City Cast Twin Cities

🖼️ Uptown Art Fair, Flavor Fest, and Mpls Vintage Market

August 6, 2026 · — Adam

Hi, Twin Cities! It’s Adam today. The weather has been feeling just right for some outdoor festivals this weekend – Young The Giant and Cold War Kids are playing at Surly Festival Field tonight, the Uptown Art Fair is returning to Lake of the Isles this weekend, Flavor Fest is showcasing some of the best local talent in the Twin Cities at Indeed Brewing on Saturday, and the Minneapolis Vintage Market is taking over Utepils Brewing on Sunday.

Keep reading for more great Twin Cities events! ⬇️

What the Cities Are Talking About

Camera carnage: Many cities in Minnesota are seeing an uptick in vandalism against Flock automated license plate reader cameras, which have the ability to track you everywhere you go and are used by law enforcement to locate vehicles and capture evidence. The police department in Winona recently discovered that all eight of their Flock cameras had been cut down and stolen. Crowdsourced map Deflock lists around 1,000 ALPR cameras in the Twin Cities metro area. [MPR News]

Your primary prep: Minnesota's primary is next Tuesday, and we're interviewing every candidate who will talk to us before then. Today's episode features Hennepin County Attorney candidate Hao Nguyen. Monday, we'll hear from his opponent Cedrick Frazier, plus U.S. Senate candidate Rep. Angie Craig. [🎧 City Cast Twin Cities]

Displaced: As St. Paul city officials began sweeping the homeless encampment at Pig's Eye Park yesterday, many residents reportedly moved to other nearby encampments. Elected officials and volunteer groups were on the ground asking for help to move residents and their belongings to other camps. The city of St. Paul plans to sweep more camps sometime before winter, though it is still unclear where residents are expected to go. [Star Tribune / Sahan Journal]

Skyline of skyscrapers, with river and trees in foreground on a winter day — Minneapolis and St. Paul are both facing major budget gaps for 2027. (Adam Sage / City Cast Twin Cities)

Layoffs and tax hikes? Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey is expected to propose laying off more than 100 city employees to help close a $33 million budget gap for 2027, though residents could still see a property tax increase of more than 10%. The city is currently in contract negotiations with the Minneapolis Police Department, and Board of Estimation and Taxation member Eric Harris Bernstein warned against cutting other city services to fund police budget overruns. [Star Tribune]

Burgers, walleye, and UFOs: Bill's Bait Shop will open its doors in South Minneapolis tomorrow to serve up fried walleye, thick burgers, po' boys, and a full bar at the former location of Chicago's Taste Authority. The gastropub is an ode to Minnesota's northwoods and to restaurateur Jami Olson's grandpa Bill, who loved fishing and claimed to have once seen a UFO hovering over his northern Minnesota farm. [MSP Magazine]

Do You Know Minnesota Sports?

View of sports stadium from the stands, with people playing soccer on field and large scoreboard lit up — The Minnesota Aurora scored two goals in less than 10 minutes after I took this photo. Sioux Falls City didn't stand a chance! *(Adam Sage / City Cast Twin Cities)*

What do you know about Minnesota Sports?

The Lynx have the best record in the WNBA, the Twins might make it to the postseason, and the Vikings are deciding on a quarterback. Let’s dig into some Minnesota sports.