Fantastic Fourth at The Walker
Celebrate independence day in The Walker sculpture garden with music, art-filled activities (including an Art Bike contest) and hula-hooping lessons.
July 4, 10am-3pm
The Minneapolis Sculpture Garden at The Walker, 1750 Hennepin Ave, Minneapolis
FREE

Picnic Time at Mill City Farmers Market
Learn how to create delicious picnic treats with your market produce from the chefs at Mill City Farmers Market. 
July 4, 8am-1pm, cooking demo at 10am
Mill City Farmers Market, 704 2nd Street S, Minneapolis

Concerts in the Park: A Minnesota Summer Tradition
A quintessential Minnesota summer evening involves packing up a picnic, gathering a group of friends and heading over to one of the many local parks that offer free music in the evening.
Throughout the summer in Minneapolis and St Paul

Midtown Farmers’ Market
Starting in July, the Midtown Farmers’ Market is open Saturday and Tuesday, adding one more glorious day of local produce for the pickin’. 
Tuesdays 3:30-7:30pm through October, Saturdays 8am-1pm through October
Midtown Farmers’ Market, Lake Street E & 22nd Ave More...

Trotter's Café is Celebrating 20 Years!
Trotter's Café & Bakery is celebrating their 20th anniversary year.  During the month of June, when you use your Trotter's Blue Sky Guide coupon, they will give it back to you to use again! That's a recession friendly anniversary special.  You have just a few days left to take advantage of this offer, so hurry over to Trotter's Cafe!
Throughout June
Trotter's Cafe & Bakery, 232 Cleveland Ave N, St Paul

City of Lakes Tri-Loppet
This weekend watch amateurs and serious athletes canoe (8k), run (5k), and bike (11k) through the heart of Minneapolis. The race is an experience for both spectators and athletes and is a great way to get a new perspective on the city.
June 27, Race starts at 9am
View a course map here

8th Annual People's Choice Flavor Awards at Izzy's Ice Cream
Every other year Izzy's Ice Cream takes submissions from their customers to design new ice cream flavors. On Sunday, four finalist in six categories (Kids, Chocolate, Mix-Ins, Fruit, Specialities, So Local) will go spoon-to-spoon to find the best in show.  Buy a ticket to be part of choosing the Best in Show and the best flavor in each category, which translates to: you get to eat ice cream all afternoon!
June 28, 1-4:30pm
Izzy's Ice Cream Cafe, 2034 Marshall Ave, St Paul More...

Blooming Butterflies
Blooming Butterflies is a seasonal, freestanding butterfly exhibit resembling a caterpillar and encompassing approximately 3,000 square feet of enclosed butterfly ‘garden’ space.  Inside the caterpillar is a variety of tropical annual and perennial flowering nectar plants that sustain hundreds of butterflies.
June 19-Sept 7
Como Park Zoo and Conservatory, 1225 Estabrook Drive, St Paul

Entomology Day at the Science Museum
Insects account for more than two-thirds of all known organisms on earth and all ages are welcome to the Science Museum to learn about the world they inhabit. We’re especially excited to learn about insect-friendly gardens.
June 20, 1-4pm
Science Museum of MN, 120 W Kellogg Blvd, St Paul

Homegrown Movie Premiere
Homegrown: The 21st Century Family Farm profiles the Dervaes family who run a small organic farm in the heart of urban Pasadena, CA.  On less than a quarter of an acre and while living “off the grid,” the family harvests over 6,000 pounds of produce and makes their own bio diesel.  The Twin Cities premiere will share this intimate portrait of the 21st Century version of the family homestead.
June 20, 5 and 7pm showings
Minnesota College of Art and Design (MCAD) Auditorium, 2501 Stevens Ave, Minneapolis
Cost: $10 Suggested donation More...

People around the world will unite for the planet on June 5th for World Environment Day 2009, for a strong call for environmental action just six months before the crucial United Nations climate change talks in Copenhagen.

World Environment Day is truly a People's Day: it is the chance for everyone, young and old, with their community or with close friends, to show that they care for the planet. Visit the website so you can learn what is happening in our country and around the world. You may register your activities so others can learn what you are doing to protect the environment and reduce Global Warming. Simple actions can have large impacts and now is the time to focus on positive changes – at home, work, school and the entire community.

June 5, 2009
Worldwide Activities
http://www.unep.org More...

