We’ve rounded up the latest free events, activities and crafts going on at various locations in the Twin Cities, Minnesota area and also nationwide this weekend (10/26-10/28). Please leave a comment if you know of any others and we’ll add them to this list.
Your turn: What other free weekend events and activities do you know of?
Nationwide Events
Babies R Us
The Huggies Movers Slip-On Diapers Fast On, Fast Race Event is this Saturday at 11am. Sign up in advance to have your baby participate in the race. There will be 4 qualifying races (the first is at 11am) and a championship race at 12pm.
Grand prize is one value box of Huggies diapers, and the winners of each qualifying race will get a $5 Babies R Us gift card. Find a Babies R Us location near you.
Barnes & Noble
Check your local Barnes & Noble for events. Most stores have storytimes once or twice per week.
There is a special Halloween storytime at select locations this Saturday morning – you can search here to find a location near you.
Cabela’s
Cabela’s offers various samples and demonstrations each weekend. Events vary by location, so check for details at your local store.
This weekend, the Rogers, MN Cabela’s is hosting:
- Chicken Grills and Wings: Saturday from 11am-4pm
- Halloween Festivities: Sunday from 10:30am-2:30pm
Guitar Center
Guitar Center offers a free recording workshop every Saturday from 10-11am. Find a Guitar Center location near you.
- Working with Bouncing in Pro Tools 10 is the topic for this Saturday’s workshop
Home Depot
Home Depot offers free workshops for adults to help you improve your DIY skills. Dates and times vary by location, so check the Home Depot website for details. Topics this month include:
- Safety & Security (Fire, Outdoor Lighting)
- Weatherize Your Home
- Crown Moulding
Jo-Ann Fabric & Craft Stores
JoAnn Fabric & Craft Stores offers free make-it take-it crafts on select weekends. This weekend, check out:
- Free Crayola Model Magic Make-It Take-It: Saturday from 12-1pm
Lakeshore Learning
Every Saturday, Lakeshore Learning offers a free craft for kids from 11am-3pm. Find a Lakeshore Learning Store near you.
- Trick-Or-Treat Scarecrow Mask craft this Saturday
Lowe’s
Twice per month Lowe’s offers kids an opportunity to build their own project. The project is offered Saturdays at 10am. Be sure to sign up in advance online.
- Make a Creepy Keeper this Saturday
Michaels
Michaels often offers free make-and-take craft events over the weekend. This weekend’s free events include:
- Body Art Event (ages 3+): Friday from 6-8pm
- Face Painting and Halloween Parade (ages 3+): Saturday from 11am-2pm
Target
Target sponsors free and reduced-priced admission opportunities at museums and cultural events nationwide. Select your city to find participating venues and their next scheduled discount day. In the Twin Cities area:
- The Walker Art Center is free every Thursday night as a part of Target Free Thursday Nights
Toys R Us
Toys R Us has a LEGO Bricktober event going on this Saturday from 11am-1pm (Central). Children ages 5 and up will receive a free exclusive Monster City Mini Pack and help build a LEGO Monster City.
Twin Cities Events
Be sure to check out the Twin Cities Family-Friendly Halloween Events 2012 post for more family-friendly activities (some of which require an admission fee).
