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13 events happening December 2

by with No Comment randoMNess

Tis the season for events! My 40 Ways to Holiday guide features at least one seasonal event you can do every day from Thanksgiving Day through New Years Day. Check it out here.

Saturday, December 2 has more than one thing to check out. Here are 13 events happening! More festivities are being added, too — click here to discover the latest. Did I miss something? Use the contact form below and let me know!

I was on KSTP’s Twin Cities Live to present a guide of what’s happening November 30 – December 3! Click here for quick links to the events featured in this video.

  • You can sample the winning cookies of the StarTribune’s Annual Holiday Cookie Contest at Mill City Museum in Minneapolis from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. A program will start at 12:30 p.m. Attendees will also be able to vote for a visitor’s choice award that’ll be presented. The winner and runners-up for the StarTribune’s Cookie Contest are announced in the paper November 30.
  • It’s liveliest weekend of the year at the American Swedish Institute (ASI) in Minneapolis. Julmarknad is a Christmas market with more than 40 local artists selling jewelry, glass, clothing, wood and other unique items. ASI’s own gift shop will be open as well. The restaurant at ASI, FIKA, will have a special menu and a bake sale will also take place. If you haven’t checked out the mansion, the holidays are a great time to walk through, and it’s bound to give you inspiration for decorating your own home for the season. Tickets are $10 for adults and includes admission to the museum. Julmarknad runs today from 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. and on Sunday, December 3 from 12:00 – 5:00 p.m.
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60 Minnesota-based artists will sell their products at the American Craft Council’s Holiday Craft Hop in Minneapolis from 12:00 – 5:00 p.m.
  • The American Craft Council will have 60 of Minnesota’s top artists in one spot today. Their Holiday Craft Hop takes place from 12:00 – 5:00 p.m. at the historic Grain Belt Brew House in Northeast Minneapolis. Those who attend will receive a code for 50% off tickets to the Craft Council’s biggest event of the year, the American Craft Show, which is held in April in downtown Saint Paul.
  • Downtown Stillwater is celebrating the holidays with free coffee, cocoa and cookies during their Twinkle Party on December 2nd from 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. Kids 12 and under will receive free twinkle lights while supplies last. The afternoon include special appearances the Teddy Bear Band and Santa!
  • It’s the last day to shop from 75 vendors during the annual Holiday Bazaar at the Landmark Center in Saint Paul. Learn more.
  • Today is the first day of the Twin Cities Largest Tea Party. Learn more.
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Take a horse drawn carriage ride in downtown Excelsior today from 12:00 – 4:00 p.m. Photo credit: Excelsior-Lake Minnetonka Chamber of Commerce
  • It’s Christmastime in Excelsior. You can go on a horse drawn carriage ride, take the kids to a free movie, and sit down for a community chili dinner. Festivities start at 9:30 a.m. today and go until the afterparty ends at Excelsior Brewing Company.
  • It doesn’t scream season’s greetings, but Monster Jam takes place tonight at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. And I’m giving away tickets, along with pit passes to get you on the course, on my website. The deadline to enter is Sunday, November 26.
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A take on the C.S. Lewis book, “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe” is on stage in Minneapolis. Photo credit: Youth Performance Company
  • It’s the opening weekend of Youth Performance Company’s production of “Narnia,” based on the C.S. Lewis’ “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.” Shows run through December 17 and tickets are only $7 – 15. Performances take place inside the Howard Conn Performing Arts Center just south of Downtown Minneapolis. “Narnia” is recommended for kids third grade and up.
  • Get a family photo, see a show and make crafts at the Hopkins Center for the Arts. Stages Theatre Company will host its annual Snowball Winter Gala at 2:00 p.m. The family-friendly event includes a performance of their current show, “Beauty and the Beast Jr.” Tickets are $50 and the emcee for the afternoon is my good friend, Kelli Hanson from KSTP’s Twin Cities Live.
  • Nothing says happy holidays more than corgi races! Head to the Warner Coliseum at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds today and tomorrow for a big puppy play date.
  • Beer Choir Twin Cities hosts a Holiday Night Market at 56 Brewing in Northeast Minneapolis. The venue is dog-friendly inside and out.
  • You and your four-legged friend can enjoy brunch together and take a photo with Santa today from 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. at Restaurant ninetwentyfive inside the Hotel Landing in Wayzata. The new hotel is pet-friendly if you’re looking for a staycation spot but don’t want to leave your pup behind.

