In this episode:

• Aquatennial wraps July 24–26 — catch the Milk Carton Boat Race, floating lanterns, and the Boom Island bounce party before the city's civic festival closes out for the year.
• Loring Park Art Festival — 150+ juried artists, free admission, Saturday July 25 (10am–6pm) and Sunday July 26 (10am–5pm) at Loring Park.
• Mill City Farmers Market — Saturdays 8am–1pm at 750 S 2nd St, between Mill City Museum and the Guthrie. Also: Carifest (Caribbean music and food, July 24–25) and Chaska River City Days (July 24–26).
• Minneapolis Black Business Week, July 27–Aug 2 — the sixth annual edition kicks off with a summit featuring Sheletta Brundidge. Spotlight founder: Jakesa Thompson's Happy Plate, an allergy-inclusive dessert startup launched just last month.
• Minnesota cannabis market hits a record $22M in monthly sales — 3,541 applicants, 281 licenses issued, 100+ active retail dispensaries statewide. The OCM petition window closes July 31 at 4pm — your chance to petition for new cannabinoid products, categories, or delivery methods.
• Sports at home — Minnesota Lynx at Target Center (July 25, 26, 28, 29), Minnesota United FC vs. Vancouver Whitecaps at Allianz Field (Sat July 25, 7:30pm), St. Paul Saints vs. Columbus Clippers at CHS Field all weekend.
• New restaurant openings — Tasca Madrid (Spanish tapas and paella in the former Handsome Hog space, St. Paul, soft open July 19) and Haraz Coffee House (Yemeni coffee at 3001 Lyndale Ave S, opened late June).
• Live music at First Avenue — United We Dance Rave (Fri July 24), Off Campus Night (Sat July 25), Audrey Hobert (Mon July 27).

Sources:

• Mill City Farmers Market
• Minneapolis Farmers Market (Lyndale)
• Minneapolis.org — Summer Events (Aquatennial, Carifest)
• Loring Park Art Festival
• Chaska River City Days — Family Fun Twin Cities
• First Avenue Shows
• St. Paul Saints Schedule
• Minnesota Lynx 2026 Schedule
• Minnesota United FC Tickets
• Star Tribune — Restaurant Roll Call (Tasca Madrid, Haraz Coffee)
• Minneapolis Black Business Week — City of Minneapolis
• Minneapolis Black Business Week 2026 Guide — Spokesman-Recorder
• Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management

Full transcript

George: —and I'm telling you, Laura, I walked over the Stone Arch this morning and it was already warm at seven.
Laura: George, you say that every single week like it's breaking news.
George: Ope, well, this time I mean it. The river had that shimmer, you know the one.
Laura: I do know the one. But you also said that in FEBRUARY about a puddle, so.
George: Okay, fair. Fair.
Laura: It's the last weekend of Aquatennial though, so the whole downtown's got that... hum to it.
George: Right, and the Milk Carton Boat Race is this weekend, which — every year I say I'm gonna build one, every year I don't.
Laura: You are NOT building a boat, George.
George: I could!
Laura: You could not. But the floating lanterns though... that part gets me every time.
George: Yeah, the lanterns are something else. And Boom Island's doing the bounce party to close it out.
Laura: Which is chaos in the best way. Bring water. Actual water.
George: Not pop?
Laura: Not pop, George. Water. It is JULY.
George: Speaking of the heat, patio weather is doing its thing. What's the plan for you this weekend?
Laura: Honestly? Mill City Farmers Market Saturday morning, then maybe drift over to Loring Park for the art fest.
George: Oh, Loring Park Art Festival, yeah — that's Saturday and Sunday.
Laura: Hundred and fifty artists, free, shade under the trees. That's a whole day right there.
George: And Mill City's still eight to one, Saturdays, right between the museum and the Guthrie.
Laura: Mhm. I go for the peaches and leave with, like, a bouquet, three jars of honey, and regret.
George: Regret is the fourth vendor.
Laura: It really is.
George: Which reminds me — this show is brought to you in part by mplsvegan.com, our friends over there mapping out the plant-based scene in the Cities.
Laura: And speaking of, are we doing the vegan run-down?
George: Let's do it. What's on your patio list right now?
Laura: J. Selby's in St. Paul, obviously. That patio in summer? Come on.
George: The Dilla is undefeated.
Laura: Undefeated, George. And Herbivorous Butcher up in Northeast, you can do a sandwich, walk it over toward the Arts District.
George: I still think about their Italian sub from, like, two years ago.
Laura: Wow, thanks for that update, hot off the presses.
George: Hey, some things stay with you!
Laura: They do. Reverie's another one — grab something, sit outside, watch South Minneapolis go by.
George: Hard Times Cafe if you want the whole vibe. Coffee, biscuits, people-watching.
Laura: Trio Plant-Based for when you want to feel a little fancy without actually being fancy.
George: And Hello Pizza — I know it's Edina, but a slice on the patio when it's this warm...
Laura: You're allowed to like Edina, George. It's okay.
George: I never said I didn't!
Laura: You said it with your whole face last month.
George: Uff da. Okay.
Laura: And The Herbalist if you want that lighter, veggie-forward thing.
George: That's a solid list. Honestly, you could do a different patio every night this week and not repeat.
Laura: Which brings me to something — you mentioned the Aquatennial vibe, and I keep thinking, this is also the kickoff of Minneapolis Black Business Week.
George: That's right, Jul...

In this episode:

• Aquatennial Torchlight Parade rolls down Nicollet Mall Wednesday evening — one of the most iconic free events of the Minneapolis summer
• Lucero plays First Avenue Wednesday July 22, performing Nobody's Darlings front-to-back for its 20th anniversary; Off Campus Night Saturday July 25 and Audrey Hobert Monday July 27 round out the week
• Sean Sherman (Owamni) is opening Indígena by Owamni at the Guthrie Theater this summer — a rebranded, relocated concept with a riverfront setting; Banh Mi House also opened in the Mill City area with Vietnamese sandwiches and rice bowls
• Festival weekend: Loring Park Art Festival (Sat 10–6, Sun 10–5), CariFest Saturday, and Northside Jazz Festival on West Broadway Sunday July 26, 11 a.m.–7 p.m. — all free or family-friendly
• Mill City Farmers Market Saturday July 25, 8 a.m.–1 p.m. at 750 S 2nd St; Minneapolis Farmers Market (Lyndale) open daily all summer
• Minnesota United FC vs. Vancouver Whitecaps, Saturday July 25 at 7:30 p.m., Allianz Field; St. Paul Saints vs. Columbus Clippers at CHS Field through Sunday; Aquatennial Night at Target Field Friday July 24 with postgame fireworks; Minnesota Lynx home games July 23, 25, 26, 28, and 29 at Target Center
• North Minneapolis entrepreneur Timothy Childs is raising $100M to expand four North Side tech companies; Black-owned aerospace firm Ion Corp. is expanding to North Minneapolis with ~100 jobs planned
• Minnesota cannabis update: OCM reports 3,541 total applicants, 281 licenses issued, and combined sales hitting a record ~$22M/month — the OCM petition window closes July 31, 2026

Sources:

• FOX 9 — Minneapolis Aquatennial 2026
• Minneapolis Aquatennial official site
• Meet Minneapolis — Aquatennial calendar
• Minnesota Monthly — Best Bets July 20–26
• Mill City Farmers Market
• Minneapolis Farmers Market
• First Avenue shows
• St. Paul Saints schedule
• Minnesota United FC tickets
• Minnesota Lynx 2026 schedule
• Star Tribune — Restaurant Roll Call
• Minneapolis Momentum — North Side business news
• Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management

Subscribe: mplsvegan.com

Full transcript

George: —and I'm telling you, Laura, the skyway was PACKED yesterday, and it's July. People coming down for Aquatennial already.
Laura: George, it's literally called the Best Days of Summer. Of course downtown's popping.
George: Fair.
Laura: You act surprised every single year.
George: I know, I know. But there's something about walking down Nicollet when the Torchlight Parade's about to roll... it just hits different.
Laura: Okay, that part I'll give you. The parade Wednesday night down Nicollet Mall? That's the one where you can feel the whole city show up.
George: You going?
Laura: I'm gonna try. Depends on how the week shakes out.
George: Uff da, same. But listen — before we get into everything, shout to our friends. mplsvegan.com and mncannabishub.com keep the lights on around here.
Laura: The real MVPs.
George: The real MVPs. Okay so — Aquatennial. July 18 through the 26th. Free events all over downtown, the riverfront, Bde Maka Ska.
Laura: And that's the thing people miss. FREE. You don't have to spend a dime.
George: Which in this economy...
Laura: In this economy, George.
George: Everything's spendy right now.
Laura: Ope, there it is.
George: What?
Laura: "Spendy." You couldn't get through five minutes.
George: It's a useful word! There's no better word for it.
Laura: I'm not disagreeing. I'm just noting.
George: Noted. Okay — Friday night. Aquatennial Night at Target Field. Twins home game, fireworks after.
Laura: Wait, who are they playing?
George: Honestly? I don't know. I saw the listing, it just said home game plus fireworks. I couldn't confirm the opponent.
Laura: See, that's the George I trust. The one who says "I don't know."
George: I'm trying.
Laura: Because last month you told me a whole story about a band playing First Ave that turned out to be —
George: Okay okay okay, we don't need to relitigate.
Laura: Just saying.
George: Speaking OF First Ave though —
Laura: Smooth pivot.
George: Thank you. Lucero, tonight. Wednesday. Playing Nobody's Darlings front to back for the twentieth anniversary.
Laura: Twenty years. That's wild.
George: I know.
Laura: That record came out and I was... I don't even want to say what grade I was in.
George: Don't. Don't age us on air.
Laura: And then Saturday they've got Off Campus Night, and Monday's Audrey Hobert.
George: So basically First Ave is just... on this week.
Laura: When is First Ave NOT on, though?
George: True. True.
Laura: That's the whole point of that room.
George: Okay — food. Can we talk food?
Laura: PLEASE.
George: So there's actually real news. Sean Sherman — the Owamni guy —
Laura: Yeah.
George: — is opening Indígena at the Guthrie this summer. Rebranded, relocated concept.
Laura: At the Guthrie?
George: At the Guthrie.
Laura: Okay, that's a move. That's a real move.
George: Right?
Laura: The Guthrie's got that riverfront view, the Endless Bridge... putting Indigenous foodways in that building is saying something.
George: It's saying a lot, honestly.
Laura: I'm here for it.
...

In this episode:

• Minneapolis Aquatennial runs July 18–26 under new leadership, with free lake events, Aquativities and the Torchlight Parade.
• Mill City Farmers Market Saturdays 8a–1p at 704 S 2nd St; next date July 25.
• Carifest on the North Minneapolis riverfront July 25, Loring Park Art Festival July 25–26, and the free Northside Jazz Festival on West Broadway July 26.
• First Avenue: Lucero (7/22), United We Dance (7/24), Off Campus Night (7/25), Audrey Hobert (7/27).
• Twins host the Oakland Athletics July 24–26; Saints vs. Columbus Clippers homestand July 21–26; Lynx home July 20 & 22 before the WNBA All-Star break.
• Minnesota United hosts Vancouver Whitecaps at Allianz Field July 25, plus a rare international friendly vs. Liberia July 26.
• Indígena by Owamni reopened June 23 inside the Guthrie with nearly double the capacity; Asia Village opened at Northtown Mall in Blaine June 13 with 85°C Bakery and Hokkaido Ramen House.
• Anoka Cannabis Company launches as the first city-run adult-use dispensary in the U.S. while Osseo pauses its $4M plan after spending $725K; Legend Technical Services closure leaves Minnesota with just three certified cannabis testing labs.

