Free outdoor performances

Artists from around the world and here at home showcase music, dance, and more on our outdoor stages.

Featured outdoor performance: Squonk Opera’s Cycle Sonic

“Chock full of joy, Cycle Sonic burns brightly with the fires of imagination and ingenuity.”
– Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

FRIDAY, MAY 31

SATURDAY, JUNE 1

In the parks
10:00AM–6:00PM

• Arti Chandak, henna artist
• Chit Chat Clowns, balloon art
• Chicks on Sticks
• Kasie Gonczy and Friends, face painting
• Glitter Bomb Hair
• Kristoffer Olson, funny magician

OUTDOOR ARTIST DESCRIPTIONS

Alma Andina, or Soul of the Andes, is a Minneapolis-based group that performs Andean and Latin American music, fused with contemporary electronic rhythms and textures.

The Bazillions play upbeat, interactive, kid-friendly rock-n-roll. Young and old get to rock out to songs about getting a new pair of shoes, a messy room, superheroes and much more!

CAAM Chinese Dance Theatre is the largest dance nonprofit group in Minnesota.  We are dedicated to preserving and celebrating our Chinese cultural heritage and enriching a diverse community through the universal language of dance. With 25 years of bringing Chinese dance to this community through the generous support of the community, including the Minnesota State Arts Board, we have served families and delighted audiences with some of the best locally produced Chinese dance in the county. 

Center for Hmong Arts & Talent (CHAT) Youth Singers and Qeej Players exists to nurture, explore and illuminate the Hmong American experience through artistic expressions.

Arti Chandak, Henna Artist, has been doing henna art for more than 20 years. Henna is a folk art from India. Henna is a plant known for the reddish color of its extract. It can be applied on mostly hands and feet. 

Chicks on Sticks is an all-women’s stilting troupe.  Since 1998 Chicks has performed at festivals and parades all over the Twin Cities. 

Chit Chat Clowns, run by Phyllis Chatham, provides our festival with amazing balloon art creations.

David Olson and Heather Olson are entertainers, not clowns, making balloons & engaging people about the creations including trivia and facts. The entertainment is fun, even for adults who are a bit unsure about it. The balloon creations are fun, interesting and cute.

Deanna StandingCloud, an MC for the Flint Hills World Music Stage, is a citizen of the Red Lake Nation of Anishinaabe. She graduated high school at Two Eagle River School on the Salish-Kootenai Reservation in Montana and attended the University of New Mexico for a short time as a member of the Council of Energy Resource Tribes, before graduating with her Associate’s Degree from Fond du Lac Tribal & Community College’s Urban Outreach Program.

DJ Kool Akiem will have a Street Dance Party in front of the Ordway on Saturday night.  Come and dance!

Come join local favorites Ensō Daiko form TaikoArts Midwest. Taiko is the Japanese word for drum and refers to the modern, high-energy performance art that combines music, dance, martial arts, athletics and culture. Their fun and dynamic show will get your feet tapping and your heart pounding!

Funtime Funktions, provides face painting in the Fun Zone on Saturday evening!

Mayo Garner, Heart of the Struggle, and an MC on the Flint Hills World Music Stage, was born and raised in Englewood, California. He began writing poetry at nine years of age, before moving to the Twin Cities. Tired of having emotions such as loss and grief build up inside, Mayo took to poetry as a positive outlet. Mayo has been an Ujamaa Man for over seven years, where he’s graduated from numerous training programs and is the recipient of the Ujamaa Place DuBois Leadership Award. He’s recently joined the In the Footsteps of Gordon Parks Tell-A-Visionaries Network.

Glitter Bomb Hair, is magical sparkly fun for your body and hair! 

Gonzee Designs, ran by Kacie Gonczy & Friends, means you can get your face painted in wild designs for FREE!

Grupo de Danzas Colombianas MN performs dances from the plains of easter Colombia. Their mission is to improve the image of Colombia and pass on traditions and culture to younger generations while entertaining Minnesotans!

Hup (Clap) Hey! is dedicated to inspiring youth to reach for their highest potential, to foster community and to nurture the well-being of all participants through a unique blend of music and circus arts education and performance.    Come have fun learning to juggle, do Crystal Stix, diablo, plate spinning, or balance on top of a Rola-Bola board, or even a tight wire. 

Jack Brass Band brings the party to any event with a rich tradition and a groove that will make you want to get up and dance to the New Orleans sound.

Journey Productions in Minneapolis, MN is a non-profit organization that engages, inspires, entertains, and challenges audiences with theatrical productions that range from the classics to new works. 

Suchitra Sairam founded Kala Vandanam Dance Company in 2002, with the vision of sharing the beauty and depth of Bharatanatyam, the oldest and most widely performed classical tradition in India, through education, outreach and performance.  Adhering to the Kalakshetra style of Bharatanatyam, which is known for its geometry and precision of technique, subtle expressional dance, and keen sense of aesthestics, Kala Vandanam looks to expand creativity within the framework of this exquisite dance form, retaining its traditional roots while contributing to its evolution as a “living” performance art.

