The weather may be unseasonably warm yet, but the calendar tells us it's
fall. There are so many things to do around the metro—and the state—this time
of year: you can go apple-picking (here's a
good resource for apple orchards); enjoy
the colors of the season (the Minnesota DNR is offering its annual fall foliage
reports
here); and you can join in the fun at
one of the state's multiple fall festivals.
One thing fall brings to Minnesota is a big crop of art festivals,
which makes sense when you think about it—Minnesota itself will be showing its
finest artwork this fall, so why not complement it with other media?
The
Upper
Minnesota River Art Crawl, also known as the Meander, offers 45
artists spread out over 33 studios throughout southern Minnesota. Can't beat the scenery.
The cities of St. Peter, Mankato, and North Mankato join forces for
River Crossings: an Art Fair in Motion,
this year scheduled for Oct. 3-4. Visit the artists in their own habitats and
enjoy live music, improv, and poetry readings.
Stillwater not only has a beautiful landscape, but it has an art and
jazz festival combined. The
Fall Colors Fine Art and Jazz Festival
offers an outdoor art show, live music, and plenty of food.
Another art crawl of the semi-annual variety takes place in St. Paul
Oct. 9-11. The
St.
Paul Art Crawl features art created by nearly 300 diverse artists and
exhibited in their personal workspace and galleries, wine tastings, and live
music—a great way to enjoy a leisurely weekend.
Another outdoor art festival in a scenic locale takes place Oct. 10-11
in downtown Red Wing. The
Fall Festival of the Arts presents more
than 100 juried artists in the equally scenic town of Red Wing.
Head north, not just to enjoy fall colors, but to take part in the
First City of Arts Studio Cruise in Bemidji, taking place
Oct. 16-18. Visit artists' studios and enjoy evening performances at the Art Center.
Using I-35W South as a starting point, wander south through the state,
with stops veering off into Northfield and down
through Owatonna,
for the
South
Central Art Tour Oct. 24 and 25. Artists will have their studios open
all along the way for a fine weekend of slow, artful wandering.
What else is happening in our state? Be sure to check out the 10 p.m.
Sunday night WCCO newscasts, where you can learn more in the weekly segment,
Finding
Minnesota.
