If you’re traveling to downtown St. Paul to see the newly crowned King Boreas and the royal family or to watch the Vulcans overthrow the king, make sure to add plenty of non-Winter Carnival stops to your itinerary. Here are some suggestions for visitors who’d like to check out some arty activities while in town.
District Energy St. Paul
Yes, we’re telling you to visit an energy plant, but for reasons you might not expect. The Plume Project debuts its newest light show outside on District Energy’s steam plume during the Winter Carnival. The Plume Coloring Contest, led by Asia Ward, features images created by local residents based on the topic “Positive Energy.” These images will be projected onto the steam plume from 5:30 to 9 nightly during the carnival. 76 W. Kellogg Blvd.; free.
History Theatre
During the Winter Carnival run, the History Theatre opens “George Bonga: Black Voyageur” on Feb. 6. Written by Carlyle Brown and directed by Marion McClinton, the play tells the story of Boundary Waters voyageur George Bonga (played by James A. Williams ) and his search for a fugitive Ojibwe warrior accused of murdering a white man. Runs through Feb. 28;
30 E. 10th St.; $38-$15; 651-292-4323.
Landmark Center
While the Landmark Center plays host to official Winter Carnival events, including a jigsaw puzzle contest and film festival, don’t forget to explore the historic building’s other offerings, including Sundays at Landmark events along with the American Association of Wood-turners Gallery, Landmark Gallery, Schubert Club Museum and the Ramsey County Historical Society Gallery.
75 W. Fifth St.; 651-292-3225.
Lowertown St. Paul
Sure there are tons of places to eat and drink in Lowertown during your Winter Carnival visit, but don’t forget about the art. You could stop by the AZ Gallery to check out its latest exhibit “Flora: Botanical Art” (artists’ reception, 6-9 p.m. Feb. 5; 308 Prince St.) or drop by the Show Gallery Lowertown (253 E. Fourth St.) for it’s latest exhibit “Co-Lab” (closing Jan. 31). If you really want to get a feel for Lowertown’s art community, stop by its First Friday celebration (6-9 p.m. Feb. 5) to tour artists’ studios, listen to live music, watch dance performances and shop for new art.
Minnesota Children’s Museum
While the museum is in the midst of an expansion, there’s still fun to be had. Kids can explore a medieval village, check out Minnesota environments and play at water tables. “Very Eric Carle:
A Very Hungry, Quiet, Lonely, Clumsy, Busy Exhibit” opens on Feb. 6.
10 W. Seventh St., $9.95; 651-225-6000.
Minnesota History Center
Get a fun dose of Minnesota History by exploring the Minnesota History Center’s featured exhibits, including “Suburbia,” “Then Now Wow,” “Minnesota’s Greatest Generation,” “Open House,” “Weather Permitting” and “Grainland.” 345 Kellogg Blvd.; $12-$6 (free for children 4 and under and on Tuesdays from 5-8 p.m.); 651-259-3000.
Minnesota Museum of American Art Project Space
Coinciding with the Guerrilla Girls Twin Cities Takeover, the Minnesota Museum of American Art is hosting “Material Mythologies” in its Project Space. The show features contemporary craft and sculpture by five artists, including Stillwater’s Mary Giles along with Sonya Clark (of Richmond, Va.), Teri Greeves (Santa Fe, N.M.), Helen Lee (Madison, Wis.) and Jae Won Lee (East Lansing, Mich.). Runs through April 3. MMAA Project Space, 141 E. Fourth St., St. Paul; free; 651-797-2571.
Park Square Theatre
At Park Square, you can see Charles Dickens’ classic coming-of-age tale “Great Expectations” directed by Joel Sass and starring Ryan Colbert as Pip. Runs through Feb. 7. 20 W. Seventh Place; 651-291-7005.
Ordway Center for the Performing Arts
The Ordway plays host to the Minnesota Opera’s production of “Rusalka,” where a beautiful water nymph (played by Kelly Kaduce) falls for a prince (played by Khachatur Badalyan) in this love story in which things don’t end up happily ever after. Runs through Jan. 31.
345 Washington St.; $200-$25; 612-333-6669.
Science Museum of Minnesota
Whether you’re interested in dinosaurs and fossils or the Mississippi River, the Science Museum of Minnesota has plenty of options for all ages. Bonus:
It’s currently Omnifest 2016, the Omnitheater’s annual giant screen film festival, featuring five films: “Jerusalem,” “Tropical Rainforest,” “Forces of Nature,” “Mysteries of the Great Lakes” and “Humpback Whales.” 120 W. Kellogg Blvd.; $20-$10; 651-221-9444.
Union Depot
The recently renovated historic depot will hold a Doggie Depot (Feb. 6) as part of the St. Paul Winter Carnival. But don’t wait until then to stop by. The depot offers free activities, including tours (11 a.m.-noon, Feb. 2), yoga classes (noon Tuesdays and 9 a.m. Saturdays) and Games Galore (10 a.m.-8 p.m. Wednesdays), when folks of all ages are invited to play giant-size versions of games or bring along their favorite games to play. 214 E. Fourth St.; 651-202-2700 or uniondepot.org.
Copyright 2016 Pioneer Press.
Xcel Energy Center
The X hosts the North Star College Cup, featuring hockey teams from University of Minnesota, Bemidji State, Minnesota State and St. Cloud State (Jan. 30-31; $80-$54) and the World’s Toughest Rodeo (Feb. 5-6; $82-$18). 199 W. Kellogg Blvd.; 651-265-4800.
Copyright 2016 Pioneer Press.