Sources:

• mplsaquatennial.com
• Fox9: Aquatennial 2026 returns July 18–26
• Mill City Farmers Market
• Explore Minnesota: Mill City Farmers Market
• Mpls.St.Paul Magazine: Twin Cities Summer Festivals
• Meet Minneapolis: Aquatennial
• First Avenue Shows
• Minnesota Twins Schedule
• St. Paul Saints Schedule
• Minnesota Lynx Schedule
• Target Center: Lynx 2026 Schedule
• Minnesota United Schedule
• BringMeTheNews: MNUFC 2026 schedule
• Mpls.St.Paul Magazine: New Restaurant Openings 2026
• MJBizDaily: Minnesota's first municipal cannabis dispensary
• Cannabis Equipment News: Osseo pauses dispensary funding
• MPR News: Cannabis & hemp industry laws

Subscribe: mplsvegan.com

Full transcript

George: —and I'm telling you, Laura, I walked over the Stone Arch Bridge last night and it hit me. Like, physically hit me. Summer's HERE here.
Laura: George, it's been summer for like two months.
George: No but you know what I mean. That warm-river-smell, the bugs are out, everybody's on a bike...
Laura: Okay, the bug thing is not the sell you think it is.
George: Fair. Fair.
Laura: But yeah. The bridge at golden hour? That's the whole city right there.
George: And Aquatennial's going right now, that's the thing.
Laura: Ope, yeah, it started Saturday.
George: July 18 through the 26. So we are smack in the middle of it as we're talking.
Laura: And it's back under new leadership this year, which... I was curious how that was gonna land.
George: How's it feeling to you so far?
Laura: Honestly? Kinda good. The free lake stuff, the Aquativities... it feels like they're actually leaning into the "civic celebration" thing again.
George: That's the official tagline, right? The city's official civic celebration.
Laura: Yeah. Which sounds stuffy but in practice it just means... go outside, look at the water, wave at your neighbors.
George: Minnesota nice, the festival.
Laura: And the Torchlight Parade is the big one. That's the one where even people who say they don't do parades... show up.
George: I'm one of those people.
Laura: I KNOW you are, George.
George: Called out.
Laura: Every year, "I don't do parades," and every year you're on the curb with a pop.
George: In my defense, it's a very good curb.
Laura: Okay.
George: Speaking of being outside — patio-adjacent, farmers-market-adjacent — Mill City is rolling.
Laura: Saturdays, eight to one, right by the river. Next one's the 25th.
George: 704 South 2nd Street for anybody trying to plug it in.
Laura: And it goes through September, so there's no rush, but... go now. The peak stuff is coming in.
George: The tomatoes are about to be unreasonable.
Laura: The tomatoes ARE about to be unreasonable, yes.
George: Okay so speaking of eating — quick shout to our friends over at mplsvegan.com, who help us keep the plant-based side of this show honest.
Laura: Which we need, because George will absolutely try to sneak in a cheese reference.
George: I would NEVER.
Laura: Sure.
George: Okay, food. Where do we start.
Laura: I mean, I have to start with Indígena.
George: Sean Sherman's new place.
Laura: Well — Indígena by Owamni. It reopened June 23 inside the Guthrie.
George: Inside the Guthrie, that's the part I keep forgetting.
Laura: And it's nearly double the capacity of the old space.
George: Which matters, because you couldn't get in before. Like, at all.
Laura: You'd try in February for August.
George: Exactly.
Laura: So the fact that there's more room now... I don't wanna say it's easier, but it's more possible.
George: Have you been since it reopened?
Laura: Not yet. You?
George: No. I'll admit it, I don't know what the new menu's fully doing. I've heard whispers but I'm not gonna pretend.
Laura: Good. Don't pretend.
George: I will report back.
Laura: On the plant side though — J. Selby's is still the move on West 7th.
George: The J.L.T. is the great equalizer. I've watched skeptics get quiet.

In this episode:

• Minneapolis Aquatennial July 18–26: Milk Carton Boat Races and sandcastle competition at Bde Maka Ska; Torchlight Parade Wed July 22, 7:30 p.m. on Nicollet Mall.
• Minnesota Yacht Club Festival at Harriet Island, July 17–19: The Lumineers, Matchbox Twenty, The Strokes, The Black Keys, Cage the Elephant, Semisonic and Yam Haus.
• Rondo Days at Penumbra Theatre, Sat July 18, noon–7 p.m., celebrating the historic Rondo neighborhood.
• Minnehaha Falls Art Fair: Fri 3–8, Sat 10–7, Sun 10–5.
• First Avenue Mainroom: Janet Jackson dance night Fri, Club XCX Sat, Lucero Wed July 22.
• Sports: St. Paul Saints host Louisville Bats July 17–19 at CHS Field; Lynx at Target Center Sat July 18, 7 p.m.; Twins return home July 24; MNUFC home July 25.
• Food openings: Asia Village at Northtown Mall in Blaine (85°C Bakery, Hokkaido Ramen House) and Bogati Ecuadorian ice cream in Hopkins.
• Cannabis: Legend Technical Services shutdown drops MN to four testing labs, tightening shelves; OCM petition window open through 4 p.m. July 31. Osseo pauses its municipal dispensary plan after $725K spent.

Sources:

• mplsaquatennial.com
• Fox 9 — Aquatennial 2026
• minnesotayachtclubfestival.com
• Visit Saint Paul — Summer Events
• Twin Cities Weekend Family Guide
• Mill City Farmers Market
• Meet Minneapolis — Farmers Markets
• MSP Mag — Farmers Markets
• First Avenue shows
• St. Paul Saints schedule
• Minnesota Lynx schedule
• Twins schedule
• MNUFC schedule
• BringMeTheNews — June 2026 openings
• Osseo pauses municipal dispensary
• MN Cannabis Hub — Testing lab closure
• Minnesota OCM

Subscribe: mplsvegan.com

Full transcript

George: —and I'm telling you, Laura, the second that sun hit my face on the Stone Arch this morning, I knew. Patio szn. Officially.
Laura: George, it is JULY. Patio season started like two months ago.
George: Okay but there's regular patio season and then there's THIS week. Aquatennial week. The whole city just... exhales.
Laura: Fair. Fair. There is a specific frequency the Cities hum at in mid-July, I'll give you that.
George: See? See, you feel it too.
Laura: I said "fair," don't make it a whole thing.
George: Too late, I'm putting it on a t-shirt.
Laura: Ope, and now we're monetizing my feelings, cool cool cool.
George: Alright, alright. So — quick weather read. Warm, sticky, that classic Minnesota summer swampiness. Sun's out through the weekend as far as I can tell.
Laura: Which means every single patio from West 7th to Uptown is gonna be packed shoulder to shoulder by five o'clock Friday.
George: The people, Laura. So many people.
Laura: You LOVE the people. Don't start.
George: I love the IDEA of the people. In practice I want a two-top in the back with a breeze.
Laura: That is the most George sentence you have ever said on this show.
George: I contain multitudes. Speaking of — Aquatennial actually kicks off tomorrow. July 18th through the 26th.
Laura: Yes! And free, which — bless. In this economy.
George: Milk Carton Boat Races are back at Bde Maka Ska. Sandcastle competition same day.
Laura: The Milk Carton Boat Races are legitimately one of the funniest things this city does. Grown adults in a vessel made of garbage.
George: It's civic engineering at its purest.
Laura: Civic engineering. Okay.
George: And then Torchlight Parade Wednesday the 22nd. Seven-thirty on Nicollet Mall.
Laura: See, that one I love. That one hits. My mom used to take us to Torchlight when we were little.
George: Yeah?
Laura: Yeah. We'd walk down from — we were over on the north side then — and she'd let us get one of those big pretzels and we'd sit on the curb and just... watch. It's a core memory.
George: That's beautiful.
Laura: Don't get soft on me.
George: I'm ALREADY soft. That's my brand.
Laura: Marketing check, marketing check.
George: Okay so before we get too far — heads up, this whole weekend is also Yacht Club Festival. Harriet Island. Today through Sunday.
Laura: Right, and that lineup is... a lot. Like, in a good way?
George: The Lumineers. Matchbox Twenty. The Strokes. The Black Keys. Cage the Elephant.
Laura: George. That is a millennial fever dream. That is somebody's 2011 iPod on shuffle.
George: It really is. And Semisonic and Yam Haus repping the locals.
Laura: Semisonic on Harriet Island, in July, at sunset? Come on.
George: You're gonna go?
Laura: I'm THINKING about it. It's spendy though.
George: It's spendy, yeah.
Laura: But look — if you're a person who wanted to be at that show in 2003 and life got in the way, this is your redemption arc.
George: Redemption arc. Okay.
Laura: Meanwhile over in St. Paul, Rondo Days is Saturday. Penumbra Theatre, noon to seven.
George: Tell me about Rondo Days. I know the basics, but you grew up around this stuff.
Laura: So — Rondo was the historic Black neighborhood in St. Paul before I-94 got plowed right through the middle of it in the fifties and sixties. Whole community, uprooted.
George: Right.
Laura: And Rondo Days is the celebration of that neighborhood. The people, the music, the food, the culture that survived all of it. It's joyful. It's not a somber thing. It's a party with a memory.
George: I love how you put that. A party with a memory.
Laura: If you've never gone, this is the year. Penumbra hosting ...

In this episode:

• Mill City Farmers Market Saturdays 8 a.m.–1 p.m. at 704 S. 2nd St. (July 18 & 25), plus the Minneapolis Farmers Market Lyndale satellite schedule.
• Minnesota Yacht Club Festival July 17–19 at Harriet Island Regional Park, St. Paul — ~30 artists across two stages.
• Minnehaha Falls Art Fair July 17–19; Loring Park Art Festival July 25–26 with 140+ visual artists.
• First Avenue: Lucero (Wed July 22), United We Dance (Fri July 24), Off Campus Night (Sat July 25), Audrey Hobert (Mon July 27), Hot In Herre (Fri July 31).
• Minnesota Lynx home dates July 15 & 18 at Target Center; St. Paul Saints vs. Louisville Bats July 17–19 at CHS Field; Twins vs. Athletics July 24–26; Minnesota United vs. Vancouver July 25 and friendly vs. Liberia July 26.
• Asia Village at Northtown Mall (grand opening June 13) and Arch and River from the B'beri Desserts team opening at Water Works Pavilion — French bistronomie meets Afro-Caribbean.
• Vegan roundup: J. Selby's, Herbivorous Butcher, Reverie, Hard Times, Trio Plant-Based, Hello Pizza, The Herbalist.
• Cannabis: Minnesota OCM petition window open through 4 p.m. July 31, 2026; Walz's 2026 cannabis omnibus takes effect Aug. 1; additional license availability pulled forward to July 1, 2027.

Sources:

• Mill City Farmers Market
• Minneapolis Farmers Market
• Minnesota Yacht Club Festival
• MplsArt Summer Art Fest Guide
• Mpls.St.Paul Magazine — Summer Art Fairs
• First Avenue Shows
• Minnesota Lynx Schedule
• St. Paul Saints Schedule
• Minnesota Twins Schedule
• Minnesota United Schedule
• New Twin Cities Restaurant Openings 2026
• Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management
• MN OCM Cannabis Policy Changes 2026 (PDF)

