🏆 Where to watch the World Cup

World Cup Watch Parties

I don’t know ball, but I do know where you can celebrate and watch with other fans. In terms of the game itself, I predict I’ll have at least 10% more soccer knowledge by the end of the World Cup. Got a suggestion? Reply to this email and add to the list!

• Weeknight hang: Black Hart bar may be “the only queer soccer bar on the planet” and it’s a great place to catch every match. During the World Cup they’re running a passport program; $15 gets you $1 off Fulton, Paulaner, Indeed, and Absolut and Jameson drinks, plus no cover on show nights (minus Pride weekend), and every stamp gets you an entry into their prize drawings. A portion of the passport proceeds goes toward the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Coalition.
• Family-friendly: If you want to (safely) unleash your children into the outdoors, catch the matches at North Loop Green or Utepils Brewing’s Beer Garden. For the ultimate fútbol experience, La Dona Cerveceria has a mini soccer field on their patio. Pro-tip: get the buffalo wings.
• Festivities: Sports media org Vida y Deportes is hosting the World Cup Street Fair at Utepils on July 4. Celebrations at El Nuevo Campo, a soccer field and plaza on Lake Street, will be in full swing until June 27. Some games will be streamed in Spanish and you can watch local films in the downtime.

Private school drama: The Star Tribune’s Eva Herscowitz has a wild story on numerous scandals at St. Paul Academy and Summit School. Parents are outraged at a (now “softened”) clause in the enrollment contract that would allow the school to dismiss students if they (or their families) spoke badly about the private school. Oh, and parents would still have to pay tuition. At the center of the turmoil is Head of School Luis Ottley, who is being scrutinized for how he handled reports that male students were circulating a list ranking the appearances of the female students. [Star Tribune]

“Decrease deaths”: Minneapolis and Hennepin County are trying a new way to handle “Gone On Arrival” cases. In police parlance, a GOA happens when police receive a report of domestic violence but the suspect has disappeared by the time the cops arrive. Officials are putting $250,000 toward a new job at the County Attorney’s Office that would provide services to victims following a GOA case. According to MinnPost’s reporting, advocacy for victims of crimes overall is cash-strapped due to reduced federal funding. [MinnPost]

Cottagecore: The new Acorn Bookshop in St. Paul’s Milton Square looks absolutely precious, and the store carries mostly women authors. Inside is a small white house the owner got off of Facebook Marketplace, which serves as a reading nook for kids. The latest bookstore replaces Micawber’s Books. [MSP Mag]

Now open: Chef Sean Sherman’s latest venture, Indígena, opened on Tuesday. The menu sounds mouthwatering, and carefully planned in pursuit of decolonizing food. For example, their beverage director tells MPR News they’re trying to make cocktails from Indigenous ingredients only, while navigating the harms of alcohol and the post-colonial practice of distilling. [MPR News]

In the sky, at the scene: It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s … a St. Paul Police Department drone? SPPD now has three docked drones on the rooftops of police and fire stations, which are reportedly being used to scope the scene faster than officers arriving via car. Privacy advocates are calling on city policymakers to add more guardrails around these “drones as first responders” programs. [Pioneer Press]

Wednesday, June 24

• 🆓 Free Coffee Courtesy of City Cast | Pilllar Forum
• 🆓 2026 Wedge LIVE Cat Tour | Wedge Neighborhood
• 🎷 Lasse Corson and His Friends from Kansas City | Berlin
• 😂 Advice Column Comedy | Sisyphus Brewing
• 🎼 Amir ElSaffar & Lorenzo Bianchi Hoesch: Inner Spaces | The Cedar Cultural Center
• 🏳️‍🌈 Queers Crush Comedy | Black Hart of Saint Paul
• 🎸 Kim Gordon with The Fiery Furnaces | First Avenue

Thursday, June 25

• 🆓 Music on the Cortile: Obi Original | Landmark Center
• 🆓 City Cast LIVE Podcast Taping (FREE COFFEE!) | Pilllar Forum
• 🆓 Sunsetmaxxing: Party on the Terrace | Walker Art Center
• 🆓 Lynnhurst Porchfest | Lynnhurst Neighborhood
• 🥁 L.A. Buckner & BiG HOMiE: Single Release Party | Dakota
• 🎭 Insane Animals (American Premiere) | Elision Playhouse
• 🎬 Kinky Boots (with pre-movie burlesque) | Parkway Theater
• 🏳️‍🌈 Voilà! A Drag Cabaret | Volstead's Uptown
• 🆓 Pride in Concert (with Keep for Cheap) | Minneapolis Institute of Art

• Executive Director at Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority | $200k – $230k per year
• Director of Development at NECHAMA – Jewish Response to Disaster | $115k – $130k per year
• Finance Manager/Director at Sabathani Community Center | $75k – $100k per year
• Finance Director at Hallie Q. Brown Community Center | $75k – $80k per year (PT)
• St. Paul Dairy Unit Manager at University of Minnesota | $33.50 per hour