Events - Future Events View

Do you find it hard to really get to know members at our large programs … or those featuring a speaker? This spontaneous event might be just right for you! Join us for a casual conversation on the patio of the Aster Cafe. Take this opportunity to meet new members and reconnect with some you haven’t seen lately. If you are attending for the first time, please contact the MCC office so we can be sure someone is there to meet you.

Join us as we embark on a once-a-month culinary experience at different restaurants around the city, and around our neighborhood. This month, we will enjoy a Dutch-treat dinner at Klassics Kitchen & Cocktails. This event is limited to 12 people. Please register by Noon on October 28.

Join your friends and neighbors at the C.R.E.A.M Cafe for a morning chat. This adventure requires no reservations.

Got any tricks? Want any treats? Join your hosts, Sonia and John Cairns and Nancy Gardner in the back of the Twin Cities favorite neighborhood bar for small bites (appetizers, that is), Dutch treat drinks and scary fun! Costumes encouraged but optional. This might be the night to express your inner Elvis, glamour star or favorite animal. We will also have an opportunity to welcome MCC‘s newest members at this event! There‘s a parking lot adjacent to the bar and on-street parking, so park your broomstick and join the party! You can stay AND ORDER dinner from their Smack Shack and Burger Dive menu.

Caffeine and camaraderie for members of MCC! This group meets every other Thursday and is hosted by various members who get the conversation going.

Do you like to walk and talk with a small group, vs. meeting in a larger group or for a presentation? This spontaneous event might be just right for you! Join in with others who might also be walking. We‘ll meet on the river side of Owamni restaurant as there are chairs & tables there to use while we wait for walkers. If you are attending for the first time, please contact the MCC office (612) 455-3329 so we can be sure someone is there to walk that day.

New Session Added!!

Join us as we take a one-hour tour of Hocokata Ti [ho-cho-kah-tah-tee] Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community’s (SMSC) cultural center. Through this experience, visitors will be immersed in the story of the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community. Through audio and visual interactive elements, the history of the Mdewakanton Dakota people will be depicted from their existence before European settlers to making treaties with the U.S Government, as well as the journey to self-sufficiency. This highlights tour spends a limited amount of time in each area of the exhibit; groups are welcome to explore on their own after their tour concludes if they wish to spend more time in a dedicated area. In addition, we will be able to experience the We Are Water MN statewide traveling exhibit, organized by the Minnesota Humanities Center in conjunction with other state agencies.

We will have time after the tour to visit other exhibits (included in the admission fee), gift shop and optional Dutch-treat lunch (suggestions provided).

Cost: $7/person payable in cash or major credit cards. No checks.

Drive time from Minneapolis is 30-40 minutes. Tour begins promptly at 10:30 a.m.

Get to know other MCC members at a casual Saturday morning breakfast mixer inside Elsie’s Restaurant‘s dining room. Hot coffee awaits you when you arrive on foot or by bike or by car - order a full breakfast or simply a beverage. Open seating at tables set for 4 or 5 - great for conversation with friends, old and new. To help the restaurant prepare, please register. NOTE: Elsie’s has a secluded indoor space available in the main dining room. This event is limited to 35 to accommodate Elsie‘s staff.

Join us as we tour the Red Lake Nation College in Minneapolis. The Red Lake Nation College (RLNC) Minneapolis site, the first Tribal College within an urban center, represents a significant advancement in opportunities for indigenous communities in the Twin Cities metro. This state-of-the-art educational institution and vocational training center epitomizes the commitment to Native empowerment, offering curriculum enriched with Ojibwe language and culture. This institution presents an exceptional avenue for academic, personal, and professional growth.

Do you find it hard to really get to know members at our large programs … or those featuring a speaker? This spontaneous event might be just right for you! Join us for a casual conversation at Milwaukee Road Restaurant and Bar at The Depot. Take this opportunity to meet new members and reconnect with some you haven’t seen lately. If you are attending for the first time, please contact the MCC office so we can be sure someone is there to meet you.

In this month of Thanksgiving, we have a lot to be thankful for: a new hire at MCC, our partnership with the American Red Cross and local veterans and active-duty service members. To celebrate these three things, join us at the office for a special gathering with small breakfast bites and beverages provided.

First, you‘ll have the opportunity to welcome Elise Linehan back to Mill City Commons as our new Business and Member Services Administrator. We couldn‘t be happier to have Elise meet new members and reconnect with long-term members. Elise‘s new role will include tracking member renewals, managing the website, new member orientations, taking care of MCC financials, and more! Join us to say hello and "welcome back" to our community!

