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X-WR-CALDESC:Events for The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261107T103000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261107T113000
DTSTAMP:20260826T194835Z
CREATED:20260714T202406Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260826T194835Z
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SUMMARY:Moving Words: Writers Across Minnesota
DESCRIPTION:Saturday\, November 7 | 10:30 a.m.\nWadena City Library\n210 1st St SW\, Wadena \nEnjoy a lively discussion with three Minnesota authors: C.M. Alongi\, Jacqueline West\, and Patricia C. Wrede. Moving Words is an opportunity for writers and readers to explore various themes together: the impact of literature in their lives\, their connection as fellow Minnesotans\, and the lens through which we read. \nMoving Words is a program of The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library as the Library of Congress-designated Minnesota Center for the Book. This program is made possible in part by the State of Minnesota through an appropriation to the Minnesota Department of Education\, The Harlan Boss Foundation for the Arts\, and the generous support of Bernadette and Jeffrey Janisch.
URL:https://thefriends.org/event/moving-words-writers-across-minnesota-6/
LOCATION:Wadena City Library\, 210 1st St SW\, Wadena\, MN\, 56482\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thefriends.org/wp-content/uploads/Web-Authors-11.9.26.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261029T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261029T190000
DTSTAMP:20260826T194338Z
CREATED:20260623T180931Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260826T194338Z
UID:41733-1793296800-1793300400@thefriends.org
SUMMARY:Moving Words: Writers Across Minnesota
DESCRIPTION:Thursday\, October 29th 6:00 p.m.\nMorris Public Library\n102 E 6th St\, Morris\, MN 56267 \nEnjoy a lively discussion with three Minnesota authors: Deborah Jiang-Stein\, Hampton Smith\, and Jason Walz. Moving Words is an opportunity for writers and readers to explore various themes together: the impact of literature in their lives\, their connection as fellow Minnesotans\, and the lens through which we read. \nMoving Words is a program of The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library as the Library of Congress-designated Minnesota Center for the Book. This program is made possible in part by the State of Minnesota through an appropriation to the Minnesota Department of Education\, The Harlan Boss Foundation for the Arts\, and the generous support of Bernadette and Jeffrey Janisch.
URL:https://thefriends.org/event/moving-words-writers-across-minnesota-3/
LOCATION:Morris Public Library\, 102 E 6th St\, Morris\, MN\, 56267\, United States
ORGANIZER;CN="Wendy Werdin":MAILTO:wendyw@thefriends.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261027T173000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261027T183000
DTSTAMP:20260826T195141Z
CREATED:20260623T175644Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260826T195141Z
UID:41726-1793122200-1793125800@thefriends.org
SUMMARY:Moving Words: Writers Across Minnesota
DESCRIPTION:Tuesday\, October 27 | 5:30 p.m.\nJackson County Library\n311 3rd St.\, Jackson\, MN 56143  \nEnjoy a lively discussion with three Minnesota authors: H.M. Bouwman\, Mary Logue\, and Kelly Foster Lundquist. Moving Words is an opportunity for writers and readers to explore various themes together: the impact of literature in their lives\, their connection as fellow Minnesotans\, and the lens through which we read. \nMoving Words is a program of The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library as the Library of Congress-designated Minnesota Center for the Book. This program is made possible in part by the State of Minnesota through an appropriation to the Minnesota Department of Education\, The Harlan Boss Foundation for the Arts\, and the generous support of Bernadette and Jeffrey Janisch.
URL:https://thefriends.org/event/moving-words-writers-across-minnesota-2/
LOCATION:Jackson County Library\, 311 3rd St\, Jackson\, MN\, 56143\, United States
ORGANIZER;CN="Wendy Werdin":MAILTO:wendyw@thefriends.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261020T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261020T200000
DTSTAMP:20261015T144225Z
CREATED:20261014T192857Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261015T144225Z
UID:47552-1792521000-1792526400@thefriends.org
SUMMARY:Books & Bars: "All the Sinners Bleed" by S.A. Cosby
DESCRIPTION:All the Sinners Bleed by S.A. Cosby \nTuesday\, October 20\n6:30 p.m. \nUrban Growler\n2325 Endicott St\, Saint Paul \nThis event is FREE and open to the public. \n— \nTitus Crown is the first Black sheriff in the history of Charon County\, Virginia. In recent decades\, quiet Charon has had only two murders. But after years of working as an FBI agent\, Titus knows better than anyone that while his hometown might seem like a land of moonshine\, cornbread\, and honeysuckle\, secrets always fester under the surface. \n— \nWith The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library\, moderator Jeff Kamin brings his unique take on a public book club show to Saint Paul. Even if you don’t like the featured book\, he “guarantees a good time at our entertaining discussions.” All are welcome to try this moderated reinvention of the book club.
