Join us for the Big River’s biggest night, as we celebrate Friends of the Mississippi River’s 25th anniversary. To mark the occasion, this year’s annual signature event, “An Evening Celebrating the Mississippi River,” will focus on how the river inspires — shining the spotlight on the connection between the river and our thriving local arts community. Because the Mighty Mississippi is a muse for so much creativity and cultural expression, our program will celebrate and feature local, acclaimed artists of various media who rely on our Big River as a source of inspiration and rejuvenation, including:

Jearlyn Steele, vocalist and emcee
Seitu Jones, artist and storyteller
Laura Caviani, jazz pianist and composer
Bao Phi, author, poet, and spoken word artist
Gwen Westerman, educator, poet and fiber artist
Sandy Spieler, water lover, artist and activist
Tom Reiter, photographer and documentarian
Mniówe, indigenous Water Bar
Write to the River, compilation of river-inspired prose and poetry

From our lovely venue, Aria in Minneapolis’ North Loop, together we will:

• celebrate FMR’s 25th anniversary and all that we have achieved together
• look to the next 25 years and beyond and what remains critical to advancing our urban river conservation mission
• savor local, seasonal fare and refreshments
• enjoy an entertaining river-themed live auction
• relish the company of fellow friends of the river

Need another reason to attend? Proceeds from the event directly support Friends of the Mississippi River’s work to protect, restore and enhance the Mississippi River, a treasured resource in our midst.

Tickets are now available

If you have questions, would like to RSVP over the phone, or have an access or disability-related request that would make your evening more enjoyable, please contact John Czyscon at 651.222.2193 x19 or jczyscon@fmr.org.