Friday, 10/26
- Midtown Monster Bash (Midtown Global Market – Minneapolis): 5-8pm
- Art Attack (Minneapolis): 5-10pm
- Fall Festival (Cross of Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church – Coon Rapids): 6-7:30pm
- Body Art Event (Michaels locations): 6-8pm
- Vikings Country Radio presented by Dick’s Last Resort (Mall of America): 6:30pm
- Family Fun Night (Substance Church – Roseville): 6:30-9pm
- And If Elected: A Musical Tribute to Our Election Process (First Covenant Church – St. Paul): 7pm
- ONE Rally (Minneapolis Convention Center): 7pm
- Anime Homecoming (Maplewood Library): 7-9pm
- Ballet Minnesota Fall Concert (The O’Shaughnessy – St. Paul): 7:30pm
Saturday, 10/27
- Fall Fest (The Garden by the Woods – Chanhassen)
- Hay Day (Linden Hills Village – Minneapolis)
- Community Center Fall Boutique (Richfield): 8:30am-3pm
- Fall Festival on Main Street (Maple Grove): 9:30am-1pm
- Halloween Costume Storytime (Barnes & Noble – Eden Prairie): 10am
- Make a Creepy Keeper (Lowe’s locatinos): 10am
- Monster Bash Parade (Cottage Grove): 10am
- Preserving Your Family Garden History (Watertown Library): 10-11am
- Working with Bouncing in Pro Tools 10 (Guitar Center locations): 10-11am
- Free Family Flick: Casper (Mall of America): 10am-12pm
- How to Write, Publish and Sell Your Ebook (Cottage Grove Library): 10am-12pm
- Monster Mash (Lynnhurst Park – Minneapolis): 10am-12pm
- Pumpkin Festival (50th & France – Edina): 10am-1pm
- Spooktacular Carnival (Anoka Armory): 10am-1pm
- Art Happens Here: A Celebration of Artist-Led Creative Placemaking Along the Green Line (ZajLaug Chaw – St. Paul): 10am-2pm
- Free Woolly Spiders (Linden Hills Village – Minneapolis): 10am-2pm
- Great Pumpkin Fest 2012 (The Shops at West End – St. Louis Park): 10am-2pm
- Rainbow Foods Trick or Treating and Coloring Contest (Rainbow Foods locations): 10am-2pm
- Boo Bash (Grand Ave – St. Paul): 10am-3pm
- Home Improvement & Design Expo (National Sports Center – Blaine): 10am-5pm
- Carlson Wagonlit Travel Cruise & Vacation Expo (Mall of America): 10am-6pm
- Halloween Trick-or-Treat Weekend (Minnetonka Orchards – Minnetrista): 10am-7pm
- Genealogy Research: Military Records (Hopkins Library): 10:30-11:30am
- Doctor Who Discussion Group (Highland Park Library – St. Paul): 10:30am-12pm
- Inkslingers: What Every Writer Needs to Know About eBooks (Shakopee Library): 10:30am-12:30pm
- Halloween Storytime: The Monsters’ Monster (Barnes & Noble – Apple Valley): 11am (also in Woodbury)
- Huggies Movers Slip-On Diapers Fast On, Fast Race Event (Babies R Us locations): 11am
- What’s in Dragonfly’s Box? (Minneapolis Central Library): 11am
- Meet the Artist: Jennifer Markey (Northeast Library – Minneapolis): 11am-12pm
- Paranormal Activity Revealed (Hastings Library): 11am-12:30pm
- LEGO Bricktober (Toys R Us locations): 11am-1pm
- Face Painting and Halloween Parade (Michaels locations): 11am-2pm
- Halloween Cub4Kids Event (Cub Foods locations): 11am-2pm
- Boo Blast (Wayzata): 11am-3pm
- Trick-Or-Treat Scarecrow Mask Craft (Lakeshore Learning locations): 11am-3pm
- Chicken Grills and Wings (Cabela’s – Rogers): 11am-4pm
- Wild Rumpus Turns 20 (Minneapolis): 11am-4pm
- Saturday Live!: The Raptor Center (Central Library – St. Paul): 11:15am-12pm
- Halloween Stories (Hosmer Library – Minneapolis): 11:30am
- Osseo Halloween Event: 12pm
- Free Crayola Model Magic Make-It Take-It (Jo-Ann Fabric & Craft Stores): 12-1pm
- Take Action Rally (Mall of America): 12-3pm