URL:https://thefriends.org/event/books-bars-all-the-sinners-bleed-by-s-a-cosby-2/
LOCATION:Urban Growler\, 2325 Endicott Street\, Saint Paul\, MN
CATEGORIES:Books & Bars
ORGANIZER;CN="Alayne Hopkins":MAILTO:alayne@thefriends.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261015T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261015T193000
DTSTAMP:20260402T152212Z
CREATED:20260402T152152Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260402T152212Z
UID:41371-1792089000-1792092600@thefriends.org
SUMMARY:Fitzgerald in Saint Paul | Short Stories with Klecko
DESCRIPTION:Thursday\, October 15 | 6:30 p.m.\nMerriam Park Library\n1831 Marshall Avenue\, St. Paul \nExplore F. Scott Fitzgerald’s St. Paul stories in a casual environment with St. Paul and Fitzgerald enthusiast\, Klecko. Your host will take advantage of his eclectic network to shine a light on the present-day resonance of the themes in Fitzgerald’s short fiction. Special guests in October: Bill Keefe and Tom Cassidy. The story will be “Forging Ahead.” \n 
URL:https://thefriends.org/event/fitzgerald-in-saint-paul-short-stories-with-klecko/
LOCATION:Merriam Park Library\, 1831 Marshall Ave\, Saint Paul\, Minnesota\, 55104
CATEGORIES:Fitzgerald in Saint Paul
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thefriends.org/wp-content/uploads/Fitz_08-2023_d1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261014T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261014T200000
DTSTAMP:20261014T192626Z
CREATED:20261014T192626Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261014T192626Z
UID:47538-1792002600-1792008000@thefriends.org
SUMMARY:Books & Bars: "All the Sinners Bleed" by S.A. Cosby
DESCRIPTION:All the Sinners Bleed by S.A. Cosby \nWednesday\, October 14\n6:30 p.m. \nBroken Clock Brewing\n1712 Marshall St NE Suite 100\, Minneapolis\n \nThis event is FREE and open to the public. \n— \nTitus Crown is the first Black sheriff in the history of Charon County\, Virginia. In recent decades\, quiet Charon has had only two murders. But after years of working as an FBI agent\, Titus knows better than anyone that while his hometown might seem like a land of moonshine\, cornbread\, and honeysuckle\, secrets always fester under the surface. \n— \nWith The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library\, moderator Jeff Kamin brings his unique take on a public book club show to Saint Paul. Even if you don’t like the featured book\, he “guarantees a good time at our entertaining discussions.” All are welcome to try this moderated reinvention of the book club.
URL:https://thefriends.org/event/books-bars-all-the-sinners-bleed-by-s-a-cosby/
LOCATION:Broken Clock Brewing Cooperative\, 1712 Marshall St NE Suite 100\, Minneapolis\, 55413\, United States
CATEGORIES:Books & Bars
ORGANIZER;CN="Alayne Hopkins":MAILTO:alayne@thefriends.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261011T170000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261011T210000
DTSTAMP:20260427T215449Z
CREATED:20260427T215449Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260427T215449Z
UID:41442-1791738000-1791752400@thefriends.org
SUMMARY:Opus & Olives: A Benefit with Friends
DESCRIPTION:Opus & Olives: A Benefit with Friends\nSunday\, October 11\, 2026\n5:00 p.m. Cocktail Reception | 6:15 p.m. Dinner and Author Presentations\nSaint Paul RiverCentre | 175 Kellogg Boulevard West\, Saint Paul\nLearn more here. \nOpus & Olives is not your average gala. This celebration includes national bestselling authors and hundreds of fellow readers\, all in support of The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library. When you join us for Opus & Olives\, you support early literacy and programs for children and families\, digital equity and economic inclusion\, and other lifelong learning opportunities for all of us. Your support is critical. And you just might have some fun\, too. \nAccessibility note: The event presentation will be projected onto large screens in the room with live captions. For RiverCentre accessibility information\, click here. \nAuthors will be announced and tickets will go on sale this summer!
URL:https://thefriends.org/event/opus-olives-a-benefit-with-friends/
LOCATION:Saint Paul RiverCentre\, 175 Kellogg Boulevard West\, Saint Paul
CATEGORIES:Author Event,Benefit
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thefriends.org/wp-content/uploads/Opus_2024_Email-Header_d1-1-1-scaled.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Liz Boyd":MAILTO:liz@thefriends.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260930T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260930T193000
DTSTAMP:20260902T170426Z
CREATED:20260902T170426Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260902T170426Z
UID:44711-1790791200-1790796600@thefriends.org
SUMMARY:More Than a Single Story: Still Here\, Together Through the Storm
DESCRIPTION:Wednesday\, September 30 | 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.\nRondo Community Library at Hallie Q. Brown Center\n270 Kent Street\, Saint Paul \nCouples from four Minnesota BIPOC communities will engage in rich\, nuanced reflections on family\, community\, and life during the last six years of upheaval; from the murder of George Floyd\, COVID\, and the recent ICE raids. Panelists include: Suleiman Adan\, Kahlil Permenter\, Felicia Permenter\, Mee Yang\, Sebastian See-Mua\, Tina Tavera\, and Xavier Tavera. \nModerated by: Makayla Overton & Jaquane Williams \nASL interpretation is available upon request with seven days’ notice. Contact info@thefriends.org or 651-222-3243.
