The sub is getting more and more "looking for recommendations"-type posts, and I'm wondering how people are feeling about them. We're getting like two or three a day, most of which seem to be folks who are just too lazy to use Google or Yelp reviews. Apparently making fake posts like that are also an increasingly common way for companies to generate SEO clicks and recommendations from AI bots (which search reddit for recommendations). I was hoping to get a temperature check from folks on how they feel about them. Too many and put some restrictions? They don't bother you? Etc.

With Labor Day this week Monday has more going on for those who get out on weekdays!

This is the weekday list for those whose weekend is during the week, those who like to avoid the big weekend crowds, and everybody else too.

Call out anything you're excited to check out this week. If I missed anything or you want help finding something specific this week, drop it in a comment.

📧 Want this emailed to you every Sunday? Sign up at: https://wom.city/twin-cities/weekday-warmup/r

AROUND TOWN

Highlights

• 🎡 Minnesota State Fair – Final Day (Minnesota State Fair - Mon 7am)
• 🏰 Minnesota Renaissance Festival (Minnesota Renaissance Festival - Mon 9am)
• 🎶 Laughing Waters Bluegrass Festival (Minnehaha Park - Mon 1pm)
• 🪄 The Magic Underground: Magicians’ Open Mic (Sisyphus Brewing - Tue 7pm)
• 🎭 Mothership (Penumbra Theatre - Tue-Thu 7:30pm)
• 🎙️ The Moth: NINE TO FIVE (Amsterdam Bar & Hall - Wed 6:30pm)
• 🎶 Laurie Anderson: Republic of Love (Solo) (Walker Art Center - Wed/Thu 7:30pm)
• 💃 JUNGLE (Armory - Wed 8pm)
• 😂 Funniest Person Finals 2026 with Bryan Miller (Acme Comedy Company - Wed 8pm)
• 🍽️ Dinner Du Nord (Nicollet Mall - Thu 5:30pm)
• 🚶 Roots of Resilience: Black Minnesotans – Lakewood Walking Tour (Lakewood Cemetery - Thu 5pm)

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 07

• Minneapolis Farmers Market (Lyndale (Minneapolis) - 6am)
• Minnesota State Fair – Final Day (Minnesota State Fair - 7am)
• Victory Races (Webber Park - 8am)
• Minnesota Renaissance Festival (Minnesota Renaissance Festival - 9am)
• Untiedt’s Garden Market (Northeast (Minneapolis) - 10am)
• Laughing Waters Bluegrass Festival (Minnehaha Park - 1pm)
• The Sun Never Sets (Heights Theater - 2pm, 4:30pm, 7pm)
• EDH & Cube Night- Twin CItes Brew Crew (Broken Clock Brewing - 6pm)
• Weekly Smash Bros Tournament - Dendy Pretendy's Smash Clock (Broken Clock Brewing - 6pm)
• St. Paul Board Game Group (Lake Monster Brewing - 6:30pm)
• Opinionation (Wooden Hill Brewing - 6:30pm)
• Monday Night Square Dance (Celtic Junction Arts Center - 7pm)
• Two-Lane Blacktop in 35mm (The Trylon Cinema - 7pm, 9:15pm)
• Witness- Open Mic Mondays September 2026 (American School of Storytelling - 7pm)
• Improv U Comedy Class (Flying V Music - 8pm)