Subscribe: mplsvegan.com

Full transcript

George: —and I'm telling you, Laura, I walked over the Stone Arch Bridge this morning and it was already warm at seven. SEVEN in the morning.
Laura: George, you say that every July like it's breaking news.
George: Ope, I do, don't I.
Laura: You do. It's mid-July in the Cities. It's supposed to be warm.
George: Fair, fair. But there's something about that first walk when the river's just... glassy, you know?
Laura: Okay, I'll give you glassy. That part's nice.
George: See? See, you get it.
Laura: I get it. I'm just not gonna be poetic about humidity at 7 a.m.
George: Deal.
Laura: So what are we doing today, George?
George: Okay so — patio weather, farmers market weather, ballgame weather. Basically the whole reason we live here.
Laura: The two weeks we earn all winter.
George: Right? Right.
Laura: Speaking of — Mill City is going this Saturday, right? The 18th?
George: Yep, Mill City Farmers Market, eight to one, right there by the museum on South Second. And then again the 25th.
Laura: That's my move. Get there by nine, before it's shoulder-to-shoulder.
George: Nine's smart. Ten and you're just... shuffling.
Laura: Shuffling is generous.
George: And the Lyndale market's rolling all week too — the main Minneapolis Farmers Market has that whole satellite schedule going.
Laura: Which I love, honestly. You don't have to drive across town anymore to get a good tomato.
George: The tomatoes are almost there, Laura. Almost.
Laura: Almost. Not yet. Don't oversell it.
George: I'm not overselling — I'm... previewing.
Laura: Previewing. Sure.
George: Okay, okay.
Laura: While we're on food — did you get over to Asia Village yet?
George: Up at Northtown? Not yet. I know it opened last month, June 13th, big grand opening, like a dozen vendors under one roof.
Laura: A dozen. It's a lot to work through.
George: I'm gonna admit — I don't actually know which stall to hit first. I've been kind of paralyzed.
Laura: George Giebel, defeated by a food hall.
George: Humbled by a food hall.
Laura: My take? Go with somebody, split three things, don't try to be a hero.
George: That's good advice for life, honestly.
Laura: Put it on a shirt.
George: And then the other opening I keep hearing about — Arch and River. Down at Water Works, right on the riverfront.
Laura: Yes! From the B'beri Desserts folks.
George: Which is such a cool local story, right? They start as a dessert brand, and now they're doing a whole bistronomie thing — French technique, Afro-Caribbean flavors, in that Water Works Pavilion.
Laura: That's a Minneapolis story. That's somebody building it up piece by piece.
George: Real founders. Real neighborhood. Right on the river.
Laura: And Water Works... I mean, the location alone. You walk out, you're right there at the Stone Arch.
George: Which brings us BACK to the Stone Arch, which —
Laura: George. No. We are not doing another Stone Arch monologue.
George: I wasn't! I wasn't gonna.
Laura: You were absolutely gonna.
George: I was absolutely gonna.
Laura: Moving on.
George: Moving on. Okay — vegan scene. Because this is the week for it.
Laura: Patio weather, plant-based food, easy.
George: J. Selby's over on the St. Paul side, that's a whole afternoon.
Laura: The Dilla is the move. I don't make the rules.
George: You kinda do, though.
Laura: I kinda do.
George: Herbivorous Butcher in Northeast — that's still my go-to for like, a cookout haul.
Laura: For sure. Load up before you head to somebody's backyard.
George: And then Reverie, Hard Times, Trio Plant-Based —
Laura: Trio's brunch on a Sunday morning, especially if you can sit outside? Perfect.
George: Perfect.
Laura: Hello Pizza too. And The Herbalist. There's a lot r...

In this episode:

• Minneapolis Aquatennial returns July 18–26 with free events at Bde Maka Ska, the Mississippi riverfront and downtown parks.
• Minnesota Yacht Club Festival July 17–19 at Harriet Island, Saint Paul — headliners The Lumineers, The Strokes and Matchbox Twenty.
• First Avenue: Juvenile Tue July 14, Janet Jackson "Miss Jackson If You're Nasty" dance night Fri July 17, Club XCX Sat July 18; John Mellencamp's Dancing Words Tour at Mystic Lake Amphitheater Tue July 14.
• Mill City Farmers Market Saturday July 18, 8 a.m.–1 p.m.; St. Paul Farmers' Market Lowertown Saturday 6 a.m.–1 p.m. and Sunday 8 a.m.–1 p.m., plus the year-round Country Store of MN.
• Minnesota Lynx homestand at Target Center: July 13 vs. Phoenix Mercury, July 15 vs. Los Angeles Sparks, July 18 homestand finale before the WNBA All-Star break.
• St. Paul Saints host the Louisville Bats July 17–19 at CHS Field; Twins return home July 24–26 vs. Oakland; MNUFC hosts Vancouver July 25 and a Liberia friendly July 26.
• New food: Asia Village Asian food hall (85°C Bakery Cafe, Hokkaido Ramen House) opened in June, and Banh Mi House debuts in the Mill City area.
• Cannabis: Minnesota retailers face product shortages after Legend Technical Services shut its testing arm — down to four certified labs — and new cultivator/retailer licenses now pushed to July 1, 2027.

Sources:

• millcityfarmersmarket.org
• stpaulfarmersmarket.com
• visitsaintpaul.com — Saint Paul farmers markets guide
• fox9.com — Aquatennial returns July 18–26
• mplsaquatennial.com
• visitsaintpaul.com events calendar
• first-avenue.com/shows
• minneapolis.org/calendar
• familyfuntwincities.com
• targetcenter.com — Lynx 2026 schedule
• lynx.wnba.com/schedule
• milb.com/st-paul/schedule
• mlb.com/twins/schedule
• mnufc.com/schedule
• mspmag.com — new Twin Cities restaurants 2026
• mn.gov/ocm — OCM news releases
• 2026 Legislative Changes to Chapter 342 (PDF)

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Full transcript

George: —and I'm telling you, Laura, I walked over the Stone Arch Bridge last night and it was like the whole city just... exhaled.
Laura: George, it's July. We exhale from like May through September, that's the deal.
George: Okay fair, fair. But there's a specific summer night in Minneapolis where the river smells right and the light hangs forever and—
Laura: You're doing the thing.
George: What thing?
Laura: The George thing. Where you start narrating the city like it's a Ken Burns doc.
George: Ope, guilty.
Laura: "Ope, guilty." That's your whole personality.
George: Listen, we've got a LOT of week ahead of us, so I'm allowed one moment of reverence.
Laura: One. I'm counting.
George: Deal. So — patio weather is holding, it's gorgeous, and this is basically the biggest week of the summer, right?
Laura: Kind of, yeah. Aquatennial's back.
George: AQUATENNIAL is back!
Laura: There it is.
George: July 18 through the 26, "Best Days of Summer," they're doing free family stuff down at Bde Maka Ska, along the riverfront, downtown parks — the whole spread.
Laura: And after a little hiatus, too. Which — I'll be honest, I wasn't sure they were bringing it back back.
George: Same. I remember growing up, Aquatennial was THE thing. My folks would drag us down to watch the parade and I'd be melting on the curb like a popsicle.
Laura: Very Minneapolis.
George: Very Minneapolis. And now it's back, and it's free, which — with how spendy everything's gotten, that matters.
Laura: That really matters. Free is a love language in this town.
George: Put that on a shirt.
Laura: I might.
George: Okay but also — same weekend, over in St. Paul — Minnesota Yacht Club Festival at Harriet Island.
Laura: Which is such a name. "Yacht Club." On the Mississippi.
George: I know.
Laura: But the lineup's actually stacked. Lumineers, the Strokes, Matchbox Twenty — that's a whole millennial fever dream, George.
George: You're saying that like I'm not a millennial-adjacent guy who owns a Strokes record.
Laura: I'm saying it EXACTLY because of that.
George: Fair.
Laura: July 17 through 19, Harriet Island. If you're going, plan your parking, because —
George: Oh, it's gonna be a scene.
Laura: It's gonna be a SCENE.
George: Take the bus, honestly. Or bike the river road down.
Laura: Bike the river road, yes. Which brings us to — the Greenway is peak Greenway right now.
George: The Greenway is unreal this week. I rode from Uptown out toward the lakes and it was just... families, dogs, that one guy on the very serious road bike who is not smiling.
Laura: There's ALWAYS that guy.
George: There's always that guy.
Laura: Okay, food. Can we do food?
George: Please. I'm starving just thinking about it.
Laura: So — quick sponsor nod, because it's relevant — mplsvegan.com has been keeping a running map of patio-friendly plant-based spots and I've been living on that site.
George: Same. Shout out to mplsvegan.com — they do the work so we don't have to.
Laura: And speaking of, I did J. Selby's over in St. Paul last weekend.
George: What'd you get?
Laura: The dirty secret burger, obviously.
George: Obviously.
Laura: And listen, I'll fight anybody on this — J. Selby's is a top-three vegan spot in the Cities. Full stop.
George: Top THREE? Not top one?
Laura: I said what I said, George. Because Herbivorous Butcher exists.
George: Okay okay okay.

In this episode:

• Twins host the Angels at Target Field: Fri July 10 (7:10), Sat July 11 and Sun July 12 (1:10 starts).
• Lynx home stand at Target Center July 11–18, including a Sat noon tip and games July 13, 15, and 18.
• Mill City Farmers Market open Sat July 11, 8 a.m.–1 p.m. by Mill City Museum; Lyndale and Nicollet Mall markets also running.
• First Avenue weekend: Trader Joe's vs. Aldi Rave (Fri), The Bouncing Souls (Sat), Paul Oakenfold + The Crystal Method (Sun).
• Guthrie has Come From Away through Aug 9; Private Lives opens July 18.
• Heads-up: Minneapolis Aquatennial returns July 18–26 with the Torchlight Parade, Milk Carton Boat Races, and fireworks.
• New eats: Asia Village opens at Northtown Mall in Blaine (125,000 sq ft) with Minnesota's first 85°C Bakery Cafe; River Valley Coffee debuts in the Lowry Building in downtown St. Paul.
• Osseo is on track to open Minnesota's first city-owned cannabis retail shop in the former Osseo Press & News building, run with Voyageur Cannabis Services — plus a rundown of the 2026 state law merging medical and adult-use supply chains.

Sources:

• Mill City Farmers Market
• Minneapolis Farmers Market schedule
• Minnesota Country Club Festival
• Aquatennial 2026 (Fox 9)
• Minneapolis Aquatennial
• First Avenue shows
• Guthrie Theater
• Twins schedule
• Lynx 2026 schedule
• St. Paul Saints schedule
• Minnesota United schedule
• MN restaurant openings — June 2026
• Osseo municipal cannabis dispensary
• MN 2026 cannabis laws (MPR)

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Full transcript

George: —and I'm telling you, Laura, the second that sun came out this week, everybody I know just... vanished. Like, gone. Patios only.
Laura: Right? My group chat went dark. Everybody's suddenly "on a walk."
George: On a walk. Sure.
Laura: On a walk with a beer, George. Let's be honest.
George: Fair. Fair.
Laura: But I mean, can you blame us? It's July. We earned this.
George: We earned it. That's the whole thing. You survive February in the Cities, you get to sit outside and do absolutely nothing for three months.
Laura: Doncha know it.
George: Ope, there it is.
Laura: I couldn't help it. It just slipped out.
George: Weather this weekend, though — genuinely gorgeous. Like, if you're not outside Friday and Saturday, I don't know what to tell ya.
Laura: What are you doing? Because I know you, you've got a whole itinerary.
George: I do. I do. Okay, so — Twins are home. Angels in town, Friday seven-ten, then Saturday and Sunday afternoon games at Target Field.
Laura: Day baseball. That's the move.
George: Day baseball is the ONLY move. I don't want a night game in July, I want a one-ten start and a slow walk home.
Laura: See, and I'm going the other direction — Lynx are home Saturday too, noon tip at Target Center.
George: Oh that's a good problem to have.
Laura: It's a great problem to have. Basketball inside where the AC works, then patio after? Come on.
George: Okay you're smarter than me, that's a better plan.
Laura: I'm always smarter than you, George.
George: Noted, noted.
Laura: And the Lynx are on a whole home stand, right? Like it keeps going.
George: Yeah, through the 18th. Monday night, Wednesday, another Saturday. If you've been meaning to get to a game, this is the week.
Laura: This is the week.
George: Should we do food?
Laura: We should ALWAYS do food. That's the show.
George: That's the show. Okay so patio season, plant-based edition — where are you starting?
Laura: J. Selby's. Always. Every time.
George: St. Paul side.
Laura: St. Paul side, and I don't care what anybody says, that's still the gold standard for me.
George: I'm not gonna push back on that. I will push back if you skip Herbivorous Butcher though.
Laura: I'm not skipping Herbivorous Butcher, George, calm down.
George: Okay okay.
Laura: Northeast in the summer? With a sandwich from there and a walk over toward the river? That's a whole afternoon.
George: That IS a whole afternoon. Stone Arch Bridge, you loop across, you come back...
Laura: See, and this is where you get nostalgic on me.
George: I do not.
Laura: You DO. Every time we get near Stone Arch you start telling the mill story again.
George: Okay, one time. One time I told the mill story.
Laura: George. It's not one time.
George: Fine. Fine. But speaking of down there — Mill City Farmers Market is going Saturday, eight to one, right by the museum.
Laura: That I will co-sign. That market is genuinely one of the best things about summer here.
George: Runs through September. So you've got time. But go early — parking gets spendy and weird if you sleep in.
Laura: Spendy.
George: What.
Laura: Nothing. Keep going. Spendy.
George: It IS spendy, Laura.
Laura: I know it is. I'm not disagreeing. I'm just enjoying it.
George: Okay. And the Lyndale market is going too, plus the Nicollet Mall satellite midweek — schedule's on mplsfarmersmarket.com if you wanna plan.
Laura: Good. Cover your bases. Now — Reverie.
George: Reverie. Yes.
Laura: If you have not been to Reverie for a slow weekend breakfast, I don't know what you're doing with your life.
George: That's a strong statement.
Laura: I stand by it.
George: Okay. And Hard Times if you're up late or up early, depending on your definition.
Laura: Depending on your definition, exactly. Trio Plant-Based if you want a proper sit-dow...

