The daily digest of Twin Cities culture | Secrets of the City

SPECIAL EVENT
Black Forest's 10 Days of Oktoberfest

Tonight marks the start of local favorite German hangout Black Forest's Oktoberfest. Each night features a different brew, food specials, live music, and prizes (including a free bike from Spaten). Don't miss the ceremonial keg-tapping by Rake fave Sven Sundgaard tonight at 7:30. Other special events throughout the next ten days include burlesque dancers, beer sampling, polka lessons, your photo with a monk, and a brat bar with all the fixings. Don't miss this once-a-year celebration. The expansive Black Forest outdoor courtyard won't be as much fun come chilly November. -Jill Yablonski

Friday-Oct 5, Black Forest Inn, 1 East 26th Street, Minneapolis, Free Admission

MUSIC
Nordic Roots Festival

Put down your buttered lefse, hop in your reliable Volvo, and head straight to the Cedar Cultural Center this weekend for the tenth and final annual Nordic Roots Festival. Scandinavian heritage certainly not required, though, to enjoy the extensive and talented line-up put on by the historic venue throughout the next three days. Featuring Cultural Center favorites who've made the gathering a rousing success for the past decade, including: Väsen, Hedningarna, Detekivbryån, Triakel, Frigg, Walz With Me, Hoven Droven, and Hurdy Gurdy. This family-friendly event guarantees to make you proud of your roots, wherever they may lie. -Jill Yablonski

FUNDRAISER
Art Perchance

Try your luck at the MIA tonight! Not for the faint of heart, this festive annual fundraiser incorporates carnival-style games of chance that just might result in you walking out the door with an original work of art. Art Perchance is the fall fundraiser of the Friends of the Institute. Funds raised by the organization have been dedicated to a variety of causes supporting the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. This year, proceeds will benefit the Friends Transportation Fund, who sponsor bus transport for thousands of schoolchildren (budding artists perhaps) to visit the museum each year. Dozens of artists have donated work to the cause, with a wide variety of mediums represented, including oil, acrylic, watercolor, pastel, pencil, pen, photography, collage, and more. Tonight's party is a wonderful opportunity to support the arts while having a great time, and certainly a reason to get dressed up on a Friday night!

Friday, 7pm-10pm, Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Target Wing, 2400 3rd Avenue S, Minneapolis, $75-$500


MUSIC
Jagerfest

Head down to the North Loop this evening to celebrate the end of the short, but sweet, summer season and to welcome the impending fall foliage. The 2nd Annual Jagerfest party goes hand-in-hand with Oktoberfest and will feature a smattering of tasty brews - including a free pint of Summit Oktoberfest with a paid $5 admission fee. Non-drinkers don't despair, ask Jager's cute bartending crew to make you a Shirley Temple, grab a spot on the patio and take in the rockin' sounds of Beatrix Jar, Bella Koshka, First Communion Afterparty, and Solid Gold on the outdoor stage, followed by the disco fever of Attitude City inside from 10pm to close. The cuties from Fox Tax will be grilling up tasty treats on the patio from 5-9, so get there early for a bite and enjoy the nice weather before it escapes us.

Saturday, 5pm-2am, Clubhouse Jager, 923 Washington Ave. N, North Loop Minneapolis, $5

ART
un/dead

This little gem of an art gallery always catches our eye with its edgy shows featuring up and coming local and national artists; artists you definitely need to keep on your radar. Tonight's opening will introduce you to talented Twin Cities photographers Paul Armstrong and Jesse Mullan who define death and the macabre for the viewer on different levels. Armstrong's images of dead birds, found and photographed in their natural state, present an uncomfortable and melancholy vision of art and life, while Mullan's work is a bit more playful with photo-journalistic shots of past Zombie Pub Crawls, an annual event during which hordes of people dress up like zombies and take over the streets of Minneapolis for an all-day bar hop. As always, Umber is a gracious host with free-flowin' beer and wine and plenty of good company. Through October 15th.

Bonus: Want more art? Head over to First Amendment Gallery in Northeast Minneapolis for No Easy Explanation, an exhibit of work by well-known local illustrator Dwitt, whose work has been all over the place, most notably in the video game Guitar Hero 2. Opening Reception 7-10pm.

Saturday, 8pm, Umber Studios, 3109 East 42nd Street, South Minneapolis, Free