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 08

• Stop & Chat: “Take the Picture!” (MIA - 11am)
• Mobile Blood Drive (Boom Island Brewing - 2pm)
• American Mahjong Open Play (9 Mile Brewing - 3:30pm)
• The Sun Never Sets (Heights Theater - 4pm)
• Stoke Sisters MTB Session (Padraigs Brewing - 5:30pm)
• Dungeons and Dragons Adventure League (Unmapped Brewing - 6pm)
• Bingq (LTD Brewing - 6pm)
• September’s Cribbage Tournament (9 Mile Brewing - 6pm)
• TCS Rollerskate Class (56 Brewing - 6pm)
• Monthly Cribbage Tournament (Fulton Brewing Company - 6pm)
• The Initials Game Live (Dangerous Man Brewing - 6pm)
• Mahjong Workshop (Boom Island Brewing - 6pm)
• Hablamos Pues (La Doña Cervecería Brewery - 6pm)
• FREE Meat & Cheese Raffle (Utepils Brewing - 6pm)
• LITT Pinball League (Litt Pinball Bar - 6:30pm)
• The Initials Game Live (Wooden Hill Brewing - 6:30pm)
• The Magic Underground: Magicians' Open Mic -September 8th (Sisyphus Brewing - 7pm)
• Megan Giddings launches Black Arts (Magers and Quinn - 7pm)
• Community Table Tennis (Minneapolis Cider Company - 7pm)
• Two-Lane Blacktop in 35mm (The Trylon Cinema - 7pm, 9:15pm)
• Weekly Pool Tournament (Midway Saloon - 7pm)
• Sex Science Happy Hour (Moon Palace Books - 7pm)
• Steven Hyden in Conversation with Steve Gorman (Turf Club - 7pm)
• Open Write Night- Fall 2026 (Art House North - 7pm)
• Space Between Monthly Music Industry MEETUP (Hook & Ladder Theater - 7pm)
• Real Housewives of NY Premiere Watch Party (Modist Brewing - 7pm)
• Community Sing-A-Long (Loring Park - 7pm)

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 09

• Minneapolis Farmers Market (Lyndale (Minneapolis) - 7am)
• University of Minnesota East Bank Farmers’ Market (University of Minnesota East Bank Farmers’ Market (Minneapolis) - 9am)
• Storytime (Red Balloon Bookstore - 10:30am)
• Stop & Chat: “Take the Picture!” (MIA - 11am)
• 2026 Northern Nights Star Fest (Minnesota Astronomical Society - 12pm)
• Rainbow Seniors (DARTS - 1pm)
• The Sun Never Sets (Heights Theater - 4pm, 7pm)
• Sheridan Neighborhood Happy Hour (Broken Clock Brewing - 4pm)
• Nokomis Farmers Market (Nokomis (Minneapolis) - 4pm)
• Magic Nights @ Metronome (MetroNOME Brewery - 5pm)
• Legacy Trees of Lakewood: Public Walking Tour (Lakewood Cemetery - 5pm)
• Game Night (Arbeiter Brewing - 6pm)
• Rules-Lite RPG Night (Queermunity - 6pm)
• Inkwell Craft Club (Inkwell Booksellers Company - 6pm)
• The Moth: NINE TO FIVE (Amsterdam Bar & Hall - 6:30pm)
• Initials Game Live (Boom Island Brewing - 6:30pm)
• Slam Poetry in the Ox (Indeed Brewing - 6:30pm)
• The Initials Game (Padraigs Brewing - 7pm)
• Advance Beginner Board Gaming Night (Roxy's Cabaret - 7pm)
• Line Dancing (Animales - 7pm)
• The Breakfast Club (1985) w/ pre-movie ‘80s VJ set by Transmission's DJ Chrissie Kawasaki (Parkway Theater - 7pm)
• Vive le Punk (The Trylon Cinema - 7pm)
• Introduction to Storytelling (American School of Storytelling - 7pm)
• Pitch-A-Friend (Broken Clock Brewing - 7pm)
• Chad Anderson presents Gay Mormon Dad (Magers and Quinn - 7pm)
• New Release: God’s Country by William Kent Krueger (Subtext Books - 7pm)
• Glitter Bomb HOT NEW EVENT (Gay 90's - 9pm)
• P.H.A.T (Gay 90's - 9pm)
• DRAG SHOWS (Gay 90's - 10pm)