In this episode:

• Minneapolis Aquatennial July 18-26: Aqua Block Party (7/19), Milk Cart Boat Races, Torchlight Parade on Nicollet (7/22), and a new floating-lantern night market at Lake Nokomis.
• Minnesota Country Club Fest at Harriet Island July 10-11 with The Beach Boys, Trampled by Turtles, and Charley Crockett.
• Sports weekend: Twins vs. LA Angels at Target Field (7/10-12) and Lynx vs. New York Liberty at Target Center (7/11).
• First Avenue: The Bouncing Souls (7/11), Paul Oakenfold + The Crystal Method (7/12), Miss Jackson If You're Nasty (7/17).
• Farmers markets: Mill City (Saturdays 8-1), St. Paul Lowertown (Sat/Sun), and Midtown on East Lake (Wed-Sun).
• Asia Village opens at Northtown Mall in Blaine — 125,000 sq ft, anchored by Minnesota's first 85°C Bakery Cafe.
• Diane Moua's Hmong American restaurant in Northeast Minneapolis is roughly doubling in size.
• Cannabis shortage: Legend Technical Services shut down testing in mid-June, dropping the state's licensed lab pool from five to three; next license round pushed to July 1, 2027.

Sources:

• Minneapolis Aquatennial
• Fox 9: Aquatennial 2026
• Mpls.St.Paul: Summer Festivals
• First Avenue Shows
• Twins Schedule
• Lynx Schedule
• Minnesota United Schedule
• St. Paul Saints Schedule
• Mill City Farmers Market
• St. Paul Farmers' Market
• Twin Cities Farmers Markets List
• Bring Me The News: June Openings
• New Restaurant Openings 2026
• Star Tribune Small Business
• Minnesota OCM
• 2026 Cannabis Policy Changes (PDF)

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Full transcript

George: —and I'm telling you, Laura, I walked over the Stone Arch Bridge this morning and it was already warm at like seven a.m.
Laura: George, you say that every July like it's a shock.
George: Ope, I know, I know. But there's something about that first real patio week that just... hits.
Laura: It hits because you finally stopped wearing that fleece vest. Be honest.
George: Okay, fair. Fair.
Laura: The Cities in July, though? Yeah. It's the good stuff.
George: So look — Aquatennial is basically right around the corner. July 18 through the 26th.
Laura: Wait, already? Where did the summer go.
George: I know. Torchlight Parade down Nicollet on the 22nd, Aqua Block Party on the 19th...
Laura: The Milk Cart Boat Races are back too, right?
George: Milk Cart Boat Races, yep. Same day as the block party.
Laura: I love that we have a whole civic tradition of racing boats made out of milk cartons.
George: It's Minnesota, doncha know. That's just what we do.
Laura: Don't. Don't do the voice.
George: I wasn't doing a voice!
Laura: George. You were doing a voice.
George: Okay maybe a little voice. Moving on. There's also a new floating-lantern night market at Lake Nokomis this year.
Laura: Wait, floating lantern? Like on the water?
George: On the water. That's the whole pitch.
Laura: Okay THAT I'm showing up for. That sounds gorgeous.
George: Right? Bring a blanket, bring a friend, done deal.
Laura: Before we get too deep — this weekend, though. What's actually happening THIS weekend.
George: Big weekend, actually. Minnesota Country Club Fest is out at Harriet Island.
Laura: Friday and Saturday?
George: Friday and Saturday, yep. Beach Boys, Trampled by Turtles, Charley Crockett.
Laura: Trampled by Turtles on the river? Come on.
George: See, that's the lineup where you go, alright, somebody planned this.
Laura: That's a whole vibe.
George: And Twins are home this weekend against the Angels, Friday through Sunday.
Laura: Target Field on a warm July night is a top-five Minneapolis thing.
George: Top three for me, honestly.
Laura: Okay what are your top two then, because now I need to know.
George: I did that to myself. Uh — Stone Arch at sunset, First Ave when the crowd's really into it, and Target Field. That's my three.
Laura: See, that's a real answer. I'll allow it.
George: And speaking of First Ave — Bouncing Souls on Saturday.
Laura: Ope, that's gonna be sweaty.
George: Very sweaty. And then Sunday it's Paul Oakenfold and The Crystal Method.
Laura: Wait — those two on the same bill?
George: Same bill.
Laura: That's a time machine. That's a straight-up 2001 time machine.
George: I mean, I'll go.
Laura: Oh I know you'll go.
George: And Lynx are home Saturday too, against New York.
Laura: Lynx-Liberty at Target Center? That's the ticket of the weekend.
George: You think that beats the Twins?
Laura: George. Yes. It's not close.
George: Okay, noted.
Laura: Lynx have been the story of the summer and you know it.
George: You're right, you're right. I'll take the L on that one.
Laura: Thank you.
George: Okay — food. Let's talk food.
Laura: Yes. Because it is farmers market weather.
George: Mill City is going Saturday, eight to one, down by 2nd Street.
Laura: That's my Saturday. Every Saturday.
George: And St. Paul Farmers' Market in Lowertown, same deal — Saturday morning, Sunday morning.
Laura: Don't sleep on Midtown either. Midtown's open like five days a week right now.
George: Wednesday through Sunday, yeah. Over on East Lake.
Laura: That one's underrated. Really underrated.
George: Have you been to that new Asia Village out in Blaine yet?
Laur...

In this episode:

• Twins host Cleveland Guardians (Tue–Thu July 7–9) and the Angels (Fri–Sun July 10–12) at Target Field
• Lynx vs. New York Liberty on Sat July 11 at Target Center, kicking off a four-game homestand
• Ziggy Marley's Brightside Tour with J Boog at The Fillmore Minneapolis, Wed July 8
• First Avenue week: Benjamin Tod & Lost Dog Street Band (Thu July 9), The Bouncing Souls with Suicide Machines (Sat July 11), Paul Oakenfold + The Crystal Method (Sun July 12)
• Mill City Farmers Market Saturday 8am–1pm; Lowertown market Sat 6am–1pm and Sun 8am–1pm
• Art at St. Kate's juried outdoor art fair Sat July 11; Summer at The Cedar free concert Wed July 8
• New openings: Asia Village food hall at Northtown Mall in Blaine (85°C, Hokkaido Ramen, Pho Mai, Oday Creamery) and Banh Mi House in Mill City
• Cannabis: Minnesota drops to four certified testing labs after Legend Technical Services shuttered its cannabis operations mid-June; CanGrow farmer training and loan grant applications close 4:30pm Mon July 13

Sources:

• Mill City Farmers Market
• Saint Paul Farmers' Market — Lowertown
• The Current — 2026 outdoor concerts guide
• Mpls.St.Paul Magazine — summer art fairs
• Meet Minneapolis summer events
• First Avenue shows
• Minnesota Twins schedule
• St. Paul Saints schedule
• Minnesota Lynx schedule
• Minnesota United schedule
• Star Tribune restaurant roll call
• MN Office of Cannabis Management news

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Full transcript

George: — and I'm telling you, Laura, I walked over the Stone Arch this morning and it just HIT me. Like, ope, summer's really here.
Laura: George, it's July. Summer's been here.
George: No no, I mean the FEELING. The river smelling like river, the bikes, everybody sunburnt already—
Laura: Everybody sunburnt by like 10am, yeah.
George: You know what I mean though.
Laura: I do know what you mean. It's that Monday-after-a-long-holiday-weekend kind of hum. People are still a little loose.
George: A little loose. I like that.
Laura: My neighbor was grilling at like 9pm last night. On a Sunday. On a WORK night.
George: That's a commitment.
Laura: That's a lifestyle.
George: Weather this week, though — I peeked before we sat down. It's looking like classic Cities July. Warm, sticky, thunderstorm threatening every afternoon and then not showing up.
Laura: The bluff. Every day this week. The sky goes green, you move your car, nothing happens.
George: You move your car for nothing.
Laura: Story of my life.
George: Okay so — patios. That's really where I want to live this week.
Laura: Same. And can we talk food first? Because I feel like the vegan scene right now is having a MOMENT.
George: It really is. And shout to our friends over at mplsvegan.com — that's one of our sponsors, they keep the running list better than anybody.
Laura: They do. Okay so — Herbivorous Butcher.
George: Northeast. Classic.
Laura: I took my cousin there last week, she is NOT vegan, and she got the Italian sub and just... stopped talking. Which, if you know my cousin—
George: That's a review.
Laura: That IS the review.
George: See, my move lately has been J. Selby's over on the St. Paul side.
Laura: The Dilla, right?
George: The Dilla. Every time. I try to order something else, I fail.
Laura: Wow, George, branching out.
George: Listen, when it's right, it's right.
Laura: No, I get it. That's a comfort order.
George: What about Reverie? Have you been lately?
Laura: I haven't been in a minute honestly. Is the patio still—
George: The little side patio, yeah. It's tiny but it's cute. Good for like a slow coffee kind of morning.
Laura: Okay noted. And Hard Times is Hard Times.
George: Hard Times is forever.
Laura: It has not changed in my entire life and I love that about it.
George: You're born, you die, Hard Times is still open at 2am.
Laura: That's on the mural.
George: Put it on a t-shirt.
Laura: Trio in the Wedge though — that's my current one. I go for the buffalo cauliflower and then I'm quiet for the rest of the meal.
George: See I have not been to Trio in — oh, I don't even know. A year maybe?
Laura: George.
George: I know.
Laura: George. Fix that.
George: I will fix it. This week. I'll fix it this week.
Laura: And Hello Pizza in Edina if you're out that direction.
George: Oh, the vegan slice out there?
Laura: Yeah. The vegan slice is legit. Like, LEGIT legit, not "for a vegan slice" legit.
George: That's the tier we want.
Laura: And The Herbalist — have you done The Herbalist?
George: I haven't actually. Confession.
Laura: Okay, homework for you.
George: Homework for me. Trio AND The Herbalist. I'm getting a syllabus over here.
Laura: You signed up for the class.
George: I signed up for the class.
Laura: Oh — and speaking of new stuff. Did you see Banh Mi House opened down in Mill City?
George: I did see that. Downtown location, right?
Laura: Mill City area, yeah. Sandwiches, rice bowls, the iced coffee.
George: That's a really nice add for down there. That neighborhood needed a lunch spot that wasn't twenty bucks a plate.
Laura: EXACTLY. Twenty bucks for a salad, I'm out.
George: Spendy.
Laura: Real spendy.
George: And then out in Blaine — Northtown Mall of all places — there's that new Asian food hall, Asia Village.
Laura: I heard about that! A dozen vendors or so?
George: About a dozen. 85 degrees, a ramen spot, pho, an ice cream place.
Laura: Oday Creamery, I think?
George: That sounds right, y...

In this episode:

• Red, White & Boom on the Minneapolis riverfront July 4 (10am–10pm, fireworks at 10) and the Nicollet Mall Festival July 3–4.
• Mill City Farmers Market Saturday 8am–1pm next to Mill City Museum, plus Linden Hills Sunday 11am–2pm and the underrated St. Paul Farmers' Market at Lowertown.
• St. Paul Saints vs Buffalo Bisons at CHS Field July 3–5, with Saturday's 6:07pm game followed by fireworks.
• Twins home vs Cleveland July 7–9 and vs the LA Angels July 10–12, with Twins Hall of Fame induction Saturday July 11.
• Indígena by Owamni — Sean Sherman relocating into the Guthrie Theater in 2026 after the riverfront Owamni closed in April.
• Killen's Irish Pub opening mid-June near Target Field in the former First Draft Tap Haus space — a strategic pre-game corner.
• Maison Rose: John Kraus and Elizabeth Rose (Patisserie 46) betting on a 13,000-sq-ft French pastry café in Lilydale.
• Cannabis crunch: Legend Technical Services shut down its testing operation, leaving Minnesota with three licensed labs as OCM has issued 240 of 3,541 applied-for licenses.

