The Lakes Area Music Festival presents the opera The Rake’s Progress – Brainerd, MN

The Lakes Area Music Festival presents the opera The Rake’s Progress – Brainerd, MN

The Rake’s Progress

The story concerns the decline and fall of Tom Rakewell

Opera director Omer Ben Seadia and music director Christian Reif lead an all-star cast in an exquisite production of Igor Stravinsky’s delightfully clever opera, The Rake’s Progress. The story concerns the decline and fall of Tom Rakewell, who deserts his rural country town and girlfriend Anne Trulove for the delights of London. Being seduced by greed and fame under the spell of his devilish companion, Nick Shadow, Tom meets his moral, mental, and physical demise. The closing moral of the tale is: “For idle hearts and hands and minds the Devil finds work to do.”

Sung in Italian with English supertitles.

THE RAKE’S PROGRESS
IGOR STRAVINSKY, music
CHESTER HALLMAN and W. H. AUDEN, text

Event

The Rake’s Progress

Saturday, August 10th, 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Sunday, August 11th, 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

 Tickets

Location

Gichi-ziibi Center for the Arts

702 South 5th Street

Brainerd, MN

Lakeside Guitar Festival – St. Paul, MN

Lakeside Guitar Festival – St. Paul, MN

Lakeside Guitar Festival

A Primer: ’90s Fashion For Women

A Primer: ’90s Fashion For Women

This summer’s tastemakers are channeling nostalgia for ’90s fashion for women…

…so we asked five Scouted experts for the 411 on how to modernize these retro trends. As we embrace this fashion revival, it’s time to strap on your jelly sandals, trade in your skinny jeans, and turn up the volume on that Mariah Carey or Pearl Jam tune, as you prove once again—or for the first time—that you’re all that and a bag of chips. Search The Scout Guide directory to find a fashion expert in your area.

A coup for crops

Blu29 Frame Compact Stripe Cardi
FRAME Compact Stripe Cardi from blu29

From cardigans and tees to button downs and camis, midriff baring styles have made a comeback, Heather Stefani, owner of blu29 in Asheville, North Carolina, says. Cardigans are one of the most versatile ways to adopt this style, whether worn atop a fitted tee or buttoned up and rocked as a shirt, they work with everything from jeans to dresses for a cute, adaptable look. If you’re adverse to showing your tummy, Victoria DiSilvestro, owner of Airotciv by Victoria in Virginia Beach, Virginia, recommends playing with proportions. “Opt for a cropped style shirt with high-waisted pants, so your midriff doesn’t show.”


Hoop it up

Boca Earrings from Airotciv by Victoria

DiSilvestro confirms that hoops, big and small, will remain a style staple this season. This easily executed statement earring has a timeless that makes it especially versatile with every look. She recommends styling hoops with a high neck top, and going dainty with your necklace choice or skipping a necklace all together.


Comfortable denim

Blue29 Nili Lotan Astrid Denim Skirt

Nili Lotan Astrid Denim Skirt from blu29

Skinny jeans have taken a backseat in favor of denim options that are equal parts comfortable and cool. Catherine Justice, co-owner of Punch Boutique in Roanoke, Virginia, explains that the best thing about shelving those skin-tight styles is the size and shape inclusivity that comes along with 90s-style denim, like a baggy jean or a denim maxi skirt.


The return of jellies

The Row Mara Flat
Mara Flat by The Row

In another nod to ’90s nostalgia, Dallas-based stylist Emily Dawson of Emily by Design, is singing the praises of the return of the jelly sandal. “Comfortable, breezy, minimal, and perfectly chic, I will be styling mine up and down,” she says. “Pair with a strapless silk top and loose-fitting wide-leg jeans for a comfortably cool dinner look, with bermuda shorts and a square neck tank top for Saturday morning errands, and with a blazer and tapered trousers for an unexpected twist.”


Slip into style

Blu29 L'Agence Jodie V-Neck Slip Dress

L’AGENCE Jodie V-Neck Slip Dress from blu29

Fashion experts across the board agree that slip dresses are undeniably hot right now. “This sleek and simple dress is easily one of our most beloved pieces of the season,” Whitney Eversole, co-owner of Punch Boutique in Roanoke, Virginia, says. Offering modern sophistication with an understated elegance, Eversole notes that designers are reintroducing this staple silhouette in both solid minimalist palettes and fun prints in beautiful fabrics. Endlessly versatile, Dawson recommends styling your slip dress in a multitude of ways. “Wear it under a double-breasted blazer, layered with something more 3D and textural on top, like crochet, sheer organza, or an open eyelet weave,” she says. Combining a slick and shiny fabric with a heavier, tactile weight on top creates contrast and adds interest. “Depending on the look you’re going for, anything from a sneaker, a t-strap flat sandal, or even a pair of stilettos, can pair magically.”

Visit the World’s Longest Elevated Pedestrian Loop At The Minnesota Zoo

Visit the World’s Longest Elevated Pedestrian Loop At The Minnesota Zoo

Minnesota Zoo

The Treetop Trail at the Minnesota Zoo opened to the public. At 1.25 miles, it is believed to be the longest elevated pedestrian loop in the world.

The Minnesota Zoo is one of the largest in the country, covering almost 500 acres.

When it first opened, a monorail was included as part of the zoo’s design to help visitors traverse its massive footprint.

The monorail operated for nearly 30 years until it was decommissioned in 2013.

Since that time, the empty track has been a dominant feature in the zoo’s landscape.

After several years of planning, the concept of turning the old monorail track into an elevated pedestrian walkway emerged.

Plans were drawn and approved, and ground broke on the $37 million project in 2022.

The zoo’s concept for the trail includes programming and events, such as information stations and yoga classes, at the wider areas along the boardwalk.

Visitors to the treetop trail, shown here over the bison habitat, enjoy birds-eye views of the animal exhibits below.

The trail is as high as 32 feet and passes through some of the zoo’s most natural, undeveloped areas.

The Treetop Trail tracks many of the same exhibits as the ground-level Northern Trail. Pedestrians have views of animals ranging from moose and bison to Amur tigers and brown bears.

Take a look at this video from the Minnesota Zoo to see what you can expect from a Treetop Trail experience:

Minnesota Zoo’s Treetop Trail from Minnesota Zoo on Vimeo.

I, for one, am pretty excited to hit the trail and see the zoo from a different perspective. I remember riding the monorail but was always a little disappointed that the views through the windows weren’t always clear and that I couldn’t linger when I wanted. It seems like the Treetop Trail should offer the best of both worlds: an elevated perspective with clear views and the time to enjoy them.

By Trent Jonas

Location

Minnesota Zoo

 13000 Zoo Blvd

 Apple Valley, MN 

ICYMI

DNMI: The Gunflint Trail’s Biggest Blueberry Contest – Grand Marais, MN

Northern Clay Center August Featured Artists – Minneapolis, MN

Northern Clay Center August Featured Artists – Minneapolis, MN

August Featured Artists: Jil Franke, Mike Jabbur, Brent Pafford, Olivia Tani

Join us in celebrating our August Featured Artists! With an abundance of work from four different artists with vastly different styles, you’re sure to find something to take home!

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