You can feel it starting to shift. The last couple of weeks the weather has been a little better, the days are noticeably longer, and people are actually going outside again without dreading it. Minnesota has a way of coming back to life right around this time of year, and this stretch has felt like that.

Over the past couple weeks the Girls Hockey State Tournament was in town, Brandi Carlile packed Target Center, and O'Shaughnessy pulled off another Beach Party that somehow made February feel like a good month. Spring isn't here yet but it's close enough that people are starting to make plans again.

March only adds to it. Here's what's going on over the next couple weeks.

BOYS HIGH SCHOOL HOCKEY TOURNAMENT

If you've lived in Minnesota for any amount of time, you already know this is one of the biggest events of the year. The MSHSL Boys Hockey State Tournament is a full-on cultural institution - packed arenas, school colors everywhere, kids who've been playing since they could skate competing for a championship on the same ice as the Minnesota Wild. It doesn't get more Minnesota than this.

The tournament runs through Saturday, March 7 at Grand Casino Arena in downtown St. Paul (199 W. Kellogg Blvd), with consolation rounds at 3M Arena at Mariucci on the U of M campus in Minneapolis.

MORE INFO HERE

Friday, March 6 at Grand Casino Arena:

Class A Semifinals: 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Class AA Semifinals: 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Saturday, March 7 at Grand Casino Arena:

Class A Third Place (9:30 a.m.) and Championship (noon)
Class AA Third Place (4 p.m.) and Championship (7 p.m.)

St. Patrick's Day falls on Tuesday, March 17, and the Twin Cities treat it like a week-long event. Here's the full rundown from now through the day itself.

Lucky's St. Patrick's Day Bar Crawl - March 14 Minneapolis and St. Paul | 4-10 p.m. Running in both cities the same day. The Minneapolis crawl checks in at NE Moose, The Loop, or Tom's Watch Bar. The St. Paul crawl starts at Bulldog Lowertown and works through the West 7th corridor. Drink specials and vouchers at each stop. Tickets at crawlwith.us - Minneapolis / St. Paul

St. Paddy's Party with 4ontheFloor at HeadFlyer Brewing - March 14 861 E. Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis | 7-11 p.m. | FREE HeadFlyer just announced they're closing their taproom on April 5 after nine years, so this St. Patrick's Day party with local favorites 4ontheFloor is one of the last big events they'll host. Free show, great pours, and a good reason to show up for one of Northeast's most loved spots before it closes.

Day of Irish Dance & Celebration - March 16 Landmark Center, St. Paul | 10 a.m.-5 p.m. | $7-9 Live musicians, championship Irish dancers, art exhibitions, storytelling, and free kids' crafts. One of the best cultural events St. Paul puts on all year.

St. Patrick's Day Parade - March 17, Noon Mears Park to Rice Park, St. Paul | FREE Running since 1967. Irish dancers, bagpipers, and a crowd that takes this seriously.

58th Annual St. Patrick's Day Parade - March 17, 1 p.m. Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis | FREE Floats, dancers, and shamrock spirit from 6th Street to 12th Street.

St. Patrick's Day at Insight Brewing - March 17 2821 E. Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis | 3-10 p.m. Green beer, boozy Shamrock shakes, and St. Patrick's Day Bingo with prizes.

LIVE SHOWS

**Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit**

One of the best live acts in Americana and rock. If you have any interest in great songwriting, this is the show of the two-week stretch.
**March 5** The Armory, Minneapolis
More info **HERE**.

**Dropkick Murphys**

There is no more appropriate band for the first weekend of March in Minnesota. Will probably sell out if it hasn't already.
**March 6** Palace Theatre, St. Paul
More info **HERE**.

**Cy Amundson**

Cy Amundson has a half hour special on Comedy Central as well as appearances on Conan, This Is Not Happening, and Devines House Party. He’s the cohost of the popular middle of somewhere podcast with Chad Daniels.
**March 5, 6 & 7** Acme Comedy Company, Minneapolis
More info **HERE**.

**Lucero**

Memphis rock and roll at its best, at the best venue in the city.
**March 15** First Avenue, Minneapolis
More info **HERE**.

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FAMILY FUN

March is a great time to