We‘re also taking this opportunity to partner with the American Red Cross to thank members of the Military and Veterans this holiday season. We will create cards with messages that include what makes you proud to be an American, a personal connection to the military, and what you appreciate about their work and service to our country. Cards will be distributed by the Red Cross to Service Members and Veterans in Minnesota at local National Guard Units, Veterans Clinics and Veterans at assisted living locations.

Schedule time with a Tech Support Guru on Zoom and have your nagging technology questions answered during our complimentary Help Desk. The zoom link will be provided in your confirmation email.

Join your friends and neighbors at the C.R.E.A.M Cafe for a morning chat. This adventure requires no reservations.

All Chairs of the different committees are invited to join us at this monthly meeting.

This guided discussion group with professional facilitation supports MCC members and nonmembers who are in a caregiving role.

Join us to discuss this month‘s book, "Where Rivers Part," by Kao Kalia Yang. You are welcome to join us in conversation whether or not you‘ve read the book.

If you‘d like to read ahead, December‘s book is, "Unfinished Love Story," by Doris Kearns Goodwin.

The next Executive Committee meeting is on November 6, 1:30-3:00 pm.

Do you like to walk and talk with a small group, vs. meeting in a larger group or for a presentation? This spontaneous event might be just right for you! Join in with others who might also be walking. We‘ll meet on the river side of Owamni restaurant as there are chairs & tables there to use while we wait for walkers. If you are attending for the first time, please contact the MCC office (612) 455-3329 so we can be sure someone is there to walk that day.

This casual, Dutch-treat lunch at Klassic‘s Kitchen alternates weeks with our Men’s Breakfast. There’s no program, but good conversation happens here! Please register, so we can let the restaurant know how many to expect. If you would like to be added to the Thursday Dutch Lunch list or suggest a topic for discussion, email alburd4057@gmail.com.

Get to know other MCC members at a casual Saturday morning breakfast mixer inside Elsie’s Restaurant‘s dining room. Hot coffee awaits you when you arrive on foot or by bike or by car - order a full breakfast or simply a beverage. Open seating at tables set for 4 or 5 - great for conversation with friends, old and new. To help the restaurant prepare, please register. NOTE: Elsie’s has a secluded indoor space available in the main dining room. This event is limited to 35 to accommodate Elsie‘s staff.

Are you looking for some movement combined with music? “Joyfully Dancing 55+” may be the activity for you! It’s back on our calendar following the instructor’s return from her post-retirement extended summer holiday.

The class celebrates many genres of dance and music: American, swing, popular and international, to name a few. Dances are taught/reviewed every session. No partner is needed, and all levels of ability are welcome.

Joyfully Dancing 55+ is taught at Tapestry Folkdance, 3748 Minnehaha Avenue in Minneapolis, and meets Mondays from 9:30-10:30. Cost is $5, payable to the instructor. Participants are asked to bring a pair of inside shoes, in order to keep grit, salt and water off the dance floor. Dancing with just socks is also OK.


If you’d like to carpool, please be at the ARC parking lot ready to leave at 9:10 AM.

The Marketing Committee works to increase awareness of Mill City Commons. We build strategies and materials to acquire new members. We provide consulting and creative support for various projects and other committees. We also have fun! Contact Co-Chair Susan Plimpton if you’re interested in learning more.

Do you find it hard to really get to know members at our large programs … or those featuring a speaker? This spontaneous event might be just right for you! Join us for a casual conversation at Milwaukee Road Restaurant and Bar at The Depot. Take this opportunity to meet new members and reconnect with some you haven’t seen lately. If you are attending for the first time, please contact the MCC office so we can be sure someone is there to meet you.

Back by popular demand! Join us as we explore Minneapolis Central Downtown Library. We will first gather for a welcome from Scott Duimstra, Director of Hennepin County Library, followed by an overview of Friends funded programs (Teen Tech Center, outreach to homeless and incarcerated, Homework Help and Let’s Read tutoring, and more). After that, we‘ll offer rotating visits to key behind-the-scenes areas of the library (special collections, book bindery and repair shop, and the sequestered stacks including rare books and art). At the end of our tour, we‘ll gather for a short reception and socializing. This tour was a such a hit when we last visited them, that folks asked for a repeat tour!

