After a day of art shopping along the Minnesota River Valley, Meander goers will have a variety of evening entertainment options to choose from on Friday, October 4 and Saturday, October 5. On those evenings, the Meander Upper Minnesota River Art Crawl will feature the 4th annual “Light up the River” event in Granite Falls, a local foods-centered Meet-Up event in Montevideo and a special Indie Roots Fusion concert in Dawson. A full list of these events and other information can be found at artsmeander.com. To obtain a free paper copy of the brochure, call 1-866-866-5432 or request one from the website. Interested arts tourists can also visit the Meander Facebook page – facebook.com/MeanderArtCrawl – for more details.
The Light up the River Celebration for Friday, October 4 kicks off at 6 p.m. in downtown Granite Falls with a music and drinks party on the historic footbridge over the Minnesota River featuring the music of Damen Tesch and Mike Gill.
At 7:30 p.m. the event moves to the Granite Falls American Legion for an original comedy show performed by local actors entitled “A Granite Falls Home Companion.” The evening closes out from 9 -11 p.m. with the “Get Lit” party with DJ Miles Taylor at Bluenose Gopher Public House. All events are free and open to the public. For up-to-the-minute information on this event see the Meander Friday Night in Granite Falls Facebook page.
Also on Friday night October 4, the Montevideo Convention & Visitors Bureau is teaming up with Talking Waters Brewery, Java River Coffeeshop and the Land Stewardship Project to host a “Monte Meet-Up” event from 6 to 9 p.m. at the south end of Main Street in Montevideo. A farmers market will be held (vendors welcome) along with a musical jam with Clark Machtemes of Traveled Ground, Richard Handeen and other guests. The event will feature locally brewed Talking Waters beer, brisket and vegetarian chili from the Java River grill. For more information call (320) 269-5527 or email generalinfo@montechamber.com.
On Saturday night October 5 at 7:00 p.m. the Dawson-Boyd Arts Association is sponsoring a special concert by the roots fusion band Jojo Green Based in St. Paul, JoJo Green combines Americana styles including Funk, Soul, Jazz, Country and Rock. With strong influences from Motown, Muscle Shoals, and The Summer of Love, JoJo Green gives a nostalgic feeling to a sound that is easy on the ears and makes you want to move. Admission is $20 for adults and $5 for students. Tickets for the concert are available online or through the box office at 320-312-2311. Concert tickets will also be available at the door. The performance will be held at Memorial Auditorium, located on the west side of the Dawson-Boyd School building at 601 9th Street, Dawson.
The Meander is organized by the Upper Minnesota Valley Regional Development Commission (UMVRDC). The UMVRDC works with local governments and helps implement programs in the region that stretch across city and county boundaries. Started in 2004 by a collective of local artists to spur economic development and showcase the region’s arts scene, the Meander draws more than 2500 visitors each year to Chippewa, Big Stone, Swift, Yellow Medicine, and Lac qui Parle Counties. Its name originates both from the region’s many rivers— and from the fact that the local and national attendees are encouraged to spend the weekend meandering from studio to studio with family and friends.