Sources:

• minneapolis.org — July 4th events
• visitsaintpaul.com — A My Saint Paul Fourth
• MPR News — Fourth of July events guide
• Mill City Farmers Market
• MSP Mag — Twin Cities farmers markets
• First Avenue shows
• Twins schedule
• St. Paul Saints schedule
• Minnesota Lynx schedule
• MSP Mag — New restaurant openings 2026
• Star Tribune — Restaurant Roll Call
• MN OCM news releases

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Full transcript

George: —and I'm telling you, Laura, I walked over the Stone Arch Bridge this morning and it already SMELLED like the Fourth. Grill smoke, sunscreen, a little river funk...
Laura: "A little river funk." George. That's your pull quote for the week.
George: Ope, put it on a t-shirt.
Laura: You know what though, you're not wrong. There's a switch that flips the week of the Fourth in the Cities. Everybody's just... outside.
George: Everybody's outside. Patios full. Dogs out. Somebody's uncle already sunburned by ten a.m.
Laura: Every year. Same uncle.
George: Same uncle.
Laura: Okay so before we get too deep — happy Fourth-of-July-weekend, if you're listening the day this drops. It's Friday. It is ON.
George: It is on. And listen, we got a lot to get to. Farmers markets, some food news that honestly made me a little emotional...
Laura: Emotional?
George: A little. I'll get there.
Laura: Okay, noted. Cannabis stuff too — there's actually a real story there this week, not just vibes.
George: Real story. And weekend plans, obviously. But weather first, because...
Laura: Because you're a dad.
George: Because I'm a dad, Laura, yes. It is beautiful. It's beautiful out. That's the forecast.
Laura: That's it? That's your whole weather segment?
George: Warm. Sunny-ish. Bring water. Do not be the guy on the Greenway at 2 p.m. with no water.
Laura: Do NOT be that guy. I saw that guy last summer near Uptown. He was...struggling.
George: We've all been that guy once.
Laura: You've been that guy.
George: I've been that guy. Fair.
Laura: Okay, farmers markets. Because if you're doing anything the morning of the Fourth, this is the move.
George: This is THE move. Mill City is open Saturday, eight to one, right there next to the Mill City Museum. That's the one on South Second.
Laura: Right by the river. Perfect if you're already gonna be downtown-ish for the fireworks later.
George: Exactly. Do your market run in the morning, go home, nap, come back for Red White and Boom.
Laura: Nap strategy. I respect a nap strategy.
George: Nap strategy is the only strategy after 35.
Laura: Speak for yourself. And then Sunday — Linden Hills is doing their market, eleven to two.
George: Linden Hills Sunday. Yeah. They usually got, what, live music and like fifty vendors rotating through?
Laura: Around fifty, yeah. It's a whole afternoon if you let it be.
George: It's such a nice little neighborhood for that. Walkable. Trees.
Laura: Walkable, trees, and everybody's got a golden retriever.
George: Everybody has a golden retriever. I noticed that too.
Laura: It's a whole aesthetic.
George: And I gotta shout the St. Paul Farmers' Market over in Lowertown too. Fifth and Wall.
Laura: Lowertown market is underrated. People sleep on it because Mill City gets all the press.
George: They do sleep on it. It's a great one. Especially if you're already gonna be on that side.
Laura: Which — speaking of that side — real quick, the Saints are home this weekend.
George: Oh yeah, CHS Field. Buffalo Bisons in town, Friday, Saturday, Sunday.
Laura: Saturday's the one though. Six-oh-seven start, fireworks after.
George: Fireworks after a Saints game on the Fourth of July. That is... that is a very specific kind of perfect.
Laura: That is peak Twin Cities summer.
George: Peak. And then Sunday's the day game — two-oh-seven.
Laura: Day game with a hangover. Classic.
George: You said it, not me.
Laura: Okay, food. You said you got emotional.
George: I got a little emotional. So — and I have to be careful here because I'm gonna say a name — Indígena. From the Sean Sherman team.
Laura: Yeah.
George: The Owamni relocation, into the Guthrie. That's happening this year.
Laura: I know. I have complicated feelings.
George: Talk to me.
Laura: Look, Owamni on the riverfront was SPECIAL. That view. That whole vibe. When they closed that in April I was — I was bummed. I was really bummed.
George: Same. I took my mom there for her birthday like two years ago.
Laura: That's a memory-plac...

In this episode:

• Taste of Minnesota returns July 3–4 on Nicollet Mall & Washington Ave — free, 100+ local restaurants and a stacked lineup: Bad Bad Hats, Dillinger Four, Poliça, Brother Ali, Dessa, Nur-D, Gully Boys, DJ Sophia Eris.
• Red, White & BOOM! July 4 at Water Works Park & West River Parkway — Stone Arch Bridge fireworks strategy included.
• St. Paul Saints host the Buffalo Bisons at CHS Field July 1–5, including the July 4 game at 6:07 — Laura's pick for the best Fourth in the Cities.
• Mill City Farmers Market Saturday July 4, 8 a.m.–1 p.m. next to Mill City Museum, 115+ vendors; plus Kingfield, Linden Hills, Midtown and St. Paul Lowertown.
• First Avenue July calendar: Super Diamond (7/2), Benjamin Tod & Lost Dog Street Band (7/9), Bouncing Souls (7/11), Paul Oakenfold + Crystal Method (7/12).
• Sports: Twins host Cleveland (7/7–9) and the LA Angels (7/10–12) at Target Field; Lynx open a homestand vs. NY Liberty July 11; Minnesota United vs. Vancouver July 25 at Allianz Field.
• Food: Killen's Irish Pub just opened in the former First Draft Tap Haus near Target Field; Maison Rose French bakery on deck for Lilydale.
• Cannabis corner: Legend Technical Services shut down cannabis testing mid-June, dropping Minnesota to four certified labs (three fully licensed); Governor Walz's cannabis omnibus takes effect Aug 1, 2026, merging medical and adult-use supply chains.

Sources:

• Minneapolis summer events calendar
• Fox 9: Minneapolis summer entertainment 2026
• Mill City Farmers Market
• MSP Mag: Twin Cities farmers markets
• First Avenue shows
• Minnesota Twins schedule
• St. Paul Saints schedule
• Minnesota Lynx 2026 schedule
• Minnesota United schedule
• MSP Mag: New restaurant openings 2026
• Star Tribune small business
• MN Office of Cannabis Management news

Subscribe: mplsvegan.com

Full transcript

George: —and I'm telling you, the second that sun hit my face this morning, I knew. Patio season. Officially.
Laura: George, it's been patio season for like three weeks.
George: Okay but there's patio season and then there's PATIO season, you know?
Laura: Uh huh.
George: The kind where you walk outside and you don't need a hoodie in your bag "just in case."
Laura: See, that's fair. That is fair. I did leave the house today with just... me. Just me and a t-shirt.
George: Bold.
Laura: Bold in the Cities, yeah.
George: And it's Fourth of July week, Laura. The big one.
Laura: Ope, don't remind me. My phone is already blowing up with people wanting plans.
George: Are you a plans person or a porch person this year?
Laura: Honestly? Little of both. I wanna be out but I also wanna be home by ten.
George: That's the most Minnesota answer I've ever heard.
Laura: Skol.
George: Okay so let's actually get into it, because there's a LOT going on this week.
Laura: There really is.
George: Taste of Minnesota is back. Third and fourth, Nicollet Mall, Washington Ave, free.
Laura: Free is the word I heard.
George: Over a hundred local restaurants, food trucks, breweries — and the music lineup, Laura.
Laura: Tell me.
George: Bad Bad Hats. Poliça. Brother Ali. Dessa. Gully Boys. Nur-D. DJ Sophia Eris.
Laura: Wait, all of them? That's not a lineup, that's a family reunion.
George: Dillinger Four too.
Laura: Okay now you're just showing off.
George: I'm just READING, Laura, I'm just reading.
Laura: That's a real Minnesota music document right there.
George: And it's FREE.
Laura: Which... in the Cities, free anything on the Fourth is a gift.
George: Speaking of. Red, White and BOOM! is the same day.
Laura: Water Works Park, right? West River Parkway?
George: Yep. Free daytime programming. Then one of the biggest firework shows in the state.
Laura: George, real talk. Have you ever actually gotten a good spot for BOOM?
George: Honestly? No.
Laura: Thank you.
George: I go every year, I tell myself I'm gonna get there early, and every year I end up watching between two heads and a light pole.
Laura: Between two heads and a light pole. Put that on a shirt.
George: The trick — and I've never actually pulled it off — is Stone Arch Bridge side, way earlier than you think.
Laura: How early we talking?
George: I don't know. Like... four? Five?
Laura: Oh, so real relaxing.
George: Yeah, I don't do it.
Laura: Here's my hot take. And people are gonna come for me for this.
George: Go.
Laura: The best Fourth of July in the Twin Cities is not BOOM. It's the Saints game at CHS Field.
George: Oh?
Laura: Fourth of July, Saints, CHS Field, they always do it up. It is a Twin Cities classic.
George: You know what, I can't argue with that. West 7th, walk over, get a beer, watch some ball...
Laura: They play the Buffalo Bisons that whole stretch. First through the fifth.
George: The whole homestand.
Laura: The whole homestand. Third at 6:07, fourth at 6:07.
George: That is a very civilized start time for a holiday.
Laura: THANK you.
George: Okay speaking of food — Taste of Minnesota is one thing, but our people, our plant-based folks...
Laura: Yes.
George: This is the week to do a patio crawl.
Laura: A hundred percent. And shoutout, real quick, to our friends at mplsvegan.com — that's the map, that's how you plan a day like this.
George: Genuinely the best local vegan resource.
Laura: So where you starting, George?
George: Okay this is where I'm getting nostalgic.
Laura: Oh no. Here we go.
George: J...

In this episode:

• Taste of Minnesota returns July 3–4 along Nicollet Mall and Washington Ave with 100+ local restaurants, food trucks, breweries, and MN artists.
• Red, White & BOOM! on July 4 at Water Works and West River Parkway — free all-day programming plus one of the state's biggest fireworks shows.
• Plant-based tour: Herbivorous Butcher in NE, J. Selby's dirty fries in St. Paul, Trio Plant-Based, Hard Times, Hello Pizza, Reverie, and The Herbalist.
• Mill City Farmers Market on Saturday July 4 (8 a.m.–1 p.m.) plus St. Paul Lowertown, Midtown, Kingfield, and Linden Hills running their normal schedules.
• Sports: Twins host Cleveland July 7–9 and the Angels July 10–11; Lynx home games July 6, 11 (Finals rematch vs. NY), 13, 15, 18; Saints at CHS Field.
• First Avenue Mainroom: Super Diamond July 2, Benjamin Tod & Lost Dog Street Band July 9, The Bouncing Souls July 11.
• Guthrie has Come From Away through Aug. 9; Killen's Irish Pub opens mid-June near Target Field; Indígena by Owamni headed to the Guthrie complex later in 2026.
• Cannabis corner: Legend Technical Services shutdown leaves three labs and a thinning supply; Walz signs omnibus letting social-equity holders take up to 33% outside investment.