Kalpulli Yaocenoxtli is a traditional Mexica Nahua dance and drum circle that is committed to lifelong learning, preserving and practicing the traditions of the Mexica-Nahua culture.

Los Alegres Bailadores brings brightly colored costumes, fancy footwork, along with tradition and culture to the stage. Audiences experience the different styles of dance and music true to the states of Mexico, which are proudly and authentically performed by Los Alegres Bailadores.

Ifrah Mansour, an MC for Xcel Energy Foundation World Dance Stage, is a Somali, refugee, Muslim, multimedia artist and an educator based in Minnesota. Her artwork explores trauma through the eyes of children to uncover the resiliencies of blacks, muslims, and refugees. She interweaves poetry, puppetry, films, and installations. She’s been featured in BBC, Vice, Okayafrica, Star Tribune, and City Pages. Her critically-acclaimed, “How to Have Fun in a Civil War” premiered at Guthrie Theatre and toured to greater cities in Minnesota. Her first national museum exhibition; “Can I touch it” premiered at Minneapolis Institute of Arts. Her visual poem, “I am a Refugee” is part of PBS’s short Film festival. “My Aqal, banned and blessed”  Premiered at Queens Museum in New York. 

Kristoffer Olson, the funny magician, will amaze you with feats of magic both inside the Ordway and roaming outside!

Lumhe Sampson, during the School Week, provides traditional and modern exhibitions of Native Hoop Dance – an ancient art of storytelling and healing. 

The MegaJump Motivational Action Sports Experience is a jaw-dropping action sports stunt show designed to leave you not only speechless, but inspired and motivated.  We have one of the largest jumps in the industry, giving our riders the airtime they need to attempt the most dangerous tricks at perilous heights.  At the end of the show, our personable professional athletes make every effort to get to know you and your friends and family.  So prepare to be amazed!

Native Pride Dancers, are a Twin Cities-based company who blend modern and traditional Native American dance styles.

Barbara Lance Alldaffer of Rainbow Party Arts, is an award-winning face painter and balloon artist. Yes, she paints her own face as well as yours. A favorite for events large and small!

Rhythm Street Movement is a clique of city artists connected by their love of rhythmic grooves, funky moves, and musical shoes. No inspiration is out of bounds with this percussive music and dance combo. Classic American Funk, Jazz, hoofing, hip-hop, Irish step, and southern fraternity inspired “step squad” are just a few of the contributing disciplines in this crew’s bag of beats. Basically, If they’re feeling it, they’re stealing it, connecting themselves to it, inspecting it and reflecting it! Rhythm Street Movement is an electric charge of energy. They believe in depth and joy. They believe in the importance of finding clever ways to connect heart felt creativity to the mainstream. 

Rince Na Chroi and Two Tap Trio brings to you Traditional Irish Dancing and Music! 

Salsa del Soul presents a variety of genres of dance music from the Spanish-speaking Caribbean.

Xicanx writer, producer, and performer, and MC on the Flint Hills World Music Stage, SEE MORE PERSPECTIVE has been described as a “Chicago Institution”, “Walking creativity” and “The hardest working, most unjustly slept on artist in the Twin Cities”. As an artist and educator committed to liberation, he’s dedicated his life to studying, creating, teaching, and performing hip hop, spoken word and social justice. See More creates in various capacities across disciplines as a solo artist, collaborator, producer, and music director. He’s collaborated with and produced music for nationally renowned artists including Slug of Atmosphere, Olivia Gatwood, Kevin Coval, Kyle ‘Guante’ Tran Myhre, Sierra Demulder, Neil Hilborn, and Idris Goodwin. See More has also had the pleasure to share stages with Umar Bin Hassan of the Last Poets, The White Stripes, Brother Ali, Ded Prez, Sage Francis, and many others.

Siama’s Congo Roots play engaging, feel-good music from the heart of Africa.

Silly Miss Tilly, hostest of the mostest in our Fun Zone, will dazzle you with Silly balloon art!

Tiyumba Drum & Dance, led by Fatawu Sayibu, Tiyumba (tee-yoom-bah) means “let’s love them” and is at the heart of Tiyumba Drum and Dance Company. Through the spirit of traditional African culture, we welcome you with joy, love and community. As is taught by Ghanaian elders, “Togetherness brings health and happiness.”

Xcel Energy Foundation World Dance Stage MC, Yolande Bruce, an Xcel Energy Foundation World Dance Stage MC, is best known as a member of the award-winning vocal jazz group Moore by Four, Yolande has performed nationally and internationally, and opened for such legendary acts as Dizzy Gillespie, Sarah Vaughn, and BB King. She has received many honors and awards including those from The Hallie Q. Brown Center, The Selby Jazz Association, The Minnesota Music Awards, and most notably by the Minnesota Black Music Awards with their Legacy Award.