URL:https://thefriends.org/event/more-than-a-single-story-still-here-together-through-the-storm/
LOCATION:Rondo Community Library at the Hallie Q. Brown Community Center\, 270 N Kent Street\, Saint Paul\, MN\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thefriends.org/wp-content/uploads/MTSS-web-image.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260924T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260924T190000
DTSTAMP:20260826T192125Z
CREATED:20260623T174105Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260826T192125Z
UID:41718-1790272800-1790276400@thefriends.org
SUMMARY:Moving Words: Writers Across Minnesota
DESCRIPTION:Thursday\, September 24 | 6:00 p.m.\nPark Rapids Area Library\n210 1st St W\, Park Rapids\, MN 56470 \nEnjoy a lively discussion with three Minnesota authors: Dave Hage\, Jess Lourey\, and Okwudili Nebeolisa. Moving Words is an opportunity for writers and readers to explore various themes together: the impact of literature in their lives\, their connection as fellow Minnesotans\, and the lens through which we read. \nMoving Words is a program of The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library as the Library of Congress-designated Minnesota Center for the Book. This program is made possible in part by the State of Minnesota through an appropriation to the Minnesota Department of Education\, The Harlan Boss Foundation\, and the generous support of Bernadette and Jeffrey Janisch.
URL:https://thefriends.org/event/moving-words-writers-across-minnesota/
LOCATION:Park Rapids Public Library\, 210 1st St W\, Park Rapids\, MN\, 56470\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thefriends.org/wp-content/uploads/Web-Authors-672x307-9.24.26-1.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Wendy Werdin":MAILTO:wendyw@thefriends.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260923T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260923T193000
DTSTAMP:20260902T165707Z
CREATED:20260902T165707Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260902T165707Z
UID:44706-1790186400-1790191800@thefriends.org
SUMMARY:McDermott Lecture 2026 with Dr. Alaina Doten
DESCRIPTION:  \n \nWednesday\, September 23 | 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.\nHamline Midway Library – Large Community Room\n1558 West Minnehaha Avenue\, Saint Paul \nAnd livestreamed online. Register here. \nJoin The Friends for the annual McDermott Lecture\, featuring Dr. Alaina Doten\, Executive Director of the Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald Museum in Montgomery\, Alabama. Dr. Doten earned her PhD in History and Art History from the University of Melbourne in Australia and also studied design and historic preservation in Japan at Ochanomizu University in Tokyo as a Monbusho Scholar. \nLivestream will be captioned. ASL interpretation is available upon request with at least seven days’ notice. Contact info@thefriends.org or 651-222-3243.
URL:https://thefriends.org/event/mcdermott-lecture-2026-with-dr-alaina-doten/
LOCATION:Hamline Midway Library\, 1558 W Minnehaha Ave\, Saint Paul\, 55104\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thefriends.org/wp-content/uploads/web-image.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260922T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260922T200000
DTSTAMP:20260727T175433Z
CREATED:20260727T175433Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260727T175433Z
UID:43591-1790101800-1790107200@thefriends.org
SUMMARY:Books & Bars: "My Friends" by Fredrik Backman
DESCRIPTION:My Friends by Fredrik Backman \nTuesday\, September 22\n6:30 p.m. \nUrban Growler\n2325 Endicott Street\, Saint Paul \nThis event is FREE and open to the public. \n— \nMost people don’t even notice them—three tiny figures sitting at the end of a long pier in the corner of one of the most famous paintings in the world. Most people think it’s just a depiction of the sea. But Louisa\, an aspiring artist herself\, knows otherwise\, and she is determined to find out the story of these three enigmatic figures. \n— \nWith The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library\, moderator Jeff Kamin brings his unique take on a public book club show to Saint Paul. Even if you don’t like the featured book\, he “guarantees a good time at our entertaining discussions.” All are welcome to try this moderated reinvention of the book club.
URL:https://thefriends.org/event/books-bars-my-friends-by-fredrik-backman-2/
LOCATION:Urban Growler\, 2325 Endicott Street\, Saint Paul\, MN
CATEGORIES:Books & Bars
ORGANIZER;CN="Alayne Hopkins":MAILTO:alayne@thefriends.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260918T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260918T193000
DTSTAMP:20260826T192933Z
CREATED:20260626T160140Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260826T192933Z
UID:41756-1789756200-1789759800@thefriends.org
SUMMARY:Moving Words: Writers Across Minnesota
DESCRIPTION:Friday\, September 18th 6:30 p.m.\nPaynesville Community Education & PACC\n801 Business 23 W.\, Paynesville\, MN 56362\nFree|Registration not required \nEnjoy a lively discussion with three Minnesota authors: Shannon Gibney\, Mary E. Roach\, and Varla Ventura. Moving Words is an opportunity for writers and readers to explore various themes together: the impact of literature in their lives\, their connection as fellow Minnesotans\, and the lens through which we read. \nMoving Words is a program of The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library as the Library of Congress-designated Minnesota Center for the Book. This program is made possible in part by the State of Minnesota through an appropriation to the Minnesota Department of Education\, The Harlan Boss Foundation for the Arts\, and the generous support of Bernadette and Jeffrey Janisch.
