Things To Do

A BIPOC Market is open at Union Depot in St. Paul on Sept. 17, 2023.

It’s getting spooky at the Mall of America. The crew behind American Monsters has created a brand new, one-of-a-kind haunted attraction at the mall. It’s located on level 2 in the former vaccination site. The story-driven haunt is called Onionhead’s Revenge. It’s based off a Louisiana folktale so the area has been transformed into the bayou. There are different levels of tickets and experiences within the attraction. It opens Friday, Sept. 15 and will run through Halloween. It’s a no-touch experience but it’s still quite spooky so its recommended that kids be 10 and up.

Pickleball gyms are popping up all over the metro, but a new one in Maple Grove is serving up more than just aces. Pints & Paddle has plenty of courts to play, but there’s also a large restaurant and taproom. The Kitchen has an extensive menu including hot-honey cheese curds and sticky ribs, more than four dozen self-serve taps with plenty of beer, cider, wine, cocktail and mocktail options. The pickleball courts open at 6 a.m. daily. It’s located at 15450 Grove Circle N, Maple Grove.

The Glass Pumpkin Patch event is back at the University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. This year, a dozen award-winning glass artists have hand-blown 5,000 pumpkins and placed them in the gardens in and around the Snyder Building. The weekend event will include free glass-blowing demonstrations and opportunities to chat with the artists. The event runs from Sept. 15-17. All the pumpkins are for sale. Tickets to the Arb must be purchased ahead of time. The pumpkin patch experience is included in general admission tickets.

At Fawkes Alley Coffee in Loring Park, 100% of the profits will go right back to the community’s youth; more specifically, the Futsal Society. Futsal is an alternative to club soccer for kids and families who can’t afford the costs of club sports. The profits from the coffee shop will help sustain the organization and its growth across the Twin Cities. Fawkes Alley even employs the teens who play in the league. The shop is open daily from 8am to 4pm and serves Groundwire Coffee out of Northfield, plus fresh pastries. It’s located at 1621 Harmon Place in Minneapolis.

Fall destinations are opening for the season and an orchard just south of Jordan was recently named Best Apple Orchard in Minnesota. Ferguson’s Minnesota Harvest came under new ownership last year. The Ferguson family has added several new attractions and upgrades. There’s apple picking, a corn maze, jumping pads, a cow train, apple launchers, a pumpkin patch plus a café and Cider Barn for adults. Ferguson’s Minnesota Harvest is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. until Nov. 5t It’s located at 8251 Old Highway 169 Blvd.

Anoka is launching the first "social district" in Minnesota on Wednesday, allowing patrons to buy and drink alcohol in public, but only in designated areas.

Minnesota’s prairie is dwindling and every year hundreds of volunteers help collect wildflower seed that’s used to restore thousands of acres of prairie managed by Three Rivers Park District. They host events all across the metro through October. They train each attendee to identify plants while also learning about the history of Minnesota’s prairies. A reservation is required to attend the events.