Shipwrecked! at the Jungle Theater
Shipwrecked! is inspired by the tale told by a 19th-century man about being marooned for 30 years among the Aborigines.  Families can receive 1 FREE kid's ticket (age 6-15) with the purchase of one full-priced adult ticket ($28-$36). Or, if you don't have a kid in your life, you can use your Blue Sky Guide coupon to get 2-for-1 tickets on a Tuesday or Wednesday evening performance!
Now through June 28
The Jungle Theater, 2951 Lyndale Ave S, Minneapolis
Reservations Required 612-822-7063

Marvelous Mushrooms
Learn all there is to know about this sometimes edible, always incredible fungi.
June 6, 10:00am
Dodge Nature Center, 365 W Marie Ave, St Paul
Cost: $7/per or $20/family
Reserve a spot by calling 651-455-4531

Bakken Evening Out: Party in the Garden
Celebrate summer with live music, complimentary wine and appetizers on The Bakken’s outdoor terrace. Take a tour of the gardens and learn about medicinal plants with tips from an expert herbalist. Browse gardening books from Magers & Quinn and enjoy plants and flowers from Brown & Greene Floral Market.
June 9, 5-8:00pm
The Bakken Museum, 3537 Zenith Ave S, Minneapolis


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Rainbarrels Workshop
Watering your garden is a million times better when you get the water from your rain barrel! Learn about why to use one, how to install them and how they work.
May 30, 1-3:00pm
Twin Cities Green, 2405 Hennepin Ave S, Minneapolis

Flint Hills International Children's Festival
The Children's Festival is packed with outdoor activities and indoor stage performances designed to share various art forms and world cultures with the children of Minnesota.
May 30-31
Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, 345 Washington St, St Paul

Cheap Date Night at Bryant Lake Bowl
$28 gets you and your date two entrées, a bottle of wine or four tap beers (two pints each), and a round of bowling.
June 1, 6 pm-12:30am
Bryant Lake Bowl
Save that coupon for next time

Have you been to your neighborhood farmers market yet this season? Check out EcoMetro's list of farmers markets to find your favorite! More...

Plant Sale at Eastside Food Co-op
There is still plenty of time to pick up some starts for your spring garden. Eastside Food Co-op's plant sale goes through Sunday and there are plenty of gorgeous plants to choose from including heirloom varieties, veggie packs, border plants, natives, annuals and perennials.
Through Sunday, May 24
Eastside Food Co-op, 2551 Central Ave NE, Minneapolis

Minnesota's Greatest Generation: Exhibit Opening Weekend
This weekend is the grand opening of the new exhibit at the Minnesota History Center documenting "Minnesota's Greatest Generation" using interviews, letters, and personal artifacts from WWII era. Events throughout the weekend aim to bring generations together and include: Spam cooking-demos, swing dancing and WWII camp re-enactment (which are not necessarily meant to be enjoyed all at once or in that order!)
Opening Weekend Activities: Saturday May 23 through Monday May 25, 12-5:00pm
Minnesota History Center, 345 Kellogg Blvd W, St. Paul
Cost: $10/$8/$5 (Adults/Seniors/Children)

Como Park High School Earth Rally
Como Park High School, in conjunction with Eco Education, is hosting an Earth Rally featuring a variety of educational and interactive booths sponsored by local environmental organizations.  Bring your family and  friends, and learn about the importance of a sustainable future and what we all can do to make it a reality.
May 15, 3-7:00pm
Como Park High School, 740 W. Rose Ave
Email for more details

Ten Thousand Villages Book Club: The World Without Us
Join the May Ten Thousand Villages book club discussion of Alan Weisman's The World Without Us.  This "eco-thriller" imagines a future world without the human species.  Weisman paints a vivid picture of how Earth will look as centuries of man-made constructions slowly deteriorate.  Join other Village readers to discuss the novel and envision ways we can begin to change our current regard (or lack of) for the environment.
May 13, 3-4:30pm or 6-7:30pm
Ten Thousand Villages, 867 Grand Ave, St Paul
Email to sign up. More...

There are plenty of great green happenings this May in the Twin Cities.  Among other EcoMetro Events, check out all the celebrations around Fair Trade--May is Fair Trade month after all!

Ten Thousand Villages Celebrates World Fair Trade Day
In celebration of World Fair Trade Day 2009, Ten Thousand Villages and local drummers will join drummers worldwide in beating the drum from sun-up to sun-down in support of Fair Trade. World Fair Trade Day, organized by the World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO), is a global festival of Fair Trade with events organized worldwide to drive Fair Trade sales, campaign for justice in trade, and promote sustainable environmental policy.
May 9, 10am-6pm
Ten Thousand Villages, 867 Grand Avenue, St Paul

Shepard’s Harvest Festival
It’s never too early to get excited for the State Fair. You can get a little preview at Minnesota’s largest sheep and wool festival this May.  There will be over 90 vendors, a full range of classes and plenty of sheep, goat, llama and alpaca on display.
May 9, 9am-5pm & May 10, 10am-4pm
Washington County Fairgrounds
County Rd 15 $ State Hwy 5, Lake Elmo