- Halloween Haunt Blood Drive (Valleyfair): 12-4pm (free ticket to ValleySCARE)
- Art Attack (Minneapolis): 12-8pm
- Grand Day Parade (Main Street Anoka): 1pm
- Meet the Artist: Paul Metsa (Nokomis Library – Minneapolis): 1pm
- Murder on Main Street Author Talk: Ellen Hart (Maple Grove Library): 1pm
- Get a Move On: Journey Through Black Dance (St. Anthony Library): 1-2pm
- Author Danielle Sosin (Chanhassen Library): 1-2:30pm
- Rainbow Magic Fun (Columbia Heights Library): 1-2:30pm
- Feeding Frenzy (Eastman Nature Center – Dayton): 1-3pm
- Teen Read – Spooky Spiders (Savage Library): 1-3pm
- Unbored – Elizabeth Foy Larsen (Birchbark Books – Minneapolis): 1-3pm
- Free Ink Day: Dia de los Muertos (Highpoint Center for Printmaking – Minneapolis): 1-5pm
- Thrill Kenwood 2012 (Minneapolis): 1-8pm
- And If Elected: A Musical Tribute to Our Election Process (Basilica of St. Mary – Minneapolis): 2pm
- Ballet Minnesota Fall Concert (The O’Shaughnessy – St. Paul): 2pm
- Hosmer World Music Concert Series Presents Leo Hansen (Hosmer Library – Minneapolis): 2pm
- Kelly Barnhill, Iron Hearted Violet (The Red Balloon Bookshop – St. Paul): 2pm
- One Minneapolis One Read: Dakota 38 (North Regional Library – Minneapolis): 2pm
- Minnesota’s Most Haunted Locations (Central Library – St. Paul): 2-3:30pm
- Making It: Hands-On Teen Art – Day of the Dead (Maplewood Library): 2-4pm
- Squeak, Hop, Woof: Read Aloud with Animals (Plymouth Library): 2-4pm
- Teen Read Month: Make a Mask (Brooklyn Park Library): 2-4pm
- Teen Read Month: Steampunk Workshop (Hayden Heights Library – St. Paul): 2-4pm
- Book Lovers Movie Club: The Lincoln Lawyer (White Bear Lake Library): 2-4:30pm
- Unfinished Business: Recognizing Raoul Wollenberg (American Swedish Institute – Minneapolis): 2-5pm
- Emmy of Whistling Well Farm (Byerly’s – Ridgedale): 3-5pm
- Microsoft Powerpoint: Multimedia Tips (Ridgedale Library – Minnetonka): 3-5pm
- Stage Combat with SteppingStone Theatre (Rosemount Library): 3:30-5pm
- Logan Park Halloween Party (Minneapolis): 4-6pm
- Trunk or Treat (Good Shepherd Lutheran – Burnsville): 4-7pm
- Ghostly Gala (Brookdale Library – Brooklyn Center): 6-9pm
- Ballet Minnesota Fall Concert (The O’Shaughnessy – St. Paul): 7:30pm
Sunday, 10/28
- Halloween Trick-or-Treat Weekend (Minnetonka Orchards – Minnetrista): 10am-7pm
- Halloween Festivities (Cabela’s – Rogers): 10:30am-2:30pm
- Art-Abilities Gallery Opening Reception (Ridgedale Library – Minnetonka): 11:15am-12pm
- Dia de los Muertos Gala Festival (Midtown Global Market – Minneapolis): 12-3pm
- Art Attack (Minneapolis): 12-5pm
- Halloween Arts and Crafts (Hosmer Library – Minneapolis): 1pm
- Sigma Beauty Presents TiffanyD (Mall of America): 1pm
- Free Family Fun Day: Unbeatable Bats (Carl Kroening Interpretive Center – Minneapolis): 1-3pm
- Great Pumpkin Festival (Landmark Center – St. Paul): 1-3pm
- Weekends with the Weisguides: What’s Your Dream? (Weisman Art Museum – Minneapolis): 1-3pm
- Adogo Halloween Party & Costume Contest (Adogo Pet Hotels – Minneapolis): 1-4pm
- Hosmer World Film Series: The Tenants (Hosmer Library – Minneapolis): 1:30pm
- Brian Farrey, The Vengekeep Prophecies Publication Party (The Red Balloon Bookshop – St. Paul): 2pm
- Forest Play (Richardson Nature Center – Bloomington): 3-4pm
- Boo Bash (Crossroads Church – Eagan): 4-6:30pm
- Scary Sculpt (Pinstripes – Edina): 5pm (bring canned good donation)
- Harvest Carnival (Evergreen Church – Bloomington): 5-7pm
About Laura Wales
