Pianos On Parade

Have you seen (or maybe heard) random, weirdly decorated pianos around Minneapolis and St. Paul?  Then you've seen (or heard) Pianos On Parade!

Pianos On Parade takes artistically transformed pianos to the streets of St. Paul and Minneapolis for the public to play and enjoy. These pianos will play host to both spontaneous and planned events and concerts. Other pianos will be on tour and will pop up at various outdoor fairs, festivals, restaurant patios and sporting events throughout the summer.  All proceeds from the work done by Keys 4/4 Kids and Pianos on Parade helps fund art and music programs for under privileged youth.

As of now, they have 17 amazing pianos placed throughout St. Paul at various locations (Mears Park, Café Latte, Red Balloon Bookstore, Glockenspiel, etc.).  They also have a few “traveling” pianos that are set aside for special events and pop-up locations.  Check out the events page on the Pianos On Parade website to see when and where you'll be able to see the pop-up pianos.  You can also check out the map below to find the "permanent" pianos.  I say "permanent" because the program runs through the end of August.  You only have a month left to piano hunt!

(click to enlarge)

If you are walking around the Twin Cities this summer, be sure to keep your eyes and ears peeled for pianos!

Find Waldo on (or near) Grand Ave

Waldo, from the famous children's book series "Where's Waldo" will be visiting 25 different local businesses along the avenue throughout the month of July as part of the 

FIND WALDO ON (or near) GRAND AVE event.

Where’s Waldo? In St. Paul, of course.  The famous children’s book character in the striped shirt and black-rimmed specs is visiting twenty-five different local businesses throughout our community this July to support the Shop Local movement.  Those who spot him can win prizes, including stickers, book coupons and more.

From Landmark Center to Pizza Luce, from Wet Paint to Salut, Waldo figures will be well hidden in local business establishments.  Find Waldo is a great summer vacation activity, and a wonderful way for residents to support local business and the Shop Local movement. 

Anyone who wishes to participate can pick up a “Find Waldo Local on (or near) Grand Ave!” passport with the names of all the participating sites, and get their passport stamped or signed for each Waldo they spot.

The first 100 Waldo seekers to get their passports stamped or signed at ten or more sites can bring their passports back to Red Balloon Bookshop to collect prizes. Collecting store stamps or signatures at twenty or more businesses will entitle diligent seekers to entry in a grand prize drawing on July 31, with the top prize being a 6-volume deluxe set of Waldo books.

There is no charge to participate, and the hunt lasts for the entire month of July. For more information about hunting for Waldo on (or near) Grand Ave, call Red Balloon Bookshop at 651-224-8320, or visit www.redballoonbookshop.com/findwaldo.

Where’s Waldo is the creation of Martin Handford, whose entertaining drawings of crowd scenes swept the world in 1987. Since then, the Where’s Waldo books have held a cherished spot on bookstore shelves the world over. There are now over 58 million Waldo books in print worldwide and they’ve been translated into eighteen languages. An entire generation has grown up searching for Waldo and his cast of wandering companions.

In celebration of Waldo's longevity and popularity, his American publisher, Candlewick Press, is once again teaming up with the American Booksellers Association and 265 independent bookstores all across the country, including Red Balloon Bookshop here in St. Paul, MN, for some hide and seek fun as well as to encourage communities to patronize their local businesses. 

FREE Summer Camps at the Microsoft Store MOA

Did you know that the Microsoft Store at the Mall of America® offers FREE summer camps for you kids? Yes, I said FREE!!

The next camp, Digital Art Smarts, starts on Monday, July 8th so hurry up and register. 

It's perfect for your budding photographer. Here's what the website says:

Develop the craft of your future photographer with skills used by pros to take great pictures, change color tone, add special effects, or even change the background. Your little shutterbug will learn how to fix red-eye, erase t-shirt stains, and organize pictures into a collage or make them into a 3D view for display around the house or refrigerator. A parent/guardian must be in the store for the duration of camp each day. Registration is required for this 5 day cumulative camp that runs every day Monday, July 8th through Friday, July 12th; each day is from 10:00a-12:00p for kids ages 8-13.

Don't worry, there's plenty of things for you to do around the store while your child is in class (think a store full of computers and other electronic gadgets).  

To register your child for class visit: MicrosoftStore.com/Bloomington

We received no compensation for sharing this information with you.  We just thought this was a neat opportunity.