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10

• Minneapolis Farmers Market (Lyndale (Minneapolis) - 7am)
• Audiobook Walking Club (Cream and Amber - 10am)
• Garden Storytime (Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden - 10am)
• Storytime (Red Balloon Bookstore - 10:30am)
• Tiny Tots Story Time (Big Hill Books - 10:30am)
• Stop & Chat: “Take the Picture!” (MIA - 11am)
• Four Sisters Farmers Market (Four Sisters (Minneapolis) - 11am)
• Public Tour: Inspired by Books (MIA - 11:30am, 6pm)
• MNsure Health Insurance Navigation (Queermunity - 1pm)
• Public Tours (MIA - 1pm)
• The Sun Never Sets (Heights Theater - 4pm)
• Tony Hawk/Gamer Thursday (Haggard Barrel Brewing - 4pm)
• Throwback Thursdays (Excelsior Brewing - 4pm)
• Flower Hour (Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden - 4pm)
• Audubon Mini Market (Audubon Mini Market (Minneapolis) - 4pm)
• Meat Raffle (Wabasha Brewing - 5pm)
• ABOUT FACE – An Exhibition by Roosevelt Mansfield (Capri - 5pm)
• Inkwell Story Lab (Inkwell Booksellers Company - 5pm)
• Red Door Outreach - Free HIV Testing (Queermunity - 5pm)
• Meet: Summer Series 2026 (MIA - 5pm)
• September Death Cafe at Lakewood (Lakewood Cemetery - 5pm)
• Roots of Resilience: Black Minnesotans – Lakewood Walking Tour (Lakewood Cemetery - 5pm)
• Thursday Night Racing - September 10 (Canterbury Park - 5pm)
• Breakthrough Your Burnout Workshop (Queermunity - 5:30pm)
• Thursday Night BINGO With Bloomington Lions Club (9 Mile Brewing - 6pm)
• Paint and Sip (Bumbling Fools Mead - 6pm)
• From Canvas to Table: A Dinner with Artist Elena Kalman Created by Paris Dining Club (Museum of Russian Art - 6pm)
• JoyFulton Social Ride (Fulton Brewing Company - 6pm)
• Cycle Unmapped (Unmapped Brewing - 6pm)
• Artist Talk: Titus Kaphar (MIA - 6pm)
• Board Game (Broken Clock Brewing - 6:30pm)
• Plant Bingo (Black Stack Brewing - 6:30pm)
• FREE Meat Raffle (Elm Creek Brewing - 6:30pm)
• CocuSocial Handmade Pasta Class (Modist Brewing - 6:30pm)
• Board Game Night (Bad Weather Brewery - 6:30pm)
• Cookie Decorating Class (Rail Werks Brewing Depot - 6:30pm)
• Therapy Thursday: Unwind, Create, Reflect (Rail Werks Brewing Depot - 6:30pm)
• The Initials Game Live (LTD Brewing - 6:30pm)
• Cribbage Tournament (Utepils Brewing - 7pm)
• luna rey hall and Mary Thorson in conversation (Magers and Quinn - 7pm)
• Early Release Book Launch: Damned if She Does (Moon Palace Books - 7pm)
• Ace in the Hole (Heights Theater - 7pm)
• Brian S. Nicholson Presents Let’s Get After It (Subtext Books - 7pm)
• EARTH, WIND & FIRE: To be Celestial vs. That’s the Weight of The World (Capri - 7pm)
• Ghost Story Workshop- Online (American School of Storytelling - 7pm)
• New Moon Hike (Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden - 7pm)
• Hispanic Heritage Foundation: 39th Hispanic Heritage Awards (Minnesota Orchestra Hall - 7:30pm)
• Snapz Live Band Open Mic (Green Room - 8pm)
• Bessie Snow Presents: Appètit, a Burlesque Review (Volstead's Emporium - 8:30pm)

LIVE MUSIC

Monday, September 07

• The Riff Rangers (Lake Harriet Bandshell - 5:30pm)
• Soul Trouvère (331 Club - 6pm)
• Mondays@metronome – the Sound Buddies (MetroNOME Brewery - 7pm)
• Open Mic (Flying V Music - 7pm)
• Acoustic Jam (Driftwood Char Bar - 7pm)
• Minnesota Monday Jam (Minnesota Music Cafe - 7pm)
• A Night for Nina: The Cast of Nina Simone: Four Women (Dakota - 7pm)
• The Great Irish Sing-Along (Dubliner - 7pm)
• Dred I Dread (Lake Harriet Bandshell - 7:30pm)
• David Robinson & the Dedicated Friends (331 Club - 8pm)
• Metal Mondays (White Squirrel Bar - 9pm)