URL:https://thefriends.org/event/moving-words-writers-across-minnesota-5/
LOCATION:Paynesville Community Education & PACC\, 801 Business 23 W.\, Paynesville\, MN\, 56362\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thefriends.org/wp-content/uploads/Web-Authors-672x307-9.18.26.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260916T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260916T200000
DTSTAMP:20260727T175131Z
CREATED:20260727T175131Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260727T175131Z
UID:43586-1789583400-1789588800@thefriends.org
SUMMARY:Books & Bars: "My Friends" by Fredrik Backman
DESCRIPTION:My Friends by Fredrik Backman \nWednesday\, September 16\n6:30 p.m. \nBroken Clock Brewing\n1712 Marshall St NE Suite 100\, Minneapolis \nThis event is FREE and open to the public. \n— \nMost people don’t even notice them—three tiny figures sitting at the end of a long pier in the corner of one of the most famous paintings in the world. Most people think it’s just a depiction of the sea. But Louisa\, an aspiring artist herself\, knows otherwise\, and she is determined to find out the story of these three enigmatic figures. \n— \nWith The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library\, moderator Jeff Kamin brings his unique take on a public book club show to Saint Paul. Even if you don’t like the featured book\, he “guarantees a good time at our entertaining discussions.” All are welcome to try this moderated reinvention of the book club.
URL:https://thefriends.org/event/books-bars-my-friends-by-fredrik-backman/
LOCATION:Broken Clock Brewing Cooperative\, 1712 Marshall St NE Suite 100\, Minneapolis\, 55413\, United States
CATEGORIES:Books & Bars
ORGANIZER;CN="Alayne Hopkins":MAILTO:alayne@thefriends.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260820T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260820T193000
DTSTAMP:20260611T204612Z
CREATED:20260611T204612Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260611T204612Z
UID:41667-1787250600-1787254200@thefriends.org
SUMMARY:Fitzgerald in Saint Paul | Short Stories with Klecko
DESCRIPTION:Thursday\, August 20 | 6:30 p.m.\nMerriam Park Library \n1831 Marshall Avenue\, St. Paul \nExplore F. Scott Fitzgerald’s St. Paul stories in a casual environment with St. Paul and Fitzgerald enthusiast\, Klecko. Your host will take advantage of his eclectic network to shine a light on the present-day resonance of the themes in Fitzgerald’s short fiction.\nSpecial guests in August: Mark Taylor and Sufian Zhemukhov\nThe story will be: “The Captured Shadow” \n 
URL:https://thefriends.org/event/fitzgerald-in-saint-paul-short-stories-with-klecko-3/
LOCATION:Merriam Park Library\, 1831 Marshall Ave\, Saint Paul\, Minnesota\, 55104
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260812T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260812T200000
DTSTAMP:20260727T170657Z
CREATED:20260727T170657Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260727T170657Z
UID:43569-1786559400-1786564800@thefriends.org
SUMMARY:Books & Bars: "Skydaddy" by Kate Folk
DESCRIPTION:Skydaddy by Kate Folk \nWednesday\, August 12\n6:30 – 8:00 p.m. \nUrban Growler Brewing\n2325 Endicott Street\, Saint Paul \nThis event is FREE and open to the public. \n— \nLinda is doing her best to lead a life that would appear normal to the casual observer. But on the last Friday of each month\, she indulges her true passion\, taking BART to SFO for a round-trip flight to a regional hub. The destination is irrelevant\, because each trip means a new date with a handsome stranger—a stranger whose intelligent windscreens\, sleek fuselages\, and powerful engines make Linda feel a way that no human ever could. . . . \nLinda knows that she can’t tell anyone she’s sexually obsessed with planes. Nor can she reveal her belief that it’s her destiny to “marry” one of her suitors\, uniting with her soulmate plane for eternity. But when an opportunity arises to hasten her dream of eternal partnership\, and the carefully balanced elements of her life begin to spin out of control\, she must choose between maintaining the trappings of normalcy and launching herself headlong toward the love she’s always dreamed of. \n— \nWith The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library\, moderator Jeff Kamin brings his unique take on a public book club show to Saint Paul. Even if you don’t like the featured book\, he “guarantees a good time at our entertaining discussions.” All are welcome to try this moderated reinvention of the book club.
URL:https://thefriends.org/event/books-bars-skydaddy-by-kate-folk/
LOCATION:Urban Growler\, 2325 Endicott Street\, Saint Paul\, MN
CATEGORIES:Books & Bars
ORGANIZER;CN="Alayne Hopkins":MAILTO:alayne@thefriends.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260728T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260728T200000
DTSTAMP:20260310T211749Z
CREATED:20260310T211749Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260310T211749Z
UID:41303-1785263400-1785268800@thefriends.org
SUMMARY:Books & Bars
DESCRIPTION:Tuesday\, July 28\n6:30 – 8:00 p.m.\nUrban Growler\n2325 Endicott Street\, Saint Paul \nAt the moment when Voyager 1 is launched into space carrying its famous golden record\, a baby of unusual perception is born to a single mother in Philadelphia. Adina Giorno is tiny and jaundiced\, but she reaches for warmth and light. As a child\, she recognizes that she is different: She possesses knowledge of a faraway planet. The arrival of a fax machine enables her to contact her extraterrestrial relatives\, beings who have sent her to report on the oddities of Earthlings. \nFor years\, as she moves through the world and makes a life for herself among humans\, she dispatches transmissions on the terrors and surprising joys of their existence. Then\, at a precarious moment\, a beloved friend urges Adina to share her messages with the world.