Let Mike know about other events happening this Saturday!

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40 Ways to Holiday, Day 11: December 3

by with No Comment randoMNess

In 2017, there are exactly 40 days from Thanksgiving Day to New Years Day. And with the elimination of the eighth floor display at Macy’s in downtown Minneapolis and Holiday Lights in the Park in Saint Paul, along with the disappointing change from tradition at Holidazzle, more people than ever are looking for new holiday activities. Enter “40 Ways to Holiday.” Each day between November 23 and January 1 will have at least one event worth checking out, along with plenty of giveaways along the way! Find the full list of days here.

Day 11: Sunday, December 3

Featured pick: The Twin Cities Largest Tea Party

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Over 100 varieties of locally blended teas will be available for sampling during the Twin Cities Largest Tea Party in Northeast Minneapolis.

Mrs. Kelly’s Tea is hosting their annual tea tasting in Northeast Minneapolis. You’ll be able to try over 100 varieties of local, freshly blended teas. Tea-related pottery and other gifts will be sold, too. Best of all, the event is free! Organizers do ask you bring $2 or a non-perishable food item; they will be donated to Perspective Kids Cafe and Second Harvest Heartland. This tea party is happening in Northeast Minneapolis — parking shouldn’t be an issue.

The Twin Cities Largest Tea Party
Sunday, December 3 (also Saturday, December 2)
77 13th Avenue NE, Suite 103
Minneapolis
9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. both days
Free

Other happenings

  • Take a baking class with your little one inside a fitting museum. Mill City Museum was once the world’s largest flour mill, and throughout December, will have museum bakers teach you how to make a traditional Swedish recipe. You’ll take home the recipes and the treats you make. Each family registered will get a gift from Nordic Ware. Tickets are a bit spendy ($50 for one adult and one child), but it includes the ingredients and the hassle of shopping. Additional dates include December 9, 10, 16 and 23.
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The Fischer family’s yard in Plymouth will have around 40,000 lights.
  • If you’re looking to drive through residential neighborhoods all decked out for the holidays, head to Plymouth!
    • The Fischer family says they have “somewhere around 40,000 lights” in their display. It’s computer-controlled and is set to music you’ll be able to listen to through your car’s radio. You’ll be able to see it from December 1-31 with the exception of Christmas Eve. Check out their elaborate website — it unveils the curtain on how they get their yard set up each year. Their display is at 16700 33rd Avenue North in Plymouth.
    • Nearby, the PD Shimmers display is designed and built by those living with Parkinson’s disease. In 2017, 60,000 Americans will be diagnosed with Parkinson’s, and this year, the PD Shimmers display will feature 60,000 lights. On their website, you can dedicate one of their lights to someone you know with Parkinson’s. The display is along Ithaca Lane; set your GPS for 4320 Ithaca Lane North, Plymouth. It is lit nightly from 5:00 – 10:00 p.m. starting November 24 and lasting through Christmas.
  • Southdale Center in Edina is providing children with special needs and their families an opportunity to see Santa. Their “Caring Santa” is a partnership with Autism Speaks and will be at the mall from 9:00 – 11:00 a.m. You should register in advance online.
  • In Eagan, Santa and his reindeer will park the sleigh at the Twin Cities Premium Outlets. Find them there from 1:00-3:00 p.m. Parents should bring their own camera. Can’t go today? They’ll be back on Saturday, December 16.
  • It’s the second and final day of the American Swedish Institute’s Julmarknad. The Christmas market will have all sorts of gift ideas from over 40 local artists. Learn more.