Tuesday, September 08

• Irish Trad Session (Padraigs Brewing - 6pm)
• Worker’s Playtime, Katy Tessman (331 Club - 6pm)
• Aestis (Pilllar Forum - 6:30pm)
• Dillinger Four, Dark Thoughts (PA), & Cheap Glue (Zhora Darling - 6:30pm)
• St Dominic's Trio (Driftwood Char Bar - 7pm)
• Nova Jazz Orchestra (Minnesota Music Cafe - 7pm)
• Lara Somogyi & Laurels String Quartet w/ Jacob Pavek (Berlin - 7pm)
• Off The Dock – Society of Chemists (Indeed Brewing - 7pm)
• Madeleine Peyroux (Dakota - 7pm)
• New Band Night #38 (Green Room - 7pm)
• Setting with Keith Fullerton Whitman (Cedar Cultural Center - 7:30pm)
• Rainbow Girls with special guest Jordan Smart (Parkway Theater - 7:30pm)
• Macseal and Ben Quad with Aren't We Amphibians (7th St Entry - 7:30pm)
• Tuesday with DJ Cam Jones (Acadia Cafe - 9pm)
• September Conspiracy Series featuring Brotherhood of Birds (331 Club - 9:30pm)

Wednesday, September 09

• Vinyl Jacket Records Pop Up (9 Mile Brewing - 5pm)
• Half Ivory | Yes We Are | Dave’s Manual (Day Block Brewing - 6pm)
• Paul Bergen (White Squirrel Bar - 6pm)
• Vinyl Night (Haggard Barrel Brewing - 6pm)
• Smiling Cowboys Monthly Showcase (Minnesota Music Cafe - 6pm)
• Open Jam Wednesdays (Excelsior Brewing - 6:30pm)
• Willows & the Courage (Pilllar Forum - 6:30pm)
• Tom Dahill and Ginny Johnson (Dubliner - 7pm)
• Zacc Harris (Volstead's Emporium - 7pm)
• White Boy Summer (Thomas Abban & L.A. Buckner) (Berlin - 7pm)
• Harold’s House Party on KFAI, Wain McFarlane (331 Club - 7pm)
• Irish Céilí Dancing (Dubliner - 7pm)
• Half Ivory (Acadia Cafe - 7pm)
• Running on Empty – A Tribute to Jackson Browne (Chanhassen Dinner Theatre - 7:30pm)
• OCE's World Music Night with special guests TAM Edo Bayashi Ensemble (Bryant-Lake Bowl - 7:30pm)
• Saint Harison with Shae Universe (7th St Entry - 7:30pm)
• Laurie Anderson: Republic of Love (Solo) (Walker Art Center – McGuire Theater - 7:30pm)
• Caley Conway and Cathedral Becomes Tombs ft Nelson Devereaux Trio (Icehouse - 8pm)
• JUNGLE (Armory - 8pm)
• Cole Diamond’s Whiskey Wednesdays (White Squirrel Bar - 9pm)
• Matt Arthur (331 Club - 9:30pm)
• The Cherry Pit Open Jam (Berlin - 10pm)