URL:https://thefriends.org/event/books-bars-5/
LOCATION:Urban Growler\, 2325 Endicott Street\, Saint Paul\, MN
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thefriends.org/wp-content/uploads/Books-Bars-Cover-July.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260718T103000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260718T143000
DTSTAMP:20260603T182148Z
CREATED:20260603T182148Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260603T182148Z
UID:41639-1784370600-1784385000@thefriends.org
SUMMARY:Hamline Midway Grand Opening Community Celebration
DESCRIPTION:Hamline Midway Grand Opening Community Celebration \nSaturday\, July 18\, 2026\nHamline Midway Library | 1558 W Minnehaha Avenue\, Saint Paul \nCelebration: 10:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. | Ribbon cutting: 11:15 a.m.\n(Library hours: 10:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.) \nCelebrate the grand opening of your new state-of-the-art library with a day of activities for all ages. Explore the building\, discover new public art and sustainability features\, visit with The Friends in the Large Community Room\, and gather with neighbors over treats\, music\, and more. More details to come!
URL:https://thefriends.org/event/hamline-midway-grand-opening-community-celebration/
LOCATION:Hamline Midway Library\, 1558 W Minnehaha Ave\, Saint Paul\, 55104\, United States
CATEGORIES:Community Partner,Party
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260715T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260715T200000
DTSTAMP:20260310T211448Z
CREATED:20260310T211448Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260310T211448Z
UID:41301-1784140200-1784145600@thefriends.org
SUMMARY:Books & Bars
DESCRIPTION:Wednesday\, July 15\n6:30 – 8:00 p.m.\nUtepils\n225 Thomas Avenue North\, Minneapolis \nAt the moment when Voyager 1 is launched into space carrying its famous golden record\, a baby of unusual perception is born to a single mother in Philadelphia. Adina Giorno is tiny and jaundiced\, but she reaches for warmth and light. As a child\, she recognizes that she is different: She possesses knowledge of a faraway planet. The arrival of a fax machine enables her to contact her extraterrestrial relatives\, beings who have sent her to report on the oddities of Earthlings. \nFor years\, as she moves through the world and makes a life for herself among humans\, she dispatches transmissions on the terrors and surprising joys of their existence. Then\, at a precarious moment\, a beloved friend urges Adina to share her messages with the world.
URL:https://thefriends.org/event/books-bars-4/
LOCATION:Utepils\, 225 Thomas Avenue North\, Minneapolis\, MN
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thefriends.org/wp-content/uploads/Books-Bars-Cover-July.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260625T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260625T190000
DTSTAMP:20260305T212312Z
CREATED:20260305T212112Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260305T212312Z
UID:41254-1782410400-1782414000@thefriends.org
SUMMARY:Moving Words: Writers Across Minnesota | Sandstone
DESCRIPTION:Thursday\, June 25\, 6:00 p.m. \nSandstone Public Library ​\n106 Main Street\, Sandstone​\n\nFree | Registration not required​ \nEnjoy a lively discussion with three multi-genre\, Minnesota authors: Jennifer Eli Bowen\, Anika Fajardo\, and David Hakensen. Moving Words is an opportunity for writers and readers to explore various themes together: the impact of literature in their lives\, their connection as fellow Minnesotans\, and the lens through which we read.  ​ \nMoving Words is a program of The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library as the Library of Congress-designated Minnesota Center for the Book. This program is made possible in part by the State of Minnesota through an appropriation to the Minnesota Department of Education\, The Harlan Boss Foundation for the Arts\, and the generous support of Bernadette and Jeffrey Janisch.
URL:https://thefriends.org/event/moving-words-writers-across-minnesota-sandstone/
LOCATION:Sandstone Public LIbrary\, 106 Main Street\, Sandstone\, MN\, 55072
ORGANIZER;CN="Wendy Werdin":MAILTO:wendyw@thefriends.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260623T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260623T200000
DTSTAMP:20260310T211005Z
CREATED:20260310T211005Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260310T211005Z
UID:41298-1782239400-1782244800@thefriends.org
SUMMARY:Books & Bars
DESCRIPTION:Tuesday\, June 23\n6:30 – 8:00 p.m.\nUrban Growler Brewing\n2325 Endicott Street\, Saint Paul \nFifteen-year-old Lauren Olamina lives inside a gated community with her preacher father\, family\, and neighbors\, sheltered from the surrounding social chaos and anarchy caused by climate change and economic crisis. In a society where any vulnerability is a risk\, she suffers from hyperempathy–a debilitating sensitivity to others’ emotions. \nPrecocious and clear-eyed\, Lauren must make her voice heard in order to protect her loved ones from the imminent disasters her small community stubbornly ignores. But what begins as a fight for survival soon leads to something much more: the birth of a new faith and a startling vision of human destiny. \n 
URL:https://thefriends.org/event/books-bars-3/
LOCATION:Urban Growler\, 2325 Endicott Street\, Saint Paul\, MN
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thefriends.org/wp-content/uploads/Books-Bars-Cover-June.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260617T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260617T200000
DTSTAMP:20260310T210356Z
CREATED:20260310T210356Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260310T210356Z
UID:41291-1781721000-1781726400@thefriends.org
SUMMARY:Books & Bars
DESCRIPTION:Wednesday\, June 17\n6:30 – 8:00 p.m.\nUtepils Brewing\n225 Thomas Avenue North\, Minneapolis \nFifteen-year-old Lauren Olamina lives inside a gated community with her preacher father\, family\, and neighbors\, sheltered from the surrounding social chaos and anarchy caused by climate change and economic crisis. In a society where any vulnerability is a risk\, she suffers from hyperempathy–a debilitating sensitivity to others’ emotions. \nPrecocious and clear-eyed\, Lauren must make her voice heard in order to protect her loved ones from the imminent disasters her small community stubbornly ignores. But what begins as a fight for survival soon leads to something much more: the birth of a new faith and a startling vision of human destiny.