Please join us for an engaging and informative session on the topic of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI), led by Claire Cummins, Health Education Manager at Family Tree Clinic. This session is the product of a MCC tour of Family Tree Clinic in July. Attendees requested a program that would help parents, grandparents and other carers better understand how to be supportive adults for the people in their lives who identify as LGBTQIA+.

In this session, Family Tree will cover essential concepts such as gender identity, pronoun use, gender expression, and sexual orientation. Participants will explore these key ideas, helping to build a foundation of understanding. In the second half, we‘ll debunk common gender stereotypes through thoughtful discussion and real-world examples.

Join your friends and neighbors at the C.R.E.A.M Cafe for a morning chat. This adventure requires no reservations.

Join in conversation with our District 3 (includes Downtown and Uptown) Hennepin County Commissioner Marion Greene, as she pulls the veil away from Hennepin County, and their influential role in our community and region. With an almost $3 billion dollar annual budget, Hennepin County has vast responsibilities. Hennepin County is the biggest public entity in the State of Minnesota besides the state government itself. Come learn more about this important layer of government that is improving our quality of life every day, from transit and roads, to trash and composting, to emergency shelter and affordable housing – and everything in between.

Caffeine and camaraderie for members of MCC! This group meets every other Thursday and is hosted by various members who get the conversation going.

Do you like to walk and talk with a small group, vs. meeting in a larger group or for a presentation? This event might be just right for you! Join in with others who might also be walking. We‘ll meet on the river side of Owamni restaurant as there are chairs & tables there to use while we wait for walkers. If you are attending for the first time, please contact the MCC office (612) 455-3329 so we can be sure someone is there to walk that day.

Get to know other MCC members at a casual Saturday morning breakfast mixer inside Elsie’s Restaurant‘s dining room. Hot coffee awaits you when you arrive on foot or by bike or by car - order a full breakfast or simply a beverage. Open seating at tables set for 4 or 5 - great for conversation with friends, old and new. To help the restaurant prepare, please register. NOTE: Elsie’s has a secluded indoor space available in the main dining room. This event is limited to 35 to accommodate Elsie‘s staff.

Do you find it hard to really get to know members at our large programs … or those featuring a speaker? This spontaneous event might be just right for you! Join us for a casual conversation at Milwaukee Road Restaurant and Bar at The Depot. Take this opportunity to meet new members and reconnect with some you haven’t seen lately. If you are attending for the first time, please contact the MCC office so we can be sure someone is there to meet you.

Despite its large size, Indonesia remains virtually invisible to most Americans. But as one of the world’s largest democracies, the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation, and as an economic driver of ASEAN, why does it fly below the radar? What are current issues in U.S.-Indonesian relations, and what role can the country play in Asia?

The Program Committee meets the fourth Tuesday of each month. If you have a program idea, please feel free to fill out the Program Committee Proposal form and email it to Jane at janestacy@millcitycommons.org.

Join your friends and neighbors at the C.R.E.A.M Cafe for a morning chat. This adventure requires no reservations.

This guided discussion group with professional facilitation supports MCC members and nonmembers who are in a caregiving role.

Join the MCC Board of Directors for an Open Forum from 4:00-4:30 pm at the MCC Offices, Room 216.

Enjoy this month‘s reading of "Georgiana and Kitty: Christmas at Pemberley." Written by Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon, this final installment of the Christmas at Pemberley trilogy follows Mr. Darcy‘s younger sister, Georgiana—an accomplished pianist—and the youngest Bennet sister, Kitty.

Georgiana, shy but creative, is living under the scrutiny of her commanding older brother; Kitty, now free of the influence of her gregarious sister Lydia, is Georgiana’s joyful, practical best friend. It is Christmastime at Pemberley and the pair impatiently await the imminent arrival of Henry Grey, Georgiana‘s equally shy secret correspondent. When the gentleman enters a family holiday in full force and is met by the unwelcoming presence of Mr. Darcy, Georgiana fears her chance at love will be lost forever. The future is never certain, however, and love has a way of arriving exactly when it is meant to.

Do you like to walk and talk with a small group, vs. meeting in a larger group or for a presentation? This event might be just right for you! Join in with others who might also be walking. We‘ll meet on the river side of Owamni restaurant as there are chairs & tables there to use while we wait for walkers. If you are attending for the first time, please contact the MCC office (612) 455-3329 so we can be sure someone is there to walk that day.

