 7 Spices, which previously operated within Karmel Mall, will hold its grand opening Saturday to mark the end of Ramadan.

🏢 Condo tower Eleven Minneapolis is finally getting a restaurant. Sel et Terre, which previously operated as a pop-up at Travail, will seat around 170 and serve American cuisine with global influences, per Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal.

🍹 Mexican bistro Pajarito has closed its West Seventh location after nearly 10 years, it announced on social media Monday.

The owners didn't list a reason for the closure. The Edina outpost will remain open.

🍻 The former Pracna on Main space will soon house a new bar. Lonely's Bar, from the owners of Zhora Darling and Cafe Harmony, will feature a "nostalgic" bar menu, pool table and game-day promotions, per Bring Me The News.

🏈 50th & France is getting a sports bar from the owners of Nolo's. General Sports Bar will open in the space formerly occupied by Salut this summer, the Minnesota Star Tribune reports.

Restaurant roundup: Pajarito closes St. Paul location

The Edina outpost will remain open, owners said.

Plate of creamy macaroni and cheese with orange cheese sauce and herbs, next to crispy fries and a toasted bread slice on a white plate.

Trio's plant-based soul food. Photo: Courtesy of Midtown Global Market

Midtown Global Market is welcoming two new vendors this week. After closing its LynLake restaurant <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="last October," data-vars-click-url="https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-lifestyle/plant-based-restaurant-will-leave-its-lyn-lake-storefront-at-the-end-of-october-" data-vars-content-id="4a7ae240-b179-40c0-abf2-c1483c69fad3" data-vars-headline="Restaurant roundup: Pajarito closes St. Paul location" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-lifestyle/plant-based-restaurant-will-leave-its-lyn-lake-storefront-at-the-end-of-october-" target="_blank">last October,</a> vegan soul food spot Trio Plant-Based is reopening inside the market Friday, per a release.<ul><li>Somali eatery 7 Spices, which previously operated within Karmel Mall, will hold its grand opening Saturday to mark the end of Ramadan.</li></ul>

Food and Drink

News

St. Patrick's Day isn't until Tuesday, but there's no shortage of options for starting the celebration early — with or without alcohol.

Here are my picks for this weekend's activities.

🍻 For the drinkers: St. Paul and Minneapolis both have bar crawls Saturday that stop at Irish pubs throughout their respective downtowns ($32.62; $50).

Earn a free beer by attempting Forgotten Star Brewing's adult scavenger hunt, or dance with green brews in hand at Bauhaus' all-day house music "Haus Party" (both free).

🚴 For the health-conscious: Join the Joyful Riders Club on Sunday for the Shamrock Ride, a relaxed eight-mile bike trip that starts and ends at Fulton Taproom. Free

The "Everybody's Irish" 5K and 10K is this Saturday around Lake Harriet; registering also grants access to a post-race beer garden (non-alcoholic options available). $69.90+

🧒 For all ages: Skate on green ice at St. Louis Park's ShamROC Disco Skate Saturday afternoon ($5 entry, $3 skate rentals), or take a St. Patrick's swing dance lesson at St. Paul's Urban Growler Brewing Company ($8-$10).

🇮🇪 For the traditional: Irish Day of Dance returns to Landmark Center Saturday, with dozens of performances from a wide variety of dance groups ($7-$9).

And of course, both cities will host parades through downtown.

The Minneapolis parade is Saturday at 1pm, while St. Paul's is on St. Patrick's Day at noon. Free

Celebrate St. Patrick's Day at these 11 Twin Cities events

The holiday isn't until Tuesday, but there's no shortage of options for starting the celebration early.

Hundreds of people dressed in green in downtown St. Paul for a St. Patricks Day parade.

Photo: John Autey/St. Paul Pioneer Press via Getty Images

St. Patrick&#x27;s Day isn&#x27;t until Tuesday, but there&#x27;s no shortage of options for starting the celebration early — with or without alcohol.<ul><li>Here are my picks for this weekend&#x27;s activities.</li></ul>

A Minnesota real estate agent is offering up his four-level brownstone for $0 — if you're willing to trade your Magic: The Gathering collection.

The big picture: Michael Russo, a longtime collector of Magic cards and former owner of Uptown's Steamship Games, is open to partial or full collections in exchange for his downtown Fairfax building in downtown Fairfax.

"[Game pieces] are another form of currency —  we refer to it as 'luxury cardboard,'" Russo told Axios.