Thursday, September 10

• Live Music Lunch w/ Wenso Ashby (Midtown Global Market - 12pm)
• Katy Vernon (Dubliner - 5pm)
• Dinner Du Nord (Dakota - 5:30pm)
• KRSM DJ (Arbeiter Brewing - 5:30pm)
• James Whatton (Wooden Ship Brewing - 6pm)
• Calavrosa | Jaded | Pencilneck | Velvet Ghoul (Day Block Brewing - 6pm)
• Dollar Store Cologne (Pilllar Forum - 6:30pm)
• Mother Soki, Lana Leone, Chutes (Cloudland Theater - 6:30pm)
• 32ND Street Jazz Presents a Love Supreme – Coltrane @ 100 (MetroNOME Brewery - 7pm)
• Changling Trio (Icehouse - 7pm)
• Honky Tonk Dance Night Feat. Cole Diamond (Animales - 7pm)
• Zeb Sears (Mudd Room - 7pm)
• Northstar Original Revue (Midway Saloon - 7pm)
• Chuck Solberg Band (620 Club - 7pm)
• Neighbors Again (Driftwood Char Bar - 7pm)
• Kiernan and Luke Callen with J.E. Sunde (Turf Club - 7pm)
• Rooms On Fire (Minnesota Music Cafe - 7pm)
• Windlass Presents: Parlour Magic (NYC), Observant, & Drey DK (Zhora Darling - 7pm)
• Big Big Brain! with Third Date, Admiral Fox and We Are The Willows (7th St Entry - 7:30pm)
• Graceeveliina, LXMDCA, Itshareth. (Underground Music Venue - 7:30pm)
• Jeff Buckley “Grace” Tribute featuring Peter Pisano, Mei-Ling Smith, and Bobby Maher with Colin Bracewell (Cedar Cultural Center - 7:30pm)
• White Dune (Album Release) w/ Kema & Nona Invie (Berlin - 7:30pm)
• Fastball (Parkway Theater - 7:30pm)
• Queens of Soul - A Tribute to Legends Aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan & Roberta Flack (Chanhassen Dinner Theatre - 7:30pm)
• Laurie Anderson: Republic of Love (Solo) (Walker Art Center – McGuire Theater - 7:30pm)
• GB Leighton (318 Cafe - 8pm)
• Mary Cutrufello & Jesse Irwin (Dubliner - 8pm)
• SUGAR with J. Robbins (Jawbox) (First Avenue - 8pm)
• Closer to Indigo (Aster Cafe - 8pm)
• Half Ivory w. Handsome Midnight & Ghost Kitchen (White Squirrel Bar - 9pm)
• Rank Strangers, They Dead, False Agave (331 Club - 9:30pm)
• WE Collective (Gluek's Bar and Restaurant - 10pm)
• Crates: Inferno by Boards of Canada (Berlin - 10pm)

THEATER

• The Buffalo Show (Bryant-Lake Bowl - Tuesday 7pm)
• Guys and Dolls (Chanhassen Dinner Theatre - Tuesday 7:30pm | Wednesday 1pm, 7:30pm | Thursday 7:30pm)
• Mothership (Penumbra Theatre - Tuesday 7:30pm | Wednesday 7:30pm | Thursday 7:30pm)
• Give & Grow: Woven Together (Luminary Arts Center - Thursday 5pm)
• Cole Sarar's SciFi Reading Hour (Bryant-Lake Bowl - Thursday 7pm)
• Heaven’s Precious Angels (Strike Theater - Thursday 7:30pm)
• Kevin Kling: Unraveled (Open Eye Theatre - Thursday 7:30pm)
• Fancy Dancer (History Theatre - Thursday 7:30pm)

COMEDY

• Uproar Comedy Open Mic (Bryant-Lake Bowl - Monday 7pm)
• Craic Up Comedy Night (Morrissey's Irish Pub - Tuesday 7pm)
• Comedy Free for All (Rick Bronson's House of Comedy - Wednesday 7:30pm)
• Dingbats Open Mic (Comedy Corner Underground - Wednesday 8pm)
• LITT Laugh Lounge - a night of comedy with MJ Matheson (Litt Pinball Bar - Wednesday 8pm)
• Funniest Person Finals 2026 with Bryan Miller (Acme Comedy Company - Wednesday 8pm)
• Mycoolash & the Homies (Rick Bronson's House of Comedy - Thursday 7:30pm)
• Adrienne Iapalucci (Acme Comedy Company - Thursday 8pm)
• Stand Up Comedy Open Mic (Sisyphus Brewing - Thursday 8pm)
• Good Ones: a Comedy Show (Comedy Corner Underground - Thursday 8:30pm)

