Weekend what's what 7/3-7/5: Red, hot, and blue

by l’etoile magazine staff • July 3, 2008 • This three-day weekend is shaping up to be one hell of a party! From dance-offings to punk-outings to film-festings and of course, fireworks, fireworks, and more fireworks, there is no shortage of entertainment to be had. Enjoy your freedom this weekend, and in the grand spirit of bald eagles, red-white-and-blue bikinis, and cheap beer – happy b-day America! MORE>>

xo-l‘étoile

Arts Orbit is a multisource blog about the local arts scene, featuring both original contributions by Daily Planet writers and entries reprinted from partner blogs and online publications.

THURSDAY JULY 3RD (THROUGH SUNDAY)

A Taste of Minnesota

@ Harriet Island
St. Paul

1pm-10:40pm; 11am-10:40pm on the 4th / All Ages / Free

The 26th annual Taste of Minnesota takes over St. Paul’s Harriet Island this weekend, and is proudly the largest festival our fine state has to offer. Celebrate Independence Day with tons of dangerously delish fried foods, live music, fun carnival rides for the kiddies, a slew of vendor booths for your browsing enjoyment, and a ginormous fireworks display each night of the festival. Musical guests include REO Speedwagon, Badfinger, the Zombies, Eddie Money, and many others.

CLICK HERE FOR THE TASTE OF MN SITE

Shredded tax forms, tablecloths forever embracing a spill, and cut clothing all embody Nava’s sculptural, canvas and paper works. Thread resembles splatters, Russian novels are breaded and deep-fried, and love letters are torn and reconfigured while expressing aggression, femininity, preservation and destruction.

CLICK HERE FOR THE NAVA LUBELSKI SITE

10 Second Film Festival

@ Soap Factory
518 2nd St. SE (behind the building)
Minneapolis

Following the fireworks 10:15-ish / free

Every year, the Soap Factory and its panel of guest celebrity judges treat us to a screening of 100 ten second films. Made from a cell phone, camera phone, or another creative recording device, (NOT a video camera) these unedited films compete to win your heart. Sit on railroad ties and drink beer from the beer truck under the glow of tiki torches, as you cheer, laugh and scream your votes out.

CLICK HERE FOR THE SOAP FACTORY SITE

4th of July Fireworks

The city will be collectively oohing and aahing this Friday, and l’étoile has picked some choice spots for fireworks-gazing. Perhaps you’d like to eat every sort of food ever invented at the Taste of Minnesota, or maybe standing on a gorgeous foot bridge over the Mississippi is more your style. Powderhorn Park offers an idyllic lake and more than one person’s share of mini-donuts, so tonight’s fireworks destination is paramount to Decision 2008.

Primo Locations:

Stone Arch Bridge
6th Ave SE & Main St. SE
Minneapolis
fireworks 10pm

Taste of Minnesota
Harriet Island
Plato Blvd and Justus Ohage Blvd
St. Paul
fireworks 10:15pm

Powderhorn Park
34th St. and 15th Ave S
Minneapolis
fireworks 9:30

SATURDAY, JULY 5TH

Artery 24

@ Soap Factory
518 2nd St. SE
Minneapolis

Noon July 5th – Noon July 6th / Free

Over 30 artists have come from all over the world and state to transform the Soap Factory’s multiple galleries into a 24 hour performance space. Ranging from puppeteers, musicians, dancers and actors, and at least one magic-lantern show. It’s nice to know if you’re looking for something to do at 3am, Venus DeMars will be performing a sculptural form in real-time. Stay around until 5am to meet with a female of ill-repute, in a performance not suitable for those under 17!

CLICK FOR THIS ART EVENT AND MORE AT MPLSART.COM

Sixteen Candles

@ The Uptown
2906 Hennepin Ave
Minneapolis

Midnight / $8.75

Watch Molly Ringwald get felt up by her grandma, crush hard on hottie Jake Ryan, and be embarrassed that her panties are going for $1 a look in the boy’s bathroom. We all know it’s hard to have everyone forget our birthday while our sister is hopped up on muscle relaxants and a foreign exchange student named Long Duk Dong is scoring with someone called “Lumberjack.” There’s no better time than midnight to pretend to be a teenager staying up late watching movies, so get down there!

CLICK HERE FOR THE UPTOWN SITE