Mill City Museum’s newest attraction, the film “Minneapolis in 19 Minutes Flat,” debuts Oct. 13 with a special homecoming party celebrating the heart of the city. Sample cuisine from Minneapolis’ diverse cultures and see performances by a who’s who of the local arts community, including music by Martin Zellar and the Hardways and Unknown Prophets, sketch comedy from Fringe Festival favorites Joseph Scrimshaw and Tim Uren, and appearances by local humorist Kevin Kling and Mayor R.T. Rybak.
The film is a whirlwind tour of the city narrated by Kling, who wrote and stars in it, showing how we harnessed a waterfall, survived grain explosions, built skyscrapers and skyways, danced to polkas, punk and Prince, won the World Series and along the way, ate a lot of sauerkraut. Purchase tickets for the event online or by phone at 612-341-7555. Or, if you can’t make the opening celebration, see the film during Mill City Museum’s regular hours.
Don’t miss your opportunity to be featured in an upcoming History Center exhibit! The “MN150” project seeks nominations from the public on the most significant events, people or places from Minnesota’s history. Nominate your choice online or by phone at 651-297-7955 by Oct. 1. A brief profile of each successful nominator, along with excerpts from the submissions, will be included in the exhibit, which opens in late 2007.
 The Minnesota History Center presents “Dark Nights: When Theater Illuminates History,” an innovative new series that combines the riches of Minnesota history and culture with the creative excitement of great theater. Held on Monday nights – the traditional “dark nights” in theaters – the four October programs include original monologues inspired by Society collections, five new plays that turn history on its head, a discussion among artists from the the Mixed Blood Theater, Theater de la Jeune Lune, Theater Mu and Theater Latté Da about why there is so much good theatre in the North Star State, and a revealing conversation with playwright Kevin Kling about why Minnesota is his muse. Purchase tickets online or by phone at 651-259-3015. Sponsored by the Minnesota History Center and the Playwrights' Center.
 The popular History Forum lectures returns to the History Center this October with a focus on “The United States’ Struggle with Freedom.” The series is selling out quickly so register online today or by phone at 651-259-3015.
The series is made possible by the Charles A Lindbergh Memorial Fund through the Charles A. Weyerhaeuser Foundation and by the Maurice Stans Fund.
On Oct. 8, amateur and professional filmmakers will vie for $10,500 in cash prizes at the History Center’s first annual “Moving Pictures Film Festival.” Come watch free screenings of the short films (10 minutes or less) exploring the lives and legacies of Minnesota’s Greatest Generation from noon to 3 p.m. Enjoy live music and children’s activities throughout the day and stay for the awards ceremony from 3 to 5 p.m. to see if your favorite film wins.
From 1 to 2:30 p.m., aspiring filmmakers can attend workshops to meet experts, find resources and register for next year’s competition.
Film and other media were an essential diversion for young people in the 1930s, often considered the golden age of cinema. From 1:30 to 3 p.m., author and professor Kriste Lindenmeyer presents the Legacy Forum, “The Greatest Generation Grows Up,” discussing 1930s American childhood and popular culture. Tickets are required for the lecture; purchase online or by phone at 651-259-3015.
 2006 marks the anniversary of two key events in preservation: the 100th anniversary of the 1906 Antiquities Act, the nation’s first national preservation legislation, and the 40th anniversary of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, which established the National Register of Historic Places. Celebrate these important milestones at “Past Meets Future: Preservation for the 21st Century,” the 27th Annual Statewide Historic Preservation Conference, held Sept. 27-29 in Red Wing. See the conference agenda and register online.
Says exhibit developer Kate Roberts, “This image, filled with the warmth of a late-summer day, is a good one to keep in mind as cooler weather approaches. I’ve looked at this photo (taken at the 1934 Minnesota State Fair) many times over the years, and it always raises questions that draw me in. Were the boys’ matching caps and overalls purchased for the Fair? Are the three related? And what was going on outside the camera’s view that prompted such priceless grins?” Browse more than 117,000 historic images from the Society's collections.
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