Case in point: He posted the offer in local gaming groups Monday night and had three interested parties by noon Tuesday.

Zoom in: The five-bed, three-bath historic property includes ground-level commercial space, a renovated residential loft and gigabit fiber internet ideal for remote workers and gamers, Russo said.

If your card collection is slim, you can buy it for $129,900.

Minnesota real estate agent will trade property for Magic: The Gathering cards

Russo had three interested parties by noon Tuesday, he told Axios.

Split image: left a white banner with bold red text reading "YOUR MAGIC THE GATHERING" right a two-story brick building with arched entry and decorative cornice under a blue sky.

Michael Russo's AI-generated advertisement (left) for his property in Fairfax, 80 miles west of the metro (right). Photo by Michael Russo

A photo of a sign advertising a trade of a home for a Magic the Gathering collection.

A Minnesota real estate agent is offering up his four-level brownstone for $0 — if you&#x27;re willing to trade your Magic: The Gathering collection.

Real Estate

Don't let temperatures in the 70s deter you from hitting the slopes this weekend.

What's happening: After postponing due to weather, the Härdsmälta Festival and Pond Skim at Hyland Hills Ski Area returns this Sunday for an afternoon of chaotic winter sports to support local food shelves.

Brave participants (often in costume) will attempt to ski or snowboard down the hill, then use that momentum to cross a "melting lake" —  aka, an open pool of water.

Check out a video from the 2024 event via Fox9.

Stop by: Registration is full, but anyone is welcome to spectate (no lift ticket required) if they bring three non-perishable food shelf donations.

🍁 Feast on pancakes with locally tapped maple syrup at the Urban Sap Tap in Minneapolis Saturday.

In addition to a breakfast made with last year's harvest, expect opportunities to learn about trees, tapping and syrup-making, and an on-site sauna. $15 for pancakes, sliding scale for sauna

🏰 Watch "full-steel violence" at Saturday's "Brewlabs Battle," an evening of live armored combat by the Twin Cities Wyverns and The Flowers of Battle. 

Fighters will don period-accurate armor and battle using blunted steel weapons, per the organization. Though they fight "full contact, full-speed," the event is family-friendly. Free admission. 

🚃 Bring the kids aboard at Train Fest, a day of train-related activities at the Minnesota Children's Museum on Saturday.

Tickets include access to the Thomas the Tank Engine exhibit, a scavenger hunt, story times and activities with local transit organizations. $17.95 in advance, $19.95 day-of

🥚 Learn the art of Pysanky at an Eastern European egg decorating class this weekend. St. Paul's Germanic-American Institute will teach participants how to create elaborate designs with wax and dye.

All skill levels welcome, but the class is recommended for ages 12 and up. $45-$55 

💐 Get a sneak peek of spring at Cirque de Fleurs, the annual flower show hosted by Bachman's. This year's installation is inspired by a vintage circus and open daily through April 4. 

On Sunday, the plant store is hosting stilt walkers, a balloon artist and the Twin Cities Unicycle Club. Free

Twin Cities weekend events: Pond skim, sap tap, Train Fest

A person on a snowboard attempting to snowboard across a frozen lake. She is dressed in full ski gear and wearing a dinosaur float ring around her chest. A crowd of people watch in the background. 

Costumes are encouraged at pond skims. Photo: Joseph Prezioso/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Don&#x27;t let temperatures in the 70s deter you from hitting the slopes this weekend.What&#x27;s happening: After postponing due to weather, the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Härdsmälta Festival and Pond Skim" data-vars-click-url="https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1DhnnBf6vf/" data-vars-content-id="f0b4612b-d606-4ad8-9045-c725bb463053" data-vars-headline="Twin Cities weekend events: Pond skim, sap tap, Train Fest" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1DhnnBf6vf/" target="_blank">Härdsmälta Festival and Pond Skim</a> at Hyland Hills Ski Area returns this Sunday for an afternoon of chaotic winter sports to support local food shelves.

Audrey Kennedy

Featured stories

Twin Cities weekend: Hamm's Fest, welcome herons, death cafe

Minnesota real estate agent will trade property for Magic: The Gathering cards

Twin Cities weekend events: Pond skim, sap tap, Train Fest

Restaurant roundup: Pajarito closes St. Paul location

Celebrate St. Patrick's Day at these 11 Twin Cities events