URL:https://thefriends.org/event/books-bars-2/
LOCATION:Utepils\, 225 Thomas Avenue North\, Minneapolis\, MN
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thefriends.org/wp-content/uploads/Books-Bars-Cover-June.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260603T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260603T193000
DTSTAMP:20260423T195723Z
CREATED:20260423T195723Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260423T195723Z
UID:41429-1780511400-1780515000@thefriends.org
SUMMARY:Rhythm & Revolution Poetry Discussion
DESCRIPTION:Rhythm & Revolution: Poetry Panel Discussion Where: Arlington Hills Community Center Community Room 1200 Payne Avenue\, Saint Paul When: Wednesday\, June 3 6:30 p.m. \nJoin the winners and judges of the Rhythm & Revolution: The America 250 Poetry Project competition for a presentation of the winning poems! The poets will engage in a short\, moderated conversation followed by a Q & A with the audience. Light refreshments will be provided.   \n 
URL:https://thefriends.org/event/rhythm-revolution-poetry-discussion/
LOCATION:Arlington Hills Community Center\, 1200 Payne Avenue\, Saint Paul\, Minnesota\, 55130
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260526T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260526T200000
DTSTAMP:20260309T215328Z
CREATED:20260309T215328Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260309T215328Z
UID:41285-1779820200-1779825600@thefriends.org
SUMMARY:Books & Bars
DESCRIPTION:Tuesday\, May 26\n6:30 – 8:00 p.m.\nUrban Growler\n2325 Endicott Street\, Saint Paul \nMartyr! by Kaveh Akbar \nCyrus Shams is a young man grappling with an inheritance of violence and loss: his mother’s plane was shot down over the skies of the Persian Gulf in a senseless accident; and his father’s life in America was circumscribed by his work killing chickens at a factory farm in the Midwest. Cyrus is a drunk\, an addict\, and a poet\, whose obsession with martyrs leads him to examine the mysteries of his past—toward an uncle who rode through Iranian battlefields dressed as the angel of death to inspire and comfort the dying\, and toward his mother\, through a painting discovered in a Brooklyn art gallery that suggests she may not have been who or what she seemed.
URL:https://thefriends.org/event/books-bars/
LOCATION:Urban Growler\, 2325 Endicott Street\, Saint Paul\, MN
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thefriends.org/wp-content/uploads/Books-Bars-Cover-May.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260526T170000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260526T180000
DTSTAMP:20260305T212614Z
CREATED:20260305T211323Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260305T212614Z
UID:41247-1779814800-1779818400@thefriends.org
SUMMARY:Moving Words: Writers Across Minnesota | Cloquet
DESCRIPTION:  \n \nTuesday\, May 26\, 5:00 p.m.  ​\nCloquet Public Library ​\n320 14 Street\, Cloquet​ \nFree | Registration not required​ \nEnjoy a lively discussion with three multi-genre\, Minnesota authors: Allen Eskens\, Erin Soderberg Downing\, and Bronsen Lemer. Moving Words is an opportunity for writers and readers to explore various themes together: the impact of literature in their lives\, their connection as fellow Minnesotans\, and the lens through which we read.  ​ \nMoving Words is a program of The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library as the Library of Congress-designated Minnesota Center for the Book. This program is made possible in part by the State of Minnesota through an appropriation to the Minnesota Department of Education\, The Harlan Boss Foundation for the Arts\, and the generous support of Bernadette and Jeffrey Janisch.
URL:https://thefriends.org/event/moving-words-writers-across-minnesota-cloquet/
LOCATION:Cloquet Public Library\, 320 14 Street\, Cloquet\, MN\, 55720
CATEGORIES:Author Event
ORGANIZER;CN="Wendy Werdin":MAILTO:wendyw@thefriends.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260521T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260521T193000
DTSTAMP:20260327T190632Z
CREATED:20260327T190632Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260327T190632Z
UID:41349-1779388200-1779391800@thefriends.org
SUMMARY:Fitzgerald in Saint Paul - The St. Paul Stories with Klecko
DESCRIPTION:Thursday\, May 21 | 6:30 p.m.\nMerriam Park Library | Meeting Room A\n1831 Marshall Avenue\, Saint Paul \nExplore F. Scott Fitzgerald’s St. Paul stories in a casual environment with Saint Paul and Fitzgerald enthusiast\, Klecko. Your host will take advantage of his eclectic network to shine a light on the present-day resonance of the themes in Fitzgerald’s short fiction. Special guests in May: Clarence White & Erica Christ. May’s story will be “He Thinks He’s Wonderful.”
