Compared to its neighbor across town, Carleton may not seem like a music powerhouse, but a third of all Carleton students are involved in musical activities, and musical events jam the campus calendar, to the tune of 150 concerts per year. Performances by student groups and guest musicians are nearly always free and open to the public.
apps.carleton.edu
St. Olaf’s Flaten Art Museum hosts exhibits of regional, national, and international significance. The college’s permanent collection includes more than 4,000 paintings, fine art prints, photographs, sculptures, ceramics, graphic arts, and textiles from around the world.
St. Olaf College, 1520 St Olaf Dr | 507-786-3556 | wp.stolaf.edu
Northfield’s historic event facility and reception hall frequently offers musical acts and other shows for your enjoyment.
316 Washington St | 507-663-1773 | thegrandnorthfield.com
The St. Olaf Theater Department produces five mainstage productions—from classics to modern experimental works—as well as a one-act play festival each year. The campus’s two public performance spaces include the 348-seat Kelsey Theater and the 110-seat Haugen Theater.
1520 St Olaf Ave | 507-786-2222 | wp.stolaf.edu/theater
Live music can be found almost every day of the week in downtown Northfield, From Nordic, Irish, jazz, and bluegrass jam sessions to piano balladeers and original indie rock, you’ll find a thriving music scene in Music City, Minnesota. The Contented Cow hosts performers at their indoor or outdoor stage nearly every evening, and you’ll find Froggy Bottoms River Pub, The Grand Event Center, Reunion and The Chapel rocking most weekend nights. Check our calendar of events for listings.
The Arts Guild’s downtown Center for the Arts includes two main-floor exhibition spaces, with a dance studio and additional exhibition space upstairs. All exhibits are free and open to the public. The Guild also sponsors satellite galleries all over town, including Allina Clinic, Tandem Bagels, Northfield Business & Tourism Center and even F-Town Brewing in Faribault!
304 Division St S | 507-645-8877 | northfieldartsguild.org
Northfield Arts Guild Theater presents a year-round season of lively musicals, entertaining comedies and heartwarming dramas. This is a community theater, meaning that local talent makes it all happen! The 118-seat venue is an intimate setting perfect for music, theater, and other community events.
411 3rd St W | 507-645-8877 | northfieldartsguild.org
A beautiful collection of public art, located around the city of Northfield.
artorg.info
At approximately 2,500 objects, the Carleton College art collection comprises about 700 prints, nearly 650 contemporary photographs and paintings, sculptures and other artifacts of intrinsic beauty and technical interest. The Perlman Teaching Museum’s two galleries host major exhibitions throughout the academic year, while other spaces throughout the Weitz Center display a constantly-rotating plethora of visual delights.
320 3rd St E | 507-222-4469 | apps.carleton.edu
The Arts and Culture Commission launched the Sidewalk Poetry Project in 2011 with support from the Friends and Foundation of the Northfield Public Library, the Streetscape Task Force and the Northfield City Council. Since 2012, the Southeastern Minnesota Arts Council has provided grants for the project thanks to a legislative appropriation from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund made possible by the voters of Minnesota.
ci.northfield.mn.us
Recitals, concerts and other musical events happen almost daily on the beautiful St. Olaf College campus, including the nationally televised St. Olaf Christmas Festival. St. Olaf is home to six choirs, two bands, and two full orchestras — including the internationally acclaimed St. Olaf Band, St. Olaf Choir, and St. Olaf Orchestra.
wp.stolaf.edu
These two theaters are located on the Carleton College campus. The 250-seat Weitz Center Theater can be configured into a traditional proscenium, a thrust stage, a black-box theater, or whatever a production requires, and the 96-seat Nourse Little Theater is an experimental theater with traditional seating.
1 North College St | 507-222-4000 | apps.carleton.edu
Along the banks of the Cannon River, lies charming Northfield, Minnesota. See for yourself why Northfield was included on CountryLiving.com’s “50 Most Beautiful Small Towns in America” list and named “Best Place To Retire” by Money Magazine!