Fall colors are not the only must-sees in Minneapolis

Pumpkins and cider may signal the season. But in Minneapolis, fall means curtain calls, gallery walks and music drifting through the air with the autumn leaves. The city’s arts and culture scene never rests, and this season’s performances, exhibitions and creative experiences deserve attention.

• Farm Aid will celebrate its 40th anniversary with a full day of music and festivities at Minneapolis’ Huntington Bank Stadium on Sept. 20. Headliners are Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, Neil Young, Dave Matthews and Margo Price. A pre-festival event, Color Me Country Takeover at the Fine Line on Sept. 18, will honor the legacy of diverse musical artists and farmers will feature this year’s Academy of Country Music “Lift Every Voice” Award recipient, artist Rissi Palmer.
• “Purple Rain™,” the world premiere stage adaptation of Prince’s legendary film and album, runs Oct. 16 – Nov. 16 at Minneapolis’ historic State Theatre before an anticipated Broadway run. More Minneapolis stages like the Guthrie, Latte Da, Jungle and others have theatrical productions throughout the fall season.

• Sir Paul McCartney will appear at U.S. Bank Stadium in the Got Back Tour on Oct. 17. The Armory has Lorde (Oct. 11-12), A Day to Remember/Yellow Card (Nov. 2) and Halsey (Nov. 6) among many more high energy shows. Legendary club First Avenue has Big Wild (Sept. 23), Joey Valence & Brae (Oct. 15) and Purity Ring (Oct. 23),. For more concerts, check out our spots to listen to live music in Minneapolis.
• The inaugural City of Lakes Art Fair launches Oct. 11 and 12 at Bde Maka Ska featuring 150+ talented artists from across the state, live music, food and drinks on a peak fall day.
• The Dakota’s 40th Anniversary Block Party will feature live performances from some of the jazz club’s most beloved performers and Minnesota music icons like The Suburbs, Nachito Herrera and more on indoor and outdoor stages. Also featured are culinary specials inspired by the rich flavors of New Orleans, a craft market and a kids’ corner activity area.

• The Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia) has several new, free exhibits opening this month:
  • Gatsby at 100 explores how Minnesota’s own F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel “The Great Gatsby” shaped—and was shaped by—the visual art of his time and includes works on paper that are rarely on view. Opens Sept. 13.
  • The Abstract Worlds of Yoshida Hodaka and Chizuko showcases, for the first time, Hodaka’s six monumental wall prints from 1992, displayed together alongside Chizuko’s abstract works and whimsical butterfly motifs. Opens Sept. 20.
  • Timber! Art and Woodwork at the Fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire: Anchored by Egon Schiele’s haunting 1913 painting Sawmill—on view for the first time at Mia—this exhibition explores the symbolism of timber and collapse at a pivotal moment in European history. Through Jan. 4, 2026.
• The Walker Art Center’s art, film and performance calendar could easily fill any itinerary. Every Thursday night, galleries are free to explore. Two highlights this fall are:
  • Dyani White Hawk: a major exhibition celebrating 15 years of the Minneapolis-based Lakota artist’s work opens Oct. 18.
  • Show & Tell: An Exhibition for Kids: An exuberant, interactive exhibition designed specifically for families opens Nov. 20.

• The Bakken Museum celebrates its 50th birthday over three days in mid-October with a gala, birthday bash and STEM book fest, the latter two are free and open to the public. Their interactive displays cover various topics within science, technology and the humanities and they have three acres of gardens at their location on Bde Maka Ska, Minneapolis’ largest lake.
• Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Society’s Cine Latino celebrates its 13th festival Oct. 8–12 at The Main Cinema for five days of Spanish- and Portuguese-language films, special guests, fiestas, food trucks and more!
• Mizna’s Twin Cities Arab Film Festival debuts independent narrative, documentary and experimental features and short films from more than 15 Arabic-speaking countries and their diasporas in this 19th annual event.
• Art Attack, in the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District’s Northrup King Building is an annual fall open studio event showcasing four floors of art and gifts where you can meet the artists, do your holiday shopping or try an interactive art activity Oct. 14-16.

• The American Swedish Institute’s 75th annual holiday celebration, Tomte Tales: Legends of Winter, on view Nov. 8 – Jan. 25, 2026, invites exploration of Nordic-inspired programs, experiencing the holiday exhibition in the historic Turnblad Mansion and one of the region’s largest holiday handcraft markets.
• The Minnesota Orchestra opens its season Sept. 18-19 with all the classics, as well as movie scores such as “Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back” in Concert (Sept. 30, Oct. 3-4), “The Goonies” in Concert (Oct. 24) and a concert with Minneapolis’ own rap star, Dessa (Nov. 7).

For more arts, culture and entertainment in Minneapolis, check out our top things to do this fall.