URL:https://thefriends.org/event/fitzgerald-in-saint-paul-the-st-paul-stories-with-klecko/
LOCATION:Merriam Park Library\, 1831 Marshall Ave\, Saint Paul\, Minnesota\, 55104
CATEGORIES:Fitzgerald in Saint Paul
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thefriends.org/wp-content/uploads/Fitz_08-2023_d1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260520T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260520T200000
DTSTAMP:20260414T202228Z
CREATED:20260309T215004Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260414T202228Z
UID:41280-1779301800-1779307200@thefriends.org
SUMMARY:Books & Bars
DESCRIPTION:Books & Bars – Minneapolis\nWednesday\, May 20\n6:30 – 8:00 p.m.\nUtepils Brewing\n225 Thomas Avenue\, Minneapolis \nMartyr! by Kaveh Akbar \nCyrus Shams is a young man grappling with an inheritance of violence and loss: his mother’s plane was shot down over the skies of the Persian Gulf in a senseless accident; and his father’s life in America was circumscribed by his work killing chickens at a factory farm in the Midwest. Cyrus is a drunk\, an addict\, and a poet\, whose obsession with martyrs leads him to examine the mysteries of his past—toward an uncle who rode through Iranian battlefields dressed as the angel of death to inspire and comfort the dying\, and toward his mother\, through a painting discovered in a Brooklyn art gallery that suggests she may not have been who or what she seemed.
URL:https://thefriends.org/event/41280/
LOCATION:Utepils\, 225 Thomas Avenue North\, Minneapolis\, MN
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thefriends.org/wp-content/uploads/Books-Bars-Cover-May.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260506T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260506T210000
DTSTAMP:20260127T223151Z
CREATED:20260127T223151Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260127T223151Z
UID:40905-1778092200-1778101200@thefriends.org
SUMMARY:2026 Minnesota Book Awards Ceremony
DESCRIPTION:Minnesota Book Awards Ceremony\nWednesday\, May 6 | Ordway Center for Performing Arts\n345 Washington Street\, Saint Paul\nGet tickets here\nFree livestream also available \nCelebrate the state’s best books at the 38th annual Minnesota Book Awards Ceremony\, sponsored by Education Minnesota. Readers\, writers\, and booklovers from all over the state gather together for one incredible evening to honor stories of Minnesotans that connect us all. \n6:30 p.m. – Preface\nMeet the finalists and mingle with your fellow book lovers. Enjoy book sales and signing and a cash bar. \n7:30 p.m. – Awards Ceremony\nSaymoukda Duangphouxay Vongsay and May Lee Yang will serve as emcees as awards are presented to winners in nine categories and to the recipients of the Hognander Minnesota History and Kay Sexton awards. Music will be provided by Hiahli. The Ceremony will include ASL interpretation and live captioning. \n9:00 p.m. – Epilogue\nCelebrate with friends and buy featured books. \nLearn more\, get tickets\, and register for the livestream here.
URL:https://thefriends.org/event/2026-minnesota-book-awards-ceremony/
LOCATION:Ordway Center for Performing Arts\, 345 Washington Street\, Saint Paul
CATEGORIES:Author Event,Minnesota Book Awards
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thefriends.org/wp-content/uploads/MNBA_2025_Ceremony_d1.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Wendy Werdin":MAILTO:wendyw@thefriends.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260429T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260429T110000
DTSTAMP:20260309T142359Z
CREATED:20260309T140030Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260309T142359Z
UID:41219-1777456800-1777460400@thefriends.org
SUMMARY:One Book | One Minnesota: Virtual Author Discussion
DESCRIPTION:One Book | One Minnesota: Virtual Author Conversation  Tuesday\, April 29 | 10:00 a.m. Conversation with Cristina Oxtra Free and open to the public | Registration required  \nCristina Oxtra\, author of the featured title What Lolo Wants\, will participate in a statewide virtual discussion about her book.  \nReading Period: March 9 – May 3  \nOne Book | One Minnesota is a statewide book club that invites Minnesotans of all ages to read a common title and come together virtually to enjoy\, reflect\, and discuss. During the reading period\, Minnesotans will be invited to read the featured book selection and will have access to author videos\, reading guides\, and virtual book club discussions. Readers can access the ebook for free on Ebooks Minnesota beginning March 9.  \nLearn more at thefriends.org/onebook. \nAbout What Lolo Wants  \nMaria loves to spend her days drawing with her grandfather\, Lolo. But when Lolo begins to forget things\, Maria must come up with a creative way to figure out what Lolo wants. This story is based on Cristina’s experience with her grandfather when he became ill and began to lose his memory.  \nAbout the Authors  \nCristina Oxtra earned an MFA in creative writing for children and young adults and a BA in journalism.   She writes picture books\, chapter books\, middle grade\, and graphic novels. Her picture book\, What Lolo Wants\, is a 2025 Minnesota Book Awards Finalist and Society of Midland Authors Awards Honoree. She earned a 2025 McKnight Artist & Culture Bearer Fellowship Honorable Mention and received the Mirrors & Windows Fellowship at the Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis\, where she has served as a teaching artist. A Filipino American and part of MN BIPOC Kidlit Creators\, Cristina is a former journalist\, former educator\, an Air Force veteran\, and public relations professional.   \n\nOne Book | One Minnesota is presented by The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library\, as the Minnesota Center for the Book\, in partnership with State Library Services and sponsored by Blaze Credit Union. Program partners also include AmazeWorks; Council of Regional Public Library System Administrators; Kids Can Press; Mackin VIA; Minitex; and the Minnesota Department of Education. This program is made possible in part through an appropriation from the Minnesota State Legislature to The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library as the Minnesota Center for the Book. The program is also funded in part by a grant from the Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources Midwest Region program\, managed by Illinois State University. Content created and featured in partnership with the TPS program does not indicate an endorsement by the Library of Congress. 
