Weekend outlook: a fair alternative

Posted at 8:00 AM on August 27, 2010 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Events

Bikers take part in "Urban Caravan," stopping in front of interesting buildings to watch movies set to live-mix soundtrack.

The smell of mini-donuts is in the air, and the "Great Minnesota Get-Together" is sure to draw thousands this weekend. But if crowds aren't your thing, and hay makes you sneeze, check out these other low-calorie, high-quality options.

Rather than wander from barn to barn this weekend, why not wander from studio to studio? This weekend 84 artists in the lovely Longfellow neighborhood will show off their talents as part of the LOLA ("League of Longfellow Artists") Art Crawl.

Why eat a blooming onion while watching "the miracle of birth" when you can watch a movie while on a bike ride? Andrea Steudel and Luke Anderson of "Urban Caravan." ride on a specially equipped bike with turntables and a projector, creating soundtracks on the fly and screening films on the sides of buildings and bridges. They'll be meeting Saturday night at 9:45pm at the Martin Olaf Sabo bridge on the Greenway.

Trade in the screams of roller coaster rides for the sweet notes of opera. Mixed Precipitation presents the Tales of Hoffman in Twin Cities community gardens during the harvest season, and promises "artfully created locally sourced food samplings are prepared fresh and served to translate events of the story." Performances start at 4pm; this Saturday they'll perform in Birchwood Community Garden, and Sunday they'll be at the Children's Garden in Theodore Wirth Park.

People watching at the state fair is definitely great sport, but how about watching two great thinkers debate while strolling the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum? TigerLion Arts presents 'Nature,' a "walking play" featuring the nature lovers and philosophers Emerson and Thoreau.

Whatever your preference, there's lots to take in this weekend accompanied by sweet fresh air, and not even a hint of a deep-fat fryer.