Sources:

• minneapolis.org — Summer Events
• Fox 9 — Summer Entertainment 2026
• Mill City Farmers Market
• MSP Mag — Twin Cities Farmers Markets
• First Avenue Shows
• Minnesota Twins Schedule
• St. Paul Saints Schedule
• Minnesota Lynx 2026 Schedule
• Minnesota United 2026 Schedule
• Guthrie — Come From Away
• Star Tribune — Restaurant Roll Call
• MSP Mag — New Restaurant Openings 2026
• MPR News — Cannabis & Hemp Laws
• MN Cannabis Hub — Testing Backlog
• Star Tribune — MN Legal Weed Market
• Family Fun Twin Cities

Subscribe: mplsvegan.com

Full transcript

George: —and I'm telling you, Laura, I walked over the Stone Arch this morning and it just hit me. Patio season. It's HERE.
Laura: George, it's been here. You're like two weeks late to your own party.
George: Ope, okay, fair.
Laura: We had eighty degrees last weekend. Where were you?
George: I was up at the cabin, doncha know.
Laura: Of COURSE you were.
George: Listen, the dock needed me.
Laura: The dock needed you. Sure.
George: Hey, the dock has FEELINGS, Laura.
Laura: Okay, well, while you were communing with your dock, the Cities turned into a postcard. Greenway was packed. Every patio in Uptown had a wait.
George: See, that's what I want to get into today. Because we are sitting right on top of the best week of the whole summer.
Laura: It's a big one. Fourth of July weekend, basically.
George: Basically. And the vibe outside right now... I mean, you walked in, what's it doing?
Laura: Warm. Sticky-ish. Classic late June. Not uff-da hot yet but you can feel it coming.
George: That sweet spot.
Laura: That sweet spot where you can still sit outside without melting into the chair.
George: Right.
Laura: Which... we should probably tell people what we're doing today, George.
George: Yeah, okay so — patio season kickoff, sort of. Heading into the Fourth. We're gonna do food, we're gonna do the plant-based scene, cannabis corner, what to actually DO this weekend.
Laura: The whole tour.
George: The whole tour. And shout to our friends at mplsvegan.com and mncannabishub.com, they keep this whole thing on the road.
Laura: They really do. Okay. Food first?
George: Food first. Because I am hungry and I have OPINIONS.
Laura: When are you not.
George: So I was over in Northeast yesterday—
Laura: Mm.
George: —and I walked past Herbivorous Butcher and the line was out the door. Out the DOOR, Laura.
Laura: Yeah, that doesn't surprise me at all.
George: It used to be like, a niche thing, right? Like fifteen years ago if you said "vegan deli" people would look at you sideways.
Laura: Okay but you're doing the thing.
George: What thing.
Laura: The "back in my day" thing. George. It's been a fixture in NE for years. People aren't discovering it.
George: ...fair.
Laura: It's just a great sandwich shop now. That's the story.
George: That IS the story, you're right.
Laura: And honestly the way Northeast has shifted — the Arts District around there, the whole stretch — it makes sense. You go, you grab a sandwich, you wander, you look at studios.
George: That's a perfect Saturday.
Laura: That IS a perfect Saturday.
George: Okay, what about St. Paul side. Because I feel like we always do Minneapolis Minneapolis Minneapolis—
Laura: We do.
George: —and St. Paul's got J. Selby's, which, hot take, might be the best patio-adjacent vegan move in the Cities.
Laura: Patio-adjacent.
George: I'm hedging because I can't picture the patio situation perfectly and I don't want to lie to people.
Laura: Okay, that's actually responsible of you.
George: I'm a responsible man.
Laura: Sometimes.
George: Sometimes!
Laura: But J. Selby's is real. Like that's a real comfort-food, gut-bomb in the best way kind of place.
George: The dirty fries situation? I dream about those.
Laura: See, and I think that's the thing people miss about plant-based food in this town. It's not lettuce...

In this episode:

• Twin Cities Pride Festival at Loring Park, June 27-28 — four stages, 650+ vendors, and a free parade down Hennepin Sunday 11am-2pm.
• Beer Dabbler at the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, Fri June 26, 6-9:30pm, with ~70 Minnesota breweries and cideries.
• Twins host the Colorado Rockies at Target Field all weekend — Saturday 6/27 is Byron Buxton bobblehead night.
• First Avenue lineup: The Klituation Pride Party (UNiiQU3, Maria Isa, DJ Keezy) Fri, Wolfmother Sun, Babyface Ray & 42 Dugg Tue.
• Breakaway Music Festival at Allianz Field in St. Paul, June 26-27.
• Mill City Farmers Market Saturday 8am-1pm; Surly Brewery 5K Saturday 11am; St. Paul Saints return home June 30 vs. Buffalo Bisons at CHS Field.
• Killen's Irish Pub opens in the former First Draft Tap Haus space near Target Field — perfect Twins-day pre-game spot.
• Plant-based patio picks from our sponsor mplsvegan.com: J. Selby's, Herbivorous Butcher, Reverie, Trio, Hello Pizza, The Herbalist.

Sources:

• Meet Minneapolis summer events
• Mill City Farmers Market
• First Avenue shows
• Guthrie Theater — What's On
• Minnesota Twins schedule
• St. Paul Saints schedule
• Mpls.St.Paul Magazine — 2026 restaurant openings
• Star Tribune — Women shaping MN cannabis
• Minnesota cannabis licensing update
• MJBizDaily — Osseo municipal dispensary

Subscribe: mplsvegan.com

Full transcript

George: —and I'm telling you, Laura, I almost wore shorts to the studio today.
Laura: George. It's June twenty-sixth. You should've worn shorts a month ago.
George: Ope, I know, I know. But you know how I am. I keep a flannel in the car till the Fourth of July just in case.
Laura: That is the most Minneapolis thing you've ever said and we've done... what, fifty episodes?
George: At least. Hey, real quick before we get rolling — patio weather is officially HERE. Like, here here.
Laura: Finally. I sat outside last night with a seltzer and didn't need a jacket. That's the bar.
George: That's the bar! That IS the bar.
Laura: And speaking of bars... Pride weekend, my friend.
George: Oh, it's gonna be wild down at Loring Park.
Laura: Festival Saturday and Sunday. Four stages. I looked it up — like six hundred fifty vendors?
George: Six fifty plus, yeah. That's a LOT of folks.
Laura: And the parade Sunday, down Hennepin, eleven to two. Free. Bring water, bring sunscreen, bring a friend.
George: Bring a friend who knows where to park, is what I'd say.
Laura: Okay that's fair.
George: And then Friday night — tonight, if you're listening day-of — the Beer Dabbler is at the Sculpture Garden.
Laura: Wait, tonight tonight?
George: Six to nine thirty. Like seventy Minnesota breweries and cideries. It's basically the Pride kickoff party.
Laura: Seventy? George. That's not a tasting, that's a commitment.
George: You pace yourself. You're a professional.
Laura: I am NOT a professional. I am a woman who likes one cider and a pretzel.
George: Honestly, same energy.
Laura: Okay so patios, Pride, Dabbler... what about people who actually wanna eat something green this weekend?
George: This is your lane. Take it.
Laura: Okay so — quick shoutout to our sponsor, mplsvegan.com. Real ones. If you're new to the plant-based scene in the Cities, that's where you start.
George: They've got the whole map basically.
Laura: They do. And patio-wise? J. Selby's in St. Paul has been my pick lately.
George: Over on... is that off Grand?
Laura: Snelling. C'mon, George.
George: Snelling. I knew that.
Laura: Sure ya did.
George: Hey now—
Laura: I'm teasing. J. Selby's, the dirty Selby's, you cannot go wrong. And then over here on this side of the river, Herbivorous Butcher in Northeast.
George: I will admit — I'm a meat guy, you know this — but their stuff? It's good. It's REALLY good.
Laura: See, that's growth.
George: That's growth.
Laura: Reverie in South is doing the patio thing. Hard Times, if you wanna feel like you're nineteen again.
George: Hard Times has been around longer than some of our listeners have been ALIVE.
Laura: Probably true. Trio Plant-Based if you want a sit-down. Hello Pizza if you want a slice and don't care that it's vegan.
George: That's the trick with Hello — you don't even clock it.
Laura: Exactly. And The Herbalist if you wanna feel fancy.
George: The Herbalist is spendy though, right?
Laura: It's a treat spot. Anniversary, birthday, "I got the promotion" — that kind of night.
George: Okay. Noted.
Laura: But here's where I push back on you a little, George.
George: Oh?
Laura: You always wanna do the "let's grab a burger and a beer" patio. There is a WHOLE other Twin Cities patio scene that is plant-based and chill and you keep defaulting to the same three spots.
George: Okay, that's... that's a fair hit. That's a fair hit.
Laura: Branch out, neighbor.
George: I'll branch out. I'll go to Reverie this week. Put me on the record.
Laura: On the record. Recorded.
George: Now — speaking of new stuff opening — Killen's Irish Pub.
Laura: Oh yeah, this is the one over by Target Field?
George: Old First Draft Tap Haus space. They opened mid-June. Perfect timing because—
Laura: —Twins are home this weekend.
George: Twins are home ALL weekend. Rockies in town. Friday seven ten, Saturday six ten with a Buxton bobblehead—
Laura: Buxton bobblehead?!
George: Buxton bobblehead, Saturday.
Laura: Okay that one's mine. I'm going.
George: And then Sunday day game, one ten. Classic Sunday at Target Field.
Laura: Day game, sunscreen, walk over the Stone Arch after. That's a perfect Sunday.
George: You know what, I'd add — Mill City Farmers Market Saturday morning, eight to one...

In this episode:

• Mill City Farmers Market Saturday June 27, 8am–1pm, 115+ vendors next to Mill City Museum — plus the Mpls.St.Paul Magazine roundup of Midtown, Kingfield, Linden Hills and St. Paul markets.
• Twin Cities Pride Festival at Loring Park, June 27–28 — the largest free Pride festival in the country with 650+ vendors and four stages.
• Hmong International Freedom Festival at McMurray Fields and the Afton Strawberry Festival round out the weekend.
• Twins vs. L.A. Dodgers at Target Field, Wed June 24 at 6:40pm — marquee interleague series.
• First Avenue: Kim Gordon at the Mainroom Wed June 24, Flip Phone "Klituation" and XXL Pride parties Fri/Sat, Wolfmother Sun June 28.
• New openings: Sameh Wadi reviving Saffron in the former Young Joni space with deeper Palestinian cuisine; Killen's Irish Pub in the old First Draft Tap Haus near Target Field.
• Sean Sherman's NATIFS expands with Šhotá Indigenous BBQ in the former Seward Co-op Creamery Café on E. Franklin Ave.
• OCM grants combination licenses to Green Goods (8 locations) and RISE (5 locations) — 13 of 16 medical dispensaries now selling adult-use, plus 23 microbusiness retail licenses issued.

Sources:

• Mill City Farmers Market
• Mpls.St.Paul Magazine — Twin Cities Farmers Markets list
• Visit Saint Paul — Summer Events
• First Avenue shows
• Minnesota Twins schedule
• St. Paul Saints schedule
• Minnesota Lynx 2026 schedule
• Minnesota United schedule
• MSP Mag — New Restaurant Openings 2026
• Minnesota OCM news release

