The Flint Hills Family Festival is back in downtown Saint Paul in 2022! The parks surrounding the Ordway come to life with outdoor performances and activities throughout the Festival, all presented for free.
Performances are great for all ages, and take place all day across multiple stages. No tickets or advanced registration are required for outdoor presentations. Bring your whole family for award-winning musicians, funny clowns, modern and traditional dance from around the world, unicycle and stilt performers, and even face painting! Performer details and full schedule below.
For educators
For more about what to expect at the Flint Hills Family Festival during School Days May 31–June 3, visit Educator Central.
Squonk Opera creates joyful, boisterous outdoor spectacles by fusing fantastical visual design, playful staging, and high-energy original music. Led by Co-Artistic Directors Jackie Dempsey and Steve O’Hearn, Squonk celebrates its 30th anniversary with a tour of Hand to Hand.
Free performances in Rice Park
Friday, June 3
5:00–5:30 PM
Saturday, June 4
10:30–11:00 AM
12:00–12:30 PM
2:00–2:30 PM
5:00–5:30 PM
Artists
All outdoor performances are free to attend
Your guide to the artists performing outside at the 2022 Flint Hills Family Festival. Some artists appear only during Festival School Days May 31–June 3, while others perform during the Family Weekend June 3–4. Check out the full schedule below.
Afrocontigbo
Flint Hills World Stage
Artist Bio
Afro-Cont-Igbo is an African Contemporary Igbo dance and wellness company founded by Korma Aguh-Stuckmayer in 2015. Korma is from the Igbo tribe in Nigeria. Afrocontigbo mixes traditional and modern West African dances. They teach classes and do performances all across the twin cities. Relax and enjoy the invigorating music and joyful moves.
Dao Lan Dance Studio
Flint Hills World Stage
Artist Bio
Dao Lan Dance Studio is one of the largest traditional dance schools located in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Our dance studio consists of approximately 90 students, which make up seven dance teams ranging from ages five years old to 20 years old. Our vision is to promote self-appreciation, cultural awareness, and to maintain a well-balanced healthy lifestyle. Our mission is to empower Hmong youths to reach their fullest potential by building self-confidence through dancing. We feel it is important to maintain our cultural heritage and to explore the beauty of other cultures. This is reflected in the different ethnic dances that we learn each year. Our performances consists of different ethnic dances. We are able to tailor our performances to include some story telling so that the audience can be exposed to the beauty of the different Asian culture and gain some knowledge of our Hmong culture and history. ”Great dancers are not great because of their technique, they are great because it's their passion.”
David Olson, balloon art
Rice Park
Artist Bio
David is an entertainer, not a clown, who actively engages children and adults by creating balloon art. Some of his more popular creations include hats of many types, ninjas, skeletons, Spiderman, or a space aliens. He can also create flowers or corsages, fishing rods (with a small fish attached!), or horses and unicorns. He does not make swords or weapons, substituting other creations that are equally engaging for the children.
DJ Digie
Flint Hills World Stage MC
Artist Bio
With 15 years of experience, DJ Digie has played at hundreds of venues in the Twin Cities and across Minnesota. With over 300 events under his belt, Digie believes that music is the backbone of any event whether as background music to set a vibe or straight dance music to keep the night going! Digie’s music knowledge spans from the classics of the 1950’s through the hits of the 2000’s, including soul, Hip Hop, rock, R&B, pop, and disco.
DJ Huh? What??
Flint Hills World Stage
Artist Bio
DJ Huh?What?? is a very active DJ in the Twin Cities – from the radio, to the club, and all the way to the corporate event scene. He specializes in hosting and creating community events, as well as being one of the go-to DJs for prominent community gatherings and celebrations such as both election night events for the mayor of Saint Paul. DJ Huh?What?? considers himself "The Peoples’ DJ!"
drumHeart
SPIRE Credit Union Food Truck Alley
Artist Bio
drumHeart is WDC’s premiere ensemble led by Alex Connett. They are equally at home at Orchestra Hall as at the Minnesota State Fair. For over 30 years, drumHeart has delivered powerful drum music for community fundraisers, walks, and runs. Their repertoire includes original songs composed for the group, traditional West African music, and songs that feature African xylophone and Adenkum (African gourds traditionally played by women). The group also creates a carnival sound with Caribbean and Latin-influenced music. Through this variety, drumHeart delivers unique performances that leave audiences energized by world music.
