DULUTH — You can't get much farther from "a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away" than "this Saturday, right here in Duluth," and yet, here we are.
Anangong Miigaading
A new dub of the original "Star Wars" — subtitled "A New Hope" — has George Lucas' iconic characters saving the galaxy while speaking the Ojibwe language.
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The project enlisted several actors from the region, including Ajuawak Kapashesit, who grew up in White Earth and Detroit Lakes. Kapashesit, who voices Han Solo, will be at Zeitgeist on Saturday night for an interview preceding a screening of the new dub. Presented by the Duluth Public Library, the event is free but capacity is limited (duluthlibrary.org).
Mac-tinis at the Sheraton
The Sheraton Duluth Hotel is ready to surprise you. Did you know it's one of only five Sheratons across the country hosting in-person meetings for Reese's Book Club? Did you know it's a music venue? Did you know it's having a mac-tini happy hour this week?
Yes, that's macaroni and cheese in a martini glass. Dennis Johnson, the Sheraton's food and beverage manager, borrowed an idea from a West Coast event he attended and served mashed potatoes in martini glasses for one of the Sheraton's regular "Gatherings" events last month. "It was a huge success," Johnson told the News Tribune, "so we decided to kind of make that our thing and do different 'tini' things." (Next month: mousse-tinis and taco-tinis.)
The Sheraton is debuting its "mac-tini" at a free Gatherings event on Thursday. Attendees can add toppings from a bar of selections. Good news for those observing Dry-uary: unlike most things served in martini glasses, the mac-tinis contain no alcohol (marriott.com).
Blended Fibers
On Friday, Bent Paddle Brewing is hosting the season's most glamorous fiber art meet-up. Blended Fibers is an event featuring textile art by Shea Schachameyer; a "poetry invitational" presented by Jess Morgan; and live music sets from NVR TGTHR and Sadkin. According to the event description, "We're blending together community, love, expression, collective experiences, and historic activism through fiber art, and pouring it all out on the dancefloor."
Count on Bent Paddle's resident audio engineer Kristi Olson to adjust for the presence of all that love-exuding, sound-absorbing fiber (bentpaddlebrewing.com).
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AICHO Valentine's market
Don't put that Valentine's Day gift off until the last minute: Duluth's American Indian Community Housing Organization is hosting a "love-themed" market, Zaagi’idiwin Tour, on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. "Creative and original love-themed gifts" will be available from 20 Indigenous and BIPOC vendors, with live music by Laura Hugo and James Harvin as a soundtrack.
You can also put your love to the test in a potato round dance competition, where pairs of dancers try to keep potatoes held between their foreheads while they move. There will be prizes, just in case you need a little extra motivation to stay in sync (aicho.org).
Jo Koy
Don't judge Jo Koy by last year's Golden Globes. Check out his Netflix specials for expletive-laden takes on subjects like energy vampires, parenting and the challenges of aging gracefully. If your funny bone is tickled, you can check him out live at Symphony Hall on Saturday night.
As the stand-up comic puts it, "Humans love to hang out with other humans that are having a good time. It's infectious! It's euphoric! The only way to get it is through laughter. That's why I tell people: Laugh! It's free!" (Pause.) "Not tonight ..." (decc.org)
Duluth Does Bowie
Few artists better lend themselves to a multi-artist tribute concert than David Bowie, who in a sense was many different artists over the course of his famously varied career.
When Misisipi Mike Wolf hosts the latest Sacred Heart Music Center tribute hootenanny on Saturday night, who will be Ziggy Stardust? Who will be Aladdin Sane? The Thin White Duke? Max Mileski's busy in Minneapolis that night, so he's out as Pierrot ... maybe a surprise appearance by Charlie Parr? As always, when Bowie's name is invoked, expect the unexpected (sacredheartmusic.org).
The Trust Project