Subscribe: mplsvegan.com

Full transcript

George: —and I'm telling you, Laura, I walked over the Stone Arch Bridge this morning and it just HIT me.
Laura: What hit you, George? A scooter? Because that's usually what hits people on the Stone Arch.
George: No, no. The summer. Like, the actual summer. That warm-river-smell, sunscreen-on-the-back-of-your-neck kinda morning.
Laura: Ope, okay, you're already doing the poet thing and it's not even nine.
George: I can't help it. We waited eight months for this.
Laura: Nine, if you count April. April doesn't count.
George: April never counts.
Laura: April is a rumor.
George: April is a rumor. That's going on a t-shirt.
Laura: Print it. Sell it at the Mill City market on Saturday.
George: Oh that's a good segue, actually—
Laura: I know it was. I set it up for you.
George: You did. You absolutely did. So Mill City Farmers Market, Saturday the twenty-seventh, eight to one, right next to the museum. A hundred and fifteen-plus vendors.
Laura: That's a LOT of vendors, George.
George: It's a lot of vendors. And honestly that's where I'm starting my weekend. Coffee, a loaf of something, watch people's dogs lose their minds.
Laura: See, and I love Mill City, but I'm gonna push back a little.
George: Push.
Laura: There are other markets. Midtown, Kingfield, Linden Hills, St. Paul Farmers' Market — Mpls St. Paul Magazine literally keeps a running list with hours and everything. You don't have to drag yourself downtown every Saturday.
George: Fair. Very fair.
Laura: Like, Kingfield's right there. Walkable. Spendy parking? Not a problem.
George: "Spendy parking, not a problem." You sound like a brochure.
Laura: I AM a brochure, George. That's the job.
George: Okay, okay.
Laura: But seriously, cross-check the magazine's list because hours shift in summer and I don't want somebody driving out to St. Paul on a bad guess.
George: Yeah, that's a good call. Don't trust me, trust the list.
Laura: Don't trust George, folks. Trust the list.
George: My own co-host.
Laura: My OWN co-host.
George: Alright, while we're on food — and we have to talk about this — Sameh Wadi.
Laura: Ohhh.
George: Saffron is coming back.
Laura: In the old Young Joni space, NE Mpls.
George: In the Young Joni space. Which is, like — culturally that's a big room.
Laura: It is. And from what I've read he's leaning deeper into Palestinian cuisine this time.
George: Yeah. Which feels right. Feels personal.
Laura: I'm excited. I'm genuinely excited. That's a chef who could've gone anywhere and he's planting a flag in Northeast again.
George: Do you remember the original Saffron downtown?
Laura: I do, I went for my cousin's birthday years and years ago. The lamb thing. I still think about the lamb thing.
George: See I never made it. I'll admit that. That was a gap for me.
Laura: George, you missed the lamb thing?
George: I missed the lamb thing. I'm not proud.
Laura: He's not proud, he says.
George: I'm not. Anyway — also opening, mid-June, Killen's Irish Pub. In the old First Draft Tap Haus near Target Field.
Laura: That's a smart location for a pub. Twins crowd spills right in.
George: Yeah. And speaking of the Twins—
Laura: Don't.
George: Dodgers in town. Tonight. Six-forty.
Laura: I knew you were gonna do it.
George: It's a marquee interleague series, Laura.
Laura: It's a "we're gonna get our hearts broken on national TV" series.
George: Ope.
Laura: But yeah, Target Field on a warm June night against the Dodgers? That's a TICKET.
George: That's a ticket.
Laura: Even if we lose, the patio out there's a good time.
George: It IS a good patio. And honestly — patio season is what I really wanted to get into today.
Laura: Okay, do it.
George: Because this is THE week, right? We're sliding into the heart of June, the weather's holding, everybody's outside—
Laura: Everybody.
George: —and the question is where do you go.
Laura: Well, what're you in the mood for? Because patio means something different in Uptown than it does on West 7th.
George: Tha...

In this episode:

• Stone Arch Bridge Festival along W River Parkway — Sat June 20 (10am–7pm) and Sun June 21 (10am–5pm), 200+ artists, culinary market, live music and a car show.
• Big Honking Truck Parade rolls Nicollet Mall on Thursday June 18 — fire trucks, concrete mixers, and yes, sanitation trucks.
• Farmers markets open: Mill City (Sat 8am–1pm at the Mill City Museum), Midtown (Sat 9am–1pm on E Lake), and St. Paul Lowertown (Sat 7am–1pm, Sun 8am–1pm).
• Šhotá Indigenous BBQ from Sean Sherman's NATIFS taking over the former Seward Co-op Creamery Café — smoked meats and fish, dirty wild rice, maple-baked beans, smoked salmon with huckleberries.
• Saffron returns: Chef Sameh Wadi reviving his Palestinian/Levantine concept in the former Young Joni space in NE Minneapolis.
• Sports: St. Paul Saints host Omaha at CHS Field Thu–Sun; Minnesota Lynx home Sat and Sun at Target Center; Twins return June 22 vs. the Dodgers; MNUFC is on FIFA World Cup break (MNUFC2 vs. St. Louis City 2 on 6/20).
• ~95 Minnesota women business leaders issued an open letter urging locals to speak up, spend, and give locally — Minneapolis Regional Chamber notes ~2/3 of members are small businesses under survival pressure.
• Other notes: Special Olympics USA Games at the U of M, Juneteenth Concert at Orchestra Hall June 18, and FIFA World Cup 2026 watch parties at Peavey Plaza.

Sources:

• minneapolis.org/calendar
• stonearchbridgefestival.com
• millcityfarmersmarket.org
• stpaulfarmersmarket.com
• MSP Mag farmers market guide
• MSP Mag 2026 restaurant openings
• St. Paul Saints schedule
• Minnesota Lynx schedule
• Twins schedule
• MNUFC schedule
• Star Tribune: MN women business leaders open letter

Subscribe: mplsvegan.com

Full transcript

George: —and I'm telling you, Laura, I could SMELL the lilacs walking over the Stone Arch this morning.
Laura: George, you say that every June.
George: Do I?
Laura: Every. Single. June. "Laura, the lilacs—"
George: Okay, okay. But this time I mean it.
Laura: You meant it last time too.
George: Ope, fair. Fair.
Laura: It is gorgeous out there though. I'll give you that.
George: It's patio season, officially. I'm calling it.
Laura: You don't get to call it, the weather calls it.
George: Well the weather AGREES with me this week.
Laura: Convenient.
George: Sun's out, breeze off the river, and I had iced coffee outside two days in a row.
Laura: That IS the bar, honestly. Two iced coffees on a patio and we're in.
George: We're in. Memorial Day's behind us, the Cities are awake.
Laura: And LOUD this week, by the way.
George: Yeah?
Laura: Big Honking Truck Parade rolls down Nicollet today.
George: Oh that's right, that's today!
Laura: Concrete mixers, fire trucks, sanitation trucks—
George: Wait, sanitation trucks?
Laura: Sanitation trucks, George.
George: That's the most Minneapolis thing I've ever heard.
Laura: My nephew lost his MIND last year. He still talks about the garbage truck.
George: Honestly? Same energy. I'd go.
Laura: You'd go without a kid?
George: I'd borrow a kid.
Laura: Don't borrow a kid, George.
George: Okay, I'll just stand on the curb and pretend I'm chaperoning.
Laura: That's worse.
George: You're right, that's worse.
Laura: And then this weekend — Stone Arch Bridge Festival, Saturday and Sunday.
George: That's the big one. Saturday ten to seven, Sunday ten to five, right along West River Parkway.
Laura: Two hundred-plus artists, culinary market, live music, and a car show.
George: The car show always gets me. Guys polishing chrome at nine a.m.
Laura: Dads in their natural habitat.
George: Hey now.
Laura: I said what I said.
George: Speaking of food, though — the culinary market over there is genuinely good.
Laura: It is. And if you're plant-based, you've got options. You're not stuck eating a pretzel.
George: Which, listen, a pretzel is fine—
Laura: A pretzel is a SNACK, not a meal.
George: Okay, noted.
Laura: Big shoutout to our friends at mplsvegan.com, by the way. Their patio map this year is unreal.
George: It really is. I was looking at it last night.
Laura: And?
George: And I want to eat at every place on it.
Laura: That's not a plan, George.
George: It's a goal.
Laura: Okay. Pick one.
George: Trio Plant-Based. I've been meaning to get back.
Laura: Trio is solid. Their patio is small but it's nice.
George: Right?
Laura: Although if we're talking patio energy, I'd send people to Reverie.
George: Ooh, Reverie.
Laura: South Minneapolis, easygoing, good for an afternoon.
George: And the Herbalist if you want kind of a date night.
Laura: Date night, yes. Cocktails, vibes, the whole thing.
George: I had a friend visit from Chicago last month — vegan — and I sent her to J. Selby's in St. Paul.
Laura: Classic move.
George: She got the dirty fries and texted me a photo with one word.
Laura: What was the word?
George: "Wow."
Laura: That's the right word.
George: West 7th has been having a moment too, honestly.
Laura: West 7th has been having a moment for like three years, George.
George: Has it?
Laura: Yes!
George: Ope. Okay. I'm late to that.
Laura: You ARE late to that. You're a Northeast guy at heart.
George: I am a Northeast guy. Guilty.
Laura: Which — speaking of — Herbivorous Butcher.
George: Always.
Laura: I grabb...

In this episode:

• Bill's Bait Shop opens in Minneapolis' Ericsson neighborhood with fresh fish, smoked chicken, burgers, and a Chicago dog.
• Ono Hawaiian Plates moves into the former Guacaya Bistreaux space in the North Loop (kalbi, whole fried snapper, lumpianadas).
• NATIFS plants a casual neighborhood restaurant in the former Seward Co-op Creamery on Franklin Ave.
• 2026 Minnesota Business Hall of Fame inducts David Shea, Beth Wozniak, Tim Murnane, David Reiling, and Beth Kieffer Leonard.
• Minnesota's 105-page cannabis omnibus: large-format hemp beverages (750 mL+, 17+ servings, child-resistant bottles) legal August 1.
• Forest Lake Mayor Blake Roberts opens the northeast suburb's first cannabis dispensary; 80+ licensed stores statewide.
• Weekend: Twin Cities Jazz Festival June 19–20 at Mears Park, and Special Olympics USA Games open June 20 at the U of M.
• Also this weekend: St. Paul Saints vs. Omaha Storm Chasers at CHS Field and Six the Musical at the Ordway.

Sources:

• Star Tribune: Bill's Bait Shop
• Mpls.St.Paul Mag: New Restaurant Openings 2026
• TCB Mag: 2026 Minnesota Business Hall of Fame
• MSP Mag: MN Economy at a Crossroads
• MPR News: New Cannabis & Hemp Laws
• Star Tribune: Forest Lake Mayor Opens Dispensary
• Visit Saint Paul: Summer Events
• Meet Minneapolis Calendar
• SeatGeek: St. Paul This Weekend

Subscribe: mplsvegan.com

Full transcript

George: —and that's the thing, Laura, the second the patios open I become a completely different person.
Laura: George, you say that every May like it's a personality reveal.
George: It IS a personality reveal! I go from indoor hermit to "let's sit outside even though it's fifty-eight degrees."
Laura: Ope, there it is. The Minnesota patio threshold. Fifty-eight and sunny? Shorts.
George: You betcha. Shorts and a hoodie. It's the uniform.
Laura: The uniform. Listen, I saw a guy on the Greenway last weekend in shorts, a parka, AND sandals. All three seasons at once.
George: That's a man hedging his bets.
Laura: That's a man who checked the forecast and said "I don't trust you."
George: Smart. Honestly, smart. Because Tuesday it was, what, ninety? And then Wednesday morning I needed a jacket.
Laura: Minnesota in June, doncha know.
George: Don't do the accent, Laura.
Laura: I'm from HERE, George, I'm allowed.
George: You're allowed, I'm just saying, you sound like a tourist who watched one movie.
Laura: Oh, I'm sorry, was that not authentic enough for the Minneapolis-born-and-raised guy next to me?
George: Okay, okay, fair.
Laura: Anyway. Patios. Let's actually do the show.
George: Right. So — quick weather frame. This weekend's looking gorgeous. Like, actually-go-outside gorgeous.
Laura: Which means every patio in the Cities is gonna be a ninety-minute wait.
George: Probably. Which is why I want to talk strategy.
Laura: Strategy?
George: Strategy. Where you go, when you go, and what you eat when you get there.
Laura: Okay, head writer. Walk me through it.
George: So food first. You know I've been on a vegan kick.
Laura: George, you've been on a "vegan kick" for like three years. At what point is it just... your diet?
George: Don't put me in a box, Laura.
Laura: I'm putting you in the box. You're in the box.
George: Fine. But hear me out — J. Selby's in St. Paul, patio weather, one of their sandwiches...
Laura: The dirty Selby.
George: The dirty Selby. Game over. That's the weekend.
Laura: See, I'd push back. You always default to Selby's. There are like six other spots.
George: Name 'em.
Laura: Herbivorous Butcher in Northeast. Trio Plant-Based. Reverie. Hard Times if you wanna feel twenty-two again. Hello Pizza. The Herbalist.
George: Okay, you're right, I default.
Laura: You default HARD.
George: I default hard. But in my defense, Herbivorous Butcher on a Saturday is a scene.
Laura: It IS a scene. But that's part of the fun, no? Northeast on a sunny Saturday, you wander, you grab something, you walk it over to a patio.
George: That's true. The Arts District in June is one of my favorite versions of the city.
Laura: Same. And honestly Reverie on a patio afternoon? Underrated.
George: Reverie is underrated in general.
Laura: It really is. Quiet, good food, you can actually hear the person across from you.
George: Which at my age matters more than it used to.
Laura: George.
George: I'm just saying! First Ave is great, I love First Ave, but I can't have a conversation in there anymore.
Laura: First Ave is not for conversation. First Ave is for being a sweaty witness to history.
George: That's the tagline. Put that on the marquee.
Laura: Speaking of — quick aside — Bill's Bait Shop.
George: Oh, in Ericsson? Yeah, I saw that.
Laura: North Woods theme, opening this month. Fresh fish, smoked chicken, a Chicago dog.
George: A Chicago dog in a North Woods bait shop in Minneapolis. That's a lot of geography on one menu.
Laura: It's a whole map.
George: I'm into it though. The whole "year-round gathering place that feels like a rural bait shop" thing — that's very us.
Laura: It's VERY us. Like, we romanticize the cabin so hard that we'll build a fake one in the city just to feel it.
George: Hey, I will not apologize for cabin energy.
Laura: I'm not asking you to. I'm just naming it.
George: Fair. Worth a mention too — Ono Hawaiian Plates is moving into the old Guacaya space in the North Loop.
Laura: Ooh. Kalbi?
George: Sizzling kalbi, whole fried snapper, something called a lumpianada.
Laura: A lumpianada. I don't know what that is...