URL:https://thefriends.org/event/one-book-one-minnesota-virtual-author-discussion/
LOCATION:Virtual
CATEGORIES:Author Event,One Book
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thefriends.org/wp-content/uploads/OneBook_Spring2026_Calendar_01.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Wendy Werdin":MAILTO:wendyw@thefriends.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260422T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260422T193000
DTSTAMP:20260310T220019Z
CREATED:20260207T015323Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260310T220019Z
UID:41059-1776882600-1776886200@thefriends.org
SUMMARY:Books & Bars: "I Cheerfully Refuse" by Leif Enger
DESCRIPTION:I Cheerfully Refuse by Leif Enger \nWednesday\, April 22\n6:30 p.m. Discussion \nUtepils\n225 Thomas Ave N\nMinneapolis \nThis event is FREE and open to the public.\n— \nRainy\, an endearing bear of an Orphean narrator\, seeks refuge in the harbors\, fogs and remote islands of Lake Superior in the not-too-distant future. Encountering lunatic storms and rising corpses from the warming depths\, Rainy finds on land an increasingly desperate and illiterate people\, a malignant billionaire ruling class\, crumbled infrastructure and a lawless society. Amidst the Gulliver-like challenges of life at sea and no safe landings\, Rainy is lifted by physical beauty\, surprising humor\, generous strangers\, and an unexpected companion in a young girl who comes aboard. And as his innate guileless nature begins to make an inadvertent rebel of him\, Rainy’s private quest for the love of his life grows into something wider and wilder\, sweeping up friends and foes alike in his strengthening wake. \n—\nWith The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library\, moderator Jeff Kamin brings his unique take on a public book club show to Saint Paul. Even if you don’t like the featured book\, he “guarantees a good time at our entertaining discussions.” All are welcome to try this moderated reinvention of the book club.
URL:https://thefriends.org/event/books-bars-i-cheerfully-refuse-by-leif-enger/
LOCATION:Utepils\, 225 Thomas Avenue North\, Minneapolis\, MN
CATEGORIES:Books & Bars
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thefriends.org/wp-content/uploads/BB_Apr-2026_760x230_SPPL-scaled.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Alayne Hopkins":MAILTO:alayne@thefriends.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260421T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260421T193000
DTSTAMP:20260310T220108Z
CREATED:20260207T020704Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260310T220108Z
UID:41064-1776796200-1776799800@thefriends.org
SUMMARY:Books & Bars: "I Cheerfully Refuse" by Leif Enger
DESCRIPTION:I Cheerfully Refuse by Leif Enger \nTuesday\, April 21\n6:30 p.m. Discussion \nUrban Growler\n2325 Endicott St.\nSt. Paul \nThis event is FREE and open to the public.\n— \nRainy\, an endearing bear of an Orphean narrator\, seeks refuge in the harbors\, fogs and remote islands of Lake Superior in the not-too-distant future. Encountering lunatic storms and rising corpses from the warming depths\, Rainy finds on land an increasingly desperate and illiterate people\, a malignant billionaire ruling class\, crumbled infrastructure and a lawless society. Amidst the Gulliver-like challenges of life at sea and no safe landings\, Rainy is lifted by physical beauty\, surprising humor\, generous strangers\, and an unexpected companion in a young girl who comes aboard. And as his innate guileless nature begins to make an inadvertent rebel of him\, Rainy’s private quest for the love of his life grows into something wider and wilder\, sweeping up friends and foes alike in his strengthening wake. \n—\nWith The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library\, moderator Jeff Kamin brings his unique take on a public book club show to Saint Paul. Even if you don’t like the featured book\, he “guarantees a good time at our entertaining discussions.” All are welcome to try this moderated reinvention of the book club.
URL:https://thefriends.org/event/books-bars-i-cheerfully-refuse-by-leif-enger-2/
LOCATION:Urban Growler\, 2325 Endicott Street\, Saint Paul\, MN
CATEGORIES:Books & Bars
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thefriends.org/wp-content/uploads/BB_Apr-2026_760x230_SPPL-scaled.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Alayne Hopkins":MAILTO:alayne@thefriends.org
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR