Arts and Entertainment

Spring Break at the YMCA - Do you want your kids to have some fun and stay busy during spring break?  Join us at the Y.  Enroll for a fun-filled day of trips, games, sports, friends, crafts and more.  Join us for one day or all week. No added fees and low youth to counselor ratios.  School's Out Days are for kids ages 5-11. 

We have so much fun planned:  Edinborough Park, Swimming, Carnival Activities, Zombie Stories, Games in the Park, the RAD Zoo, and lots of crafts and art time.  It is going to be an awesome week with friends. 

Themes for Spring Break: 

March 21 - Carnival Fun 

March 22 - Super Slime 

March 23 - Animal Safari

March 24 - Zombies

March 25 - Planes, Trains and Automobiles 

March 28 - Flower Power 

Y Members:  $30 per day (no added costs or fees) 

The Northfield Arts Guild hosts their annual Imagination Celebration, a free day of art and performances, on Saturday, April 2 from 10:00am-2:00pm. This community event will feature gallery exhibitions, mini-performances, and dance, theater and art workshops.

The public is invited to attend the Painted Violin Project Open House on Saturday, March 12 from 1-4pm at Hot Spot Music located at 801 Division Street S.  

The Painted Violin Project is a fundraiser to benefit the Northfield Public School orchestra program.  This exciting project has transformed 7 old, unplayable string instruments whose melodic lives have come to an end by pairing them with 7 creative, talented local artists who have turned them into beautiful works of art. 

Registration is now open for your kids' BEST SUMMER EVER! With many day camp options from which to choose, from 1/2 day wee camp to full-day Y Navigator camp, there are options for kids ages 3-14. There are plenty of new and exciting camp themes, field trips, a new Camp Readers program, awesome new teen camp options, and more to keep your kids active and healthy all summer long. Register for one week or all summer long, with the option to attend 3, 4, or 5 days a week (for Y Navigator, all-day camp program). Sign up for Y Navigator camp before April 15 and save up to $120! For more information, or to register online, visit www.ymcanorthfield.org or call 507.645.0088, and say HELLO to summer!

You are invited to Poetry Night at Content Bookstore on Thursday, March 3, featuring the winners of the Arcadia Charter School Poetry Out Loud Competition and the TORCH Poetry Slam. The event starts at 7pm at Content Bookstore (314 Division St. S). This will be the sixth in a series of monthly poetry readings at Content. 

Teens in grades 6-12!  Curious about what it would be like to be on the radio? Interested in learning about voice-over work for commercials or animated films? Do you love history? Do you love great comedy? This is the show for you!  

The Northfield Arts Guild announces auditions for the Project Purple Door production of You Can’t Take It with You, the radio play. Auditions are open to students in grades 6 to 12.Auditions will be held THIS WEEKEND: Sunday, February 28 from 2:00-3:30pm and Monday, February 29 from 4:00-5:30pm at the Northfield Arts Guild Theater, 411 W. Third Street, Northfield. Call the Northfield Arts Guild at 507-645-8877 or email Rachel.purpledooryouththeater@gmail.com to schedule a 30 minute audition in one of these time frames. Students do not need to prepare anything in advance.

Have you been thinking about submitting an entry to this year's Arts and Culture Commission (ACC)-sponsored Sidewalk Poetry contest?  Well, there's still time! Let this be the year you Make Your Mark in Northfield's sidewalks!  Important contest guidelines are available on the ACC page of the City of Northfield website. Submissions are due by 6 pm on Monday, February 29th, at the interim Library location at City Hall (801 Washington St.).  Judging will take place in March, with winners being announced at the start of National Poetry Month in April.

Purple Door Youth Theater, an educational branch of the Northfield Arts Guild Theater, presents Robin Hood, a play for young audiences, by Greg Banks.  This classic tale of good versus evil plays for one weekend only:  Friday, February 19 and Saturday, February 20 at 7:30pm, and Sunday, February 21 at 2:00pm.  The Northfield Arts Guild Theater is located at 411 West Third Street in Northfield.

Robin Hood and his merry band rob from the dishonest to give to those in need.  They have a little fun confusing the nasty Prince John and the even more evil Sherriff of Nottingham. Indeed this classic story of resiliency, compassion and heroism is told with an easygoing and humorous twist that both children and adults will love.

The St. Olaf Folk School presents a spoon carving class taught by artist Jim Sannerud. Learn to carve spoons in the Nordic tradition. The two-day workshop takes place Valentine's weekend, February 13–14, from 9am till 4pm in the Flaten Art Barn at St. Olaf College.

Registration is now open for anyone age 11 and over; no experience necessary. Tuition is $180, and enrollment is limited to ten students. Register online.

YMCA Dance-A-Thon (12 hours of dancing - get a team together!)

Do you love to dance?  We have the perfect event for you!  Dance the night away for a great cause at the Y!  We will have refreshments and drawings for prizes throughout the night.  Grab a few friends to make a team and take turns dancing!  All proceeds will go towards race and culture education in the Northfield Y’s Child Watch.  Don’t miss out, sign up today and join us!

Dance the night away for a good cause! Grab your friends to make a team and take on the challenge of 12 hours of dancing, music, food, prizes and fun! All proceeds go to implementing race & culture education in Northfield Y’s Child Watch.

The Arts and Culture Commission of the City of Northfield is pleased to announce Jan Shoger as the recipient of its 2016 Living Treasure Award.  The award annually honors a Northfield area resident who makes an outstanding and lasting contribution to the city's identity and quality life through and behalf of the arts and culture. Shoger will officially receive the award, presented by Mayor Dana Graham, on Thursday, January 28th at 7 pm at Northfield's Grand Event Center.  The public is cordially invited to attend.

Make No Noise ~ The Story of a Skatepark chronicles the 17-year long struggle of skateboarders in Northfield  to secure a permanent place for their sport. Shot in collaboration with members of the Northfield Skateboard Coalition, the film is a testament to young people's resilience and perseverance as well as an examination of the victories and failures of the democratic process in small town America. There will be a Q&A session following the screening with the filmmaker Cecilia Cornejo and members of the Coalition.

The public is invitvited to this exciting event at no charge. The screening will be at 7:00 p.m.in the Cinema at Carleton's Weitz Center, 3rd Street East. 

This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Southeastern Minnesota Arts Council thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts & cultural heritage fund

Northfield's Arts and Culture Commission invites the public to a special event marking the start of the 2016 Sidewalk Poetry Competition.  Attendees are invited to bring a favorite short poem to share with the audience.  Winners of the 2015 competition will be featured reading their winning entries (or favorite poems from their collections) at a Kick-off event on Saturday, January 30th at 2 pm at Con