In this episode:

• Bill's Bait Shop opens this June in Ericsson — a "North Woods soul" spot with fresh fish, smoked chicken, burgers, and a Chicago dog.
• Sean Sherman / NATIFS confirms a casual Owamni follow-up in the former Seward Co-op Creamery space on Franklin Ave later in 2026.
• Twin Cities Business unveils the 2026 Minnesota Business Hall of Fame: David Shea, Beth Wozniak (nVent), Tim Murnane (Opus), David Reiling (Sunrise Banks), and Beth Kieffer Leonard (Lurie LLP).
• Armetha Pihlstrom of Pihlstrom Consulting named MEDA's 2026 Community Builder of the Year.
• Forest Lake Mayor Blake Roberts opens the suburb's first cannabis dispensary on June 15 — and he's the operator.
• Minnesota's 105-page cannabis omnibus heads to Gov. Walz: new "macrobusiness" license, merged hemp/cannabis supply chains, and Aug. 1 THC beverage rules (≥750 mL, 17+ servings); 80+ adult-use stores now open statewide.
• Weekend picks: Twin Cities Jazz Festival (June 19–20, downtown St. Paul, Yellowjackets + JazzMN Orchestra), Stone Arch Bridge Festival (June 20–21), Soul of the Southside Juneteenth fest (June 19), and the Special Olympics USA Games opening at the U of M June 20.
• Vegan patio picks: J. Selby's, Herbivorous Butcher, Hard Times, Reverie, Trio Plant-Based, Hello Pizza, The Herbalist.

Sources:

• Star Tribune — Bill's Bait Shop
• Star Tribune — 2026 restaurant openings
• TCB — 2026 Minnesota Business Hall of Fame
• TCB — MEDA Community Builder
• Star Tribune — Forest Lake mayor dispensary
• MPR News — Cannabis/hemp laws
• Star Tribune — 7 cannabis law changes
• MPR News — Adult-use market growth
• Visit Saint Paul — Summer events
• Zesty Dates — Minneapolis June 2026
• Soul of the Southside — Juneteenth
• Meet Minneapolis — Calendar

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Full transcript

George: —and I'm telling you, Laura, the second that sun hit my face on Saturday, I was a new man.
Laura: George, it was like sixty-eight degrees.
George: Sixty-eight in Minneapolis in late spring? That's a holiday.
Laura: Okay, fair. Fair.
George: That's a parade.
Laura: I did see you on the Greenway, by the way.
George: You did NOT.
Laura: I did. You were doing that little... shuffle-jog thing you do.
George: It's a stride. It's called a stride.
Laura: It's a shuffle. Own it.
George: Fine. It's a shuffle. But it was a happy shuffle, doncha know.
Laura: There it is.
George: Listen, patio season is HERE. That's what I'm trying to tell people. Like, officially.
Laura: Yeah, I think we're in it. Memorial Day broke the seal and now everybody's outside.
George: Everybody. I walked through Uptown on Sunday — every single chair on every single patio? Taken.
Laura: Mhm.
George: Like, people drinking pop on the curb 'cause they couldn't get a seat.
Laura: Pop on the curb is such a George detail.
George: It's accurate!
Laura: I believe you. I'm just saying, only you would phrase it that way.
George: Okay so where do we start. Food? You want to start food?
Laura: Let's start food. Because — okay, have you been keeping up with the Bill's Bait Shop thing?
George: The new spot down in Ericsson?
Laura: Yeah. Opening this month.
George: I have not been inside, I'll admit. But I've been reading.
Laura: It's the one everybody's watching this summer.
George: North Woods soul food, right? That's how they're describing it?
Laura: That's the phrase. Fresh fish, smoked chicken, burgers, and apparently a Chicago dog.
George: A Chicago dog? In Minneapolis?
Laura: I know. I know.
George: That's a choice. That's a confident choice.
Laura: It's a confident choice on a menu full of confident choices.
George: I love it though. I do. Ericsson is one of those neighborhoods people forget about until somebody puts something good there.
Laura: And then everybody remembers real fast.
George: Real fast. The Strib had it on their big summer openings list, which is — that's the list, right? That's the one people watch?
Laura: That's the one.
George: Good. Okay. Good for them.
Laura: Speaking of openings, did you see the Sean Sherman news?
George: The Owamni follow-up?
Laura: Yeah.
George: I did. NATIFS is going into the old Seward Co-op Creamery space on Franklin.
Laura: Later this year.
George: Later this year. And it's gonna be the more casual neighborhood version of what he's doing at Owamni.
Laura: Which I think is — honestly, that's the move.
George: That IS the move.
Laura: Because Owamni is special, right, but it's a thing. You plan for it.
George: You plan for it. Months out.
Laura: A neighborhood version where you can just walk in on a Tuesday? Come on.
George: That's a gift to the city.
Laura: That's a gift to the city.
George: Okay but — quick segue — speaking of neighborhood spots people can just walk into...
Laura: Mm?
George: This whole episode is about patio season, vegan scene, all that. Quick word from our friends.
Laura: Yeah, shout out mplsvegan.com.
George: Mplsvegan.com — if you're trying to figure out where to actually GO this weekend, that's your map.
Laura: They've got everything. J. Selby's over in St. Paul.
George: Herbivorous Butcher up in Northeast.
Laura: Reverie. Hard Times.
George: Trio Plant-Based.
Laura: Hello Pizza, The Herbalist.
George: All of it. Bookmark it.
Laura:

In this episode:

• Tono Pizzeria + Cheesesteaks holds its Wayzata grand opening Friday, May 29 in the former D'Amico & Sons space at 810 Lake Street East in the Crosscreek Shoppes.
• Tono's new North Loop location opened earlier in May at 250 N. 3rd Ave., in the historic building that previously housed Bev's Wine Bar near Target Field.
• Founded in 2019 by Shaz Khan and Antonio Gambino, Tono now has around 10 Twin Cities locations serving wood-fired pizza and Philly cheesesteaks.
• Minnesota Wild owner Craig Leipold is becoming majority owner of the historic Saint Paul Hotel (built 1910), buying it from Travelers Insurance alongside Ecolab, Securian Financial, and developers Jim Kelly, Carl Kaeding, and David Williams.
• Silver Therapeutics opened Stillwater's first licensed cannabis dispensary on May 5, 2026 at 1778 Greeley St. S — the first regulated adult-use shop in the St. Croix Valley.
• Minnesota's legal cannabis market hit roughly $22 million in adult-use and medical sales in March 2026, its biggest month since retail launched in September 2025, with about 148 dispensaries statewide as of early April.
• The legislature passed the 2026 Omnibus Cannabis Bill (SF 4401) on May 28, creating a new Cannabis Macrobusiness License that takes effect Jan. 1, 2027.
• Print Fest at Highpoint Center for Printmaking runs free Saturday May 30 and Sunday May 31, 11 a.m.–5 p.m. at 912 West Lake Street — live demos, vendor fair, food trucks, and the opening of Highpoint's 25th-anniversary co-op exhibition.
• Also this weekend: Riverdance 30 – The New Generation at the State Theatre (Sat 2 p.m., Sun 6 p.m.) and a free family water-activities day at Phalen Regional Park (Sat 11 a.m.–4 p.m.).

Sources:

• Minnesota restaurant openings & closings, May 2026 (Bring Me The News)
• Tono Pizzeria + Cheesesteaks opening in North Loop and Wayzata (Bring Me The News)
• Craig Leipold and local businesses buy the Saint Paul Hotel (TCB Magazine)
• Silver Therapeutics opens Stillwater's first cannabis dispensary (Cannabis Business Times)
• Minnesota cannabis market hits record in 2026 (MN Cannabis Hub)
• Minnesota's new cannabis and hemp laws (MPR News)
• Print Fest at Highpoint Center for Printmaking
• Meet Minneapolis event calendar
• Twin Cities Weekend Family Guide

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Full transcript

George: —and I'm telling you, Laura, that first warm Friday, the whole city just... exhales.
Laura: George, you say that every May.
George: Because it's TRUE every May.
Laura: Okay but you also said it that one week in March when it hit fifty-five and we were both still freezing.
George: Listen. Fifty-five in March hits different.
Laura: It does. I'll give you that.
George: But this is patio weather. Memorial weekend, sun's out, everybody just lookin' at each other like... hey... we made it.
Laura: We made it.
George: We made it.
Laura: That's such a Minnesota thing though. Like... we earned this.
George: We did earn it.
Laura: We always say that.
George: Because we ALWAYS earn it, Laura.
Laura: Fine. What's the forecast lookin' like for the long weekend?
George: Warm. Like... legit warm. Seventies into the weekend, sun on Saturday, maybe a little stickiness Sunday but nothin' that'll chase you off a patio.
Laura: Ope, I love that.
George: Right?
Laura: Walking the Greenway last night I saw three guys on those fat-tire e-bikes just CRUISING. Big grins.
George: The Greenway in late May is its own personality.
Laura: It really is.
George: Okay so... food. Can we talk food?
Laura: Please.
George: Because I gotta admit something.
Laura: Oh?
George: I had never been to Tono.
Laura: Wait, what?
George: I know. I know.
Laura: George. There's like ten of them in the Cities.
George: I KNOW. I'd just never made it in. And then they opened in the North Loop, that pretty old building on 3rd, used to be Bev's Wine Bar—
Laura: I remember Bev's.
George: Right? So they're in that space now, by Target Field, and I finally went.
Laura: And?
George: Wood-fired pizza... and Philly cheesesteaks?
Laura: That's the gimmick.
George: It's not a GIMMICK, Laura, it's a—
Laura: It's a gimmick.
George: It's a Venn diagram.
Laura: Oh my god.
George: And both circles are delicious.
Laura: Okay. Okay, fair. They've been around since, what, 2019?
George: Yep. Two guys, Shaz Khan and Antonio Gambino, started it.
Laura: And they just opened a Wayzata spot too, right?
George: Friday. Grand opening yesterday. Out at the Crosscreek Shoppes, the old D'Amico and Sons space on Lake Street East.
Laura: That's the second one this month?
George: Second one this month.
Laura: They're not playin' around.
George: They are not.
Laura: Okay but I do wanna push back on the pizza-cheesesteak combo for a second.
George: Of course you do.
Laura: I'm just sayin', when a place does two things... pick a lane.
George: That's not always true.
Laura: It's often true.
George: Counterpoint. Hello Pizza.
Laura: That's just pizza.
George: Vegan pizza AND regular!
Laura: That's still one lane, George. That's pizza.
George: You're impossible.
Laura: I'm RIGHT. There's a difference.
George: Okay, speakin' of vegan, can we do the patio thing?
Laura: Yes. Yes yes yes. Because patio season for the plant-based crowd in this town is finally... legit good.
George: It's so good.
Laura: Like... J. Selby's over in St. Paul. That patio is small but it has a vibe...