This casual, Dutch-treat lunch at Klassic‘s Kitchen alternates weeks with our Men’s Breakfast. There’s no program, but good conversation happens here! Please register, so we can let the restaurant know how many to expect. If you would like to be added to the Thursday Dutch Lunch list or suggest a topic for discussion, email alburd4057@gmail.com.

Join us for a dynamic panel discussion on how the 2024 election results will shape Minnesota. We will have a panel of experts who will break down the key impacts of the national and state election results on Minnesota’s policies, party dynamics, and legislative future. Guests are welcome and can register by emailing events@millcitycommons.org. Registration closes November 15.

Get to know other MCC members at a casual Saturday morning breakfast mixer inside Elsie’s Restaurant‘s dining room. Hot coffee awaits you when you arrive on foot or by bike or by car - order a full breakfast or simply a beverage. Open seating at tables set for 4 or 5 - great for conversation with friends, old and new. To help the restaurant prepare, please register. NOTE: Elsie’s has a secluded indoor space available in the main dining room. This event is limited to 35 to accommodate Elsie‘s staff.

Met Live in HD is back! Join our MCC Opera Friends at the at Met Live in HD performance of “Tosca." Following the performance, we encourage friends to meet at CRAVE restaurant in Rosedale Mall to visit and to enjoy a beverage or a snack.

Are you looking for some movement combined with music? “Joyfully Dancing 55+” may be the activity for you! It’s back on our calendar following the instructor’s return from her post-retirement extended summer holiday.

The class celebrates many genres of dance and music: American, swing, popular and international, to name a few. Dances are taught/reviewed every session. No partner is needed, and all levels of ability are welcome.

Joyfully Dancing 55+ is taught at Tapestry Folkdance, 3748 Minnehaha Avenue in Minneapolis, and meets Mondays from 9:30-10:30. Cost is $5, payable to the instructor. Participants are asked to bring a pair of inside shoes, in order to keep grit, salt and water off the dance floor. Dancing with just socks is also OK.


If you’d like to carpool, please be at the ARC parking lot ready to leave at 9:10 AM.

The Marketing Committee works to increase awareness of Mill City Commons. We build strategies and materials to acquire new members. We provide consulting and creative support for various projects and other committees. We also have fun! Contact Co-Chair Susan Plimpton if you’re interested in learning more.

Today, neither the Minnesota nor the U.S. Constitutions specifically provide equal protection under the law based on sex and gender. Hear from Gender Justice‘s Senior Advisor Alissa Light as she discusses why Gender Justice and Gender Justice Action, in partnership with ERAMN and a group of powerful community leaders and organizations, are working to pass the Minnesota Equal Rights Amendment - which would be the strongest and most inclusive ERA in the country.

Gender Justice’s legal team led a process to gather input and insight on the strongest possible language for a state ERA from a cross-section of practicing legal experts and legal scholars with expertise in constitutional and human rights law, legal aid, gender and racial discrimination, disability rights, LGBTQ+ rights, reproductive rights, and more. The Minnesota Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) would offer everyone the strongest possible protections against discrimination based on race, color, national origin, ancestry, disability, or sex — including pregnancy and pregnancy outcomes including abortion, gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation — no matter who’s in power in state government.

Do you find it hard to really get to know members at our large programs … or those featuring a speaker? This spontaneous event might be just right for you! Join us for a casual conversation at Milwaukee Road Restaurant and Bar at The Depot. Take this opportunity to meet new members and reconnect with some you haven’t seen lately. If you are attending for the first time, please contact the MCC office so we can be sure someone is there to meet you.

Join us as we embark on a once-a-month culinary experience at different ethnic restaurants around the city. This month, get ready for a culinary journey through the flavors of Thailand where we will enjoy a Dutch-treat dinner at Kindee Thai Restaurant. This event is limited to 12 people. Please register by Noon on Thursday, November 21.

Join your friends and neighbors at the C.R.E.A.M Cafe for a morning chat. This adventure requires no reservations.

Join your friends and neighbors at the C.R.E.A.M Cafe for a morning chat. This adventure requires no reservations.

The Mill City Commons Board, Committee Chairs and Staff invite you to our Annual Business Meeting on December 4 at 4:00 pm. Join us to learn what‘s going on at MCC, ask questions, and provide input. Agenda items include updates from our Committee Chairs, a review of membership trends and our financial forecast, the opportunity to approve our 2025 Board of Director candidates and more. Small bites and beverages will be provided. All members are encouraged to attend.