by Zach Miller
Quick Summary
There are many compelling reasons to attend the Minnesota Library Association Conference at the Saint Paul RiverCentre: rubbing elbows with friends and colleagues, attending enlightening sessions, visiting fantastic booths, and listening to renowned keynote speakers. But almost as exciting, and right outside the RiverCentre doors, there's another great reason: the city of Saint Paul itself. Read this article to learn just a little about what you have the chance to do in Minnesota's capital city during the conference.
There are many compelling reasons to attend the Minnesota Library Association Conference at the Saint Paul RiverCentre: rubbing elbows with friends and colleagues, attending enlightening sessions, visiting fantastic booths, and listening to renowned keynote speakers. But almost as exciting, and right outside the RiverCentre doors, there's another great reason: the city of Saint Paul itself. Read below to learn just a little about what you have the chance to do in Minnesota's capital city during the conference.
10. See Madonna perform at the Xcel Energy Center (Thursday)
A ticket will set you back a mere $355, so why not? (Less expensive tickets are also available.) The concert begins at 8:00 PM, so MLA attendees shouldn't have to compete for parking directly with fans of the Material Girl. But if you plan on eating dinner downtown after the conference, be advised that traffic could be borderline awful.
9. Celebrate German culture at Twin Cities Oktoberfest (Friday, Saturday, & Sunday)
Fed up mit all the negativity surrounding Volkwagen und German diesel-emissions fraud? Twin Cities Oktoberfest will have you smiling in no time. The event features live music, beer, brats, and "everything great about being German." And everyone knows you don't have to be German to enjoy Oktoberfest. Buy a $25 ticket online (price includes 24-oz stein and first fill) and head to the Progress Building at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds to join the fun.
8. Visit the James J. Hill Reference Library (Thursday)
The George Latimer Central Library may be closed for renovations, but the beautiful (and conjoined) James J. Hill Reference Library is not. The reference library is located on the south side of Rice Park, a very short walk east from the RiverCentre, and is open 10:00-5:00 PM on Thursday. The library "was designed in the Italian Renaissance style, in keeping with the urbane Beaux Arts Neoclassical mode, which was in vogue during the late Progressive Era. The exterior is pink Tennessee marble, while massive columns of Kettle River sandstone frame the building’s 'Great Reading Room.' Hailed by modern critics as a 'high point in Beaux Arts architecture in Minnesota,' the library broke ground in 1913, opened to the public in 1921, and was entered on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975."
7. Visit the Summit Brewery (Friday & Saturday)
Summit has been doing its thing (and doing it well) in Saint Paul since 1986, long before craft brewing became as immensely popular as it is today. Despite its age, Summit stays on the cutting edge with its excellent Unchained Series. The Summit Beer Hall and gift shop are open until 9:00 PM Friday and Saturday with food available from Undead Frank's Zombie Bites on Friday.
Tours are available Saturday at 10:00 AM, 12:30 PM, and 3:00 PM. There is no charge for the tour, but Summit does request that visitors bring a canned or boxed food item for Second Harvest Heartland.
6. Sample the Saint Paul Fall Art Crawl (Friday, Saturday, & Sunday)
Try as you might, you'll never see it all. The Saint Paul Art Crawl kicks off at 6:00 PM on Friday and extends through the weekend. Galleries throughout the city will feature work by hundreds of artists. Downtown Saint Paul alone hosts 13 galleries, located mostly in the Lowertown area. Consult the official map to hit as many galleries as you can.
5. Test your knowledge at Trivia Mafia (Thursday)
Grab some friends and show off your smarts Thursday night at 8:00 PM at Camp Bar in downtown Saint Paul. Minnesota's librarians have what it takes to dominate this "brainy trend" that is taking over the Twin Cities.
4. Take a cooking class with Cooks of Crocus Hill (Friday)
Send your taste buds down south with a Best of New Orleans cooking class on Grand Avenue, just a quick jaunt up the hill from downtown. Class begins at 6:00 and ends at 8:30. The cost is $75. You'll learn to prepare the following menu:
- Peach salad with bourbon-basted thick bacon, fresh peaches, spicy pecans and ricotta salata
- Chicken, shrimp and andouille gumbo
- New Orleans-style green beans with garlic, honey and Creole seasoning
- Bananas Foster served over chocolate waffles with caramel sauce
3. Learn about Saint Paul's past and present at the James J. Hill House (Saturday & Sunday)
You would have to live under a Richardsonian block of stone to avoid hearing about Summit Avenue's massive and beautiful James J. Hill House. The house, a National Historic Landmark managed by the Minnesota Historical Society, is open 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM Wednesday through Sunday. Admission is $10 for adults and $8 for seniors and includes the art gallery. Tours last 75 minutes and begin on the half hour. Reservations are recommended (make one by calling 651-297-2555), but not required.
The house features an impressive art gallery that is home to a two-story organ with a staggering 1,006 pipes. The gallery's current exhibit showcases "60 highly colorful and intensely intricate pieces of Hmong textile art created by Hmong women who settled in St. Paul." Gallery-only admission is $2.
2. Shop at the Saint Paul Farmers' Market (Thursday & Saturday)
Get lunch and browse the farmers' market on the pedestrian mall at 7th Place between Wabasha and Saint Peter Streets on Thursday between 10:00 AM and 1:30 PM or stroll to Lowertown on Saturday from 6:00 AM to 1:00 PM. Both locations are walkable from the RiverCentre.
1. Listen to the world-class Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra (Thursday-Sunday)
The SPCO will hold an open rehearsal on Thursday night, and tickets cost $12. The open rehearsal will feature Bach's Saint Matthew Passion, "a stirring expression of the composer's deep Christian faith that is often regarded as his crowning achievement." Tickets to the performances on Friday and Saturday at 7:30 PM and at 2:00 PM on Sunday are available for $15, $33 and $53.