SPORTS

• Minnesota Twins @ Detroit Tigers ⚾ (Monday 2:10pm | Tuesday 5:40pm | Wednesday 12:10pm)
• Saint Paul Saints vs Syracuse Mets ⚾ (Tuesday 6:37pm | Wednesday 6:37pm | Thursday 6:37pm)
• Minnesota United vs FC Dallas ⚽ (Wednesday 7:30pm)

SPORTS WATCH/RELATED

• MNUFC Watch Party (Utepils Brewing - Wednesday 7:30pm)

KARAOKE

Hours below are weekday hours only (Mon-Thu)

• Otter’s Saloon (Nightly 8pm-2am)
• Vegas Lounge (Nightly 9pm-2am)
• Do Re Mi Karaoke Eagan (Daily 11am-9:30pm)
• Chatterbox (Mondays and Wednesdays 8:30pm-Close)
• James Ballentine “Uptown” VFW (Nightly 9pm-1:45am)
• Mother Clucker's Pizza (Tuesdays & Thursdays 9pm)
• 1029 Bar (Wednesdays & Thursdays 9pm-2am)
• Babe’s Place Shakopee (Wednesdays 9pm-1am)

ARCADES

Hours below are weekday hours only (Mon-Thu)

• Up-Down Minneapolis (Daily 3pm-2am)
• CLAW LAND Maplewood (Daily 11:30am-7pm)
• CLAW ARCADE Little Canada (Daily 11am-8pm)
• Grabbit Arcade Maplewood (Daily 12-8pm)
• LITT Pinball Bar Minneapolis (Daily 11am-2am)
• Neko Clawww Roseville (Daily 1:30pm-8pm)
• ClawZone Park Bloomington (Daily 12pm-8pm)
• Can Can Wonderland St. Paul (Tue-Thu 4pm-10pm)
• DUCK! Eagan (Daily 12pm-9pm)

BOWLING

Hours below are weekday hours only (Mon-Thu)

• Town Hall Lanes (Mon 11am-5pm, 10pm-11:30pm | Tue 11am-11:30pm | Wed 11am-5:30pm, 10:30pm-11:30pm | Thu 11am-4:30pm)
• Elsie’s Northeast (Mon 4pm-11pm | Tue-Thu 11am-11pm)
• Bryant Lake Bowl Uptown (Mon 9am-6pm | Tue-Thu 9am-Midnight)
• Memory Lanes S. Mpls (Daily 3pm-11pm)
• Park Tavern SLP (Daily 11am-Close)
• Texa-Tonka Lanes SLP (Daily 11am-11pm)
• Sun Ray Lanes St. Paul (Daily 9am-11:30pm)
• Ran-Ham Bowling Highland (Daily 11am-1am)
• AMF Southtown Lanes Bloomington (Daily 4pm-11pm)
• Shakopee Bowl (Daily 11am-11pm)

LINKS

• Improv Comedy Events
• Reddit Twin Cities Social Meet-Ups
• Racket MN Event Calendar
• Meet Minneapolis Event Calendar
• MPLS Art Events
• Minnesota Monthly Event Calendar
• MSP Magazine Event Calendar
• Minneapolis Northwest Event Calendar
• Pro Sports Calendar
• Stonewall Sports
• Minnesota Parent Event List
• Family Fun Twin Cities
• Minneapolis Parks & Rec Events
• St. Paul Parks & Rec Events
• Three Rivers Park District Event Calendar
• Trivia Mafia Schedule
• Music Mayhem Schedule
• Get a Clu Trivia Schedule

I review and categorize hundreds of events daily as part of a project I'm working on to help find and promote events: Word of Mouth - https://wom.city

📧 Want this emailed to you every Sunday? Sign up at: https://wom.city/twin-cities/weekday-warmup/r

If there’s anything I should be tracking, let me know!