Minneapolis Public Schools

Join us at Open Window Theater for a literary and cinematic classic, The Lilies of the Field -- the story of an itinerant African American worker in the early 1960s who encounters a small group of East German nuns in a parched valley of the American Southwest. An Army vet and a Baptist, Homer Smith offers to help the struggling Roman Catholic nuns build a fence. The problem? They can’t afford to pay him. But the Mother Superior has something much bigger in mind. She believes Homer was sent to them by God to build a chapel. In 1963, Sidney Poitier became the first-ever black man to receive the Best Actor Academy Award for his portrayal of Homer Smith in the highly acclaimed film. In 2020, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” Meet Community Ed Staff at Will Call to pick up your tickets. Open Window Theater is located at 5300 S Robert Trail #400, Inver Grove Heights, MN 55077. After March 15th you can transfer your tickets but no refunds or cancelations are available. If event is full, please enroll for the waitlist. We will contact you if a space becomes available.

NOTE: This tour is postponed to May, 2024. If Interested in our 2024 Historic Galena & Dubuque tour, please sign up now. We will contact you with updated pricing and details in September. (Payment will be collected later.) Tour towns that are located along the Upper Mississippi River and are creations of 18th and 19th century America. Classic river towns that emerged in the days of keelboats and steamboats when the Mississippi River was the symbol of the Western Frontier. Many of the towns that we will visit proceeded the states that now embrace them: Galena was founded before Illinois, Prairie De Chien came before Wisconsin and Dubuque formed before Iowa became a state. Join historian Dave Bredemus on this beautiful ride discovering historic towns and locations along the Upper Mississippi River . Current Itinerary includes: Tour of Ulysses S Grant House; Guided walk around the Julien Inn area and of the Historic Mathias Ham House in Dubuque; Fenelon Place Elevator Ride (shortest & steepest railway in the world), Tour of St. Luke’s United Methodist Church Dubuque which has one of the largest collections of Tiffany stained-windows in the world; Dinner at the oldest restaurant in Iowa, Breitbach Country Dining Restaurant; Historic city bus tours of Guttenberg, McGregor and, Dubuque IA, Galena IL, Prairie de Chien WI and many other small towns as we travel on both sides of the Great River Road along the Upper Mississippi River; Walking tour of Galena IL, the Queen City of the Upper Mississippi with hundreds of pre-1850s structures. See the site where the founder of Saint Paul MN Father Lucian Galtier is buried; Dinner at one of the Upper Midwest best supper clubs. Includes Motor Coach transportation and two nights lodging at the Historic Julian Inn in Dubuque, Iowa. Includes: Bakery stop, Friday Dinner in Dubuque, Saturday Dinner at the oldest restaurant in Iowa, Breitbach Country Dining Restaurant, and Sunday Dinner at one of the Upper Midwest best supper clubs. Breakfast and lunch are on your own. Ages 21+. Departure: Friday, May 17, 8:00 AM with bakery stop included Departs from: Southwest High School (3414 W. 47th Street). Chowen Ave. parking lot on between 46th and 47th Streets. Return: Sunday, May 19th @ 8:00 PM NOTE: Any cancelations after April 1st will be refunded less $5 if we are able to fill the spot from our wait list. If tour is full, please enroll for the waitlist. We will contact you if a space becomes available.

NOTE: This event is postponed until February 22, 2024. “Milkweed,” a Holocaust-era young adult novel, is now in development as a feature-length animated film right here in the Twin Cities! If you’ve ever wondered about the countless and complex steps necessary to create a feature-length animated film, here’s your chance to learn! Members of the animation team for “Milkweed,” adapted from an award-winning young adult novel by Jerry Spinelli, will share their process and answer questions. Producer Gail Rosenblum will also talk about free Holocaust and empathy lesson plans, using the novel “Milkweed,” which are available to middle school teachers. Teachers eager to incorporate Holocaust materials into their lesson plans with the new Minnesota mandate are invited to attend to learn more. A portion of the proceeds will go to the non-profit, The Milkweed Film and Middle School Holocaust Education Project. Ages 10-99 welcome! Check out Milkweed the Movie Facebook Page.

Join us at the Guthrie Theater for a frightfully funny musical. On Skid Row, Mr. Mushnik plans to shutter his failing florist shop when his timid staffer Seymour presents an exotic-but-wilted flytrap named Audrey II. Convinced it will boost business, Seymour encourages Mr. Mushnik to display the peculiar plant, which Seymour successfully revives. As Audrey II draws much-needed crowds to the shop, Seymour makes a disturbing discovery: It needs fresh blood (and lots of it) to grow — a secret that forces Seymour into a Faustian bargain to keep his fame and fortune intact. A hilarious mashup of science fiction, horror and musical theater, this cult-classic boasts Motown-inspired hits like “Feed Me (Git It),” “Suddenly, Seymour” and “Little Shop of Horrors." Tickets will be in Area 1. Meet Community Ed staff at Will Call to pick up your tickets. The Guthrie Theater is located at 818 2nd St S. Minneapolis, MN 55415 Transportation is on your own. After June 18th you can transfer your tickets but no refunds or cancelations are available. If event is full, please enroll for the waitlist. We will contact you if a space becomes available.

Finding love. Choosing family. On a bitterly cold winter’s night in the heart of Paris, a young woman’s search for a candle light fatefully sparks one of the most enduring love stories of all time. But can a love so great be sustained? Join Mimì, Rodolfo, and their bohemian friends as they find levity and joy amidst the hardship and struggle of a life in pursuit of art. Featuring some of the most captivating music ever written, Puccini’s La Bohème weaves moments of warmth and ecstasy together with anguish and heartbreak in this enduring story of love, loss, and life. Optional educational lecture one hour before the performance. Performance held at The Ordway. Register online or call 612.668.3000. Only transfers available after April 5th.

Join us for a 5-course tasting dinner at Owamni. 5:30-6 pm. Social gathering time 6:-6:15 pm. Speaker 6:15-6:30 pm. First courses served Private events at Owamni are special because the culinary team curates a menu specifically for our group based on seasonality of ingredients, sourcing and any dietary preferences. Most of the items that are served are exclusive to our group and are not served in the upstairs dining room on the regular menu. "At Owamni, we like to use foods that are from this region, such as bison, venison, rabbit, wild rice, and corn. Foods we do not use in our establishment are wheat flour, dairy, refined sugars, or any foods that are not native to North America. Not only is this a clean and healthy way to eat, it is also a learning experience about how our Ancestors ate before we were colonized. One of the main parts of the mission at Owamni is the revitalization of our culture and our Indigenous food practices and how we can show our guests what it feels like to eat a full meal and leave feeling energized and whole." Includes dinner and gratuity. (House red /white wine and iced tea available to purchase directly from restaurant). Owamni is located at 420 1st St S, Minneapolis, MN 55401. If event is full, please enroll for the waitlist. We will contact you if a space becomes available.