Enso Daiko
Spire Credit Union Food Truck Alley
Artist Bio
Enso Daiko offers loud, energetic performances that combine music, dance, culture, and pure athleticism. The group regularly premieres new work adding their unique voice to the expanding canon and innovation of North American taiko. Through performances, studio classes and school residencies, Enso Daiko has taught thousands of students of all ages and abilities.
House of Dance
Flint Hills World Stage
Artist Bio
House of Dance Twin Cities is Minnesota's premier Hip Hop Dance studio located in Edina that specializes in teaching Hip Hop Dance, breakdancing, popping, and krump to people of all ages. Sessions consist of 30-minute Hip Hop dance/breakdancing performance followed by a crowd engagement section, when spectators will be able to learn a short and fun dance routine to take with them!
IBè
Flint Hills World Stage MC
Artist Bio
IBè is an award-winning spoken word artist.
Kalpulli Yaocenoxtli
Spire Credit Union Food Truck Alley
Artist Bio
Kalpulli Yaocenoxtli is a traditional Mexica-Nahua (Aztec) cultural group dedicated to preserving and sharing the dances, songs, and philosophy of Nahua traditions and culture. As co-founders of Kalpulli Yaocenoxtli, Sergio and Mary Anne Quiroz have been practicing, promoting, and teaching traditional Mexica (Aztec) dance and philosophy for over 20 years with their family.
Katha Dance Theatre
Flint Hills World Stage
Artist Bio
Dance, discover, transform. Katha Dance Theatre’s storytelling dances of India will transport you to a magical world!
Kristoffer Olson
Rice Park
Artist Bio
Based in Saint Paul, Minnesota, Kristoffer Olson has performed his comedy magic or acted as Master of Ceremonies for well over a thousand events, from Anchorage to London, and many places in between. Kristoffer’s style of performance relies heavily on audience participation and improvisation, so every performance is different and you never know what will happen next! You may also recognize him as The Nerd at Saint Paul Saints games, where he has been a fan favorite dancing on the dugout and leading games between innings for 16 years.
Los Alegres Bailadores
Flint Hills World Stage
Artist Bio
Under the direction of Rebecca Moran Cusick, Los Alegres Bailadores brings the visually-captivating artistry of Mexican dance to stages throughout Minnesota. Their performances are an authentic, vibrant immersion into the rich culture and history of Mexico. Los Alegres Bailadores is dedicated to making this beautiful art form accessible, relevant and inclusive for all.
Markus Klegg, magician
Rice Park
Artist Bio
Markus Clegg has been performing magic professionally all over the United States for over 25 years. Originally from Illinois, Markus began his lifelong love affair with magic at a very young age. After performing his first professional show at age 12, he knew that magic was going to be his career. Markus has performed in cities all across the U.S. and around the world. During the summer, he can be found at CHS field in Saint Paul, Minnesota entertaining the crowds as his alter ego, "The Shark" for the Saint Paul Saints home games. Markus is also production manager for the Mystery Cafe, a murder mystery dinner theater in Minnesota.
Native Pride Dancers
Flint Hills World Stage
Artist Bio
Directed by Larry Yazzie, the Native Pride Dancers strive to educate and entertain audiences of all ages throughout the world on the beauty, skill, and majesty of Native American music and dance featuring dancers from various Tribal Nations.
Natyakala Dance Group
Artist Bio
Natyakala Dance Group's vision is to unite people together through dance and create platforms to spread the significance and greatness of Indian classical dance forms (Bharatanatyam, Mohiniyaatam, Kuchupudi, and Kathakali) by collaborating with the community.
NUNNABOVE
Flint Hills World Stage
Artist Bio
"NUNNABOVE is Minneapolis’ latest and greatest" – The Current
"This young sibling quartet from Woodbury has oodles of talent and potential. They impressed on the slinky soul original ‘Appreciate Me,’ the Disneyfied rocker ‘Project Cobra’ and ‘Fast Car Mashup,’ an inventive vocal workout incorporating several hits set to the guitar riff from Tracy Chapman's famous tune that landed the Nunns on America's Got Talent.” - John Bream, Music Critic, Star Tribune
Undeniably prolific, weaving in and out of a wide variety of fresh styles, with astonishingly rich musical imaginations. The group delivers on a distinctive sound that leaves the listener wanting to hear more.
Ritika Ganguly is a Minneapolis-based composer, anthropologist, and grant-writing consultant born and raised in New Delhi, India. Her consulting practice and artistic practice both strive for an equality based on difference, rather than on the similarity of things, people, and knowledges.She was commissioned as a composer by The Cedar Cultural Center in 2016, received the Naked Stages award in 2017, and an MRAC Next Step Fund award in 2018 for her research and new musical work in Baul (Bengali Sufi music/poetry). She has trained in genres within Bengali music and contemporary Indian musical theater. She was recently commissioned by the Minnesota Opera to compose a mini opera in Bangla. ‘Xylem’ is an opera without notated scores, sung in a South Asian folk opera format of stylized speech and narration.Ritika’s vocal, compositional, and coaching work pushes us to rely less on music notation and theory, and more on audiative practices that deepen our aptitude to hear and vocalize. She trains in the field with Baul poet-practitioners on what it means to develop aural skills in community.She received a Minnesota State Arts Board Creative Support for Individuals Award and a Jerome Foundation Finalist Award in 2021. She is also a recipient of the 2021 McKnight Composers Fellowship at the American Composers Forum. Ritika’s work during the fellowship period will continue to bring disparate musicianships, musical styles, methods, literatures, and disciplines together. She is a lover of loose, long-leaf tea, and has an impulse to connect with people over cha (tea).
Salsa del Soul
Flint Hills World Stage
Artist Bio
Salsa del Soul is a Twin Cities-based, nine-piece orchestra performing various styles of dance music from the Spanish-speaking regions of the Caribbean. Salsa del Soul was formed for the purpose of providing great dance music for Twin Cities salsa fans. The musicians of Salsa del Soul represent some of the finest talents in the Twin Cities Latin music scene. The styles of music they perform include Son, Son Montuno, Plena, Cha-cha-cha, Bachata, Timba, and, of course, salsa! Salsa del Soul performs locally at restaurants and bars, jazz and Latin festivals, private engagements, and other locations and events.
Siama's Congo Roots
Flint Hills World Stage
Artist Bio
Feel-good music from the heart of Africa
Renowned Congolese musician, Siama Matuzungidi is known for his catchy, upbeat songs, spirited singing, intricate guitar and traditional instruments like Mbira and Balafon. His wife/musical partner Dallas Johnson plays shakers and encourages everyone to sing together like Siama’s family did back in rural Bas Congo. Siama and Dallas perform concerts, festivals and library shows, they teach university classes and they especially love teaching K-12 classes via COMPAS and MPR’s “Class Notes Artists”. They've earned Smithsonian Folkways certificates and a Parents’ Choice Parent-Approved award and Siama is a McKnight Fellow and an MRAC and MSAB grantee.
Todd'n'Tina
Spire Credit Union Food Truck Alley
Artist Bio
Todd’n’Tina is a family-friendly music duo from Minnesota. We make goofy, fun, and ridiculous children's music! Check us out at toddntina.com or listen to our latest album "Dynamite!" on streaming services everywhere.
Unicycling Unicorn
Spire Credit Union Food Truck Alley
Artist Bio
Featuring daredevil stunts, jaw dropping tricks, belly-chuckling comedy, and a Fargo accent! The Unicycling Unicorn is a one-man entertainment powerhouse, suitable for all ages, and always an audience favorite. Make your festival a unique and magical time for all attendees to remember for the rest of their lives with the new roving floating flying unicorns!
Performance schedule
Friday, June 3 from 5:00–8:00 PM
Flint Hills World Stage on Washington Street
MC
DJ Digie
Performers
House of Dance
5:30–6:00 PM
NUNNABOVE
7:00–7:45 PM
Rice Park
Performers
Squonk Opera’s Hand to Hand
5:00–5:30 PM
Roaming artists
5:00–8:00 PM
Rainbow Party Arts, face painting
Chicks on Sticks
Saturday, June 4 from 10:00 AM–6:00 PM
Flint Hills World Stage on Washington Street
MCs
IBé
10:00 AM–2:00 PM
Deanna StandingCloud
2:00–6:00 PM
Performers
Dao Lan Dance Studio
10:00–10:30 AM
Katha Dance Theater
11:00–11:45 AM
Salsa del Soul
12:30–1:15 PM
Native Pride Dancers
1:30–2:00 PM
Los Alegres Bailadores
2:30–3:15 PM
Somali Museum Dance Troupe
3:30–4:15 PM
Siama’s Congo Roots
4:30–5:00 PM
SPIRE Credit Union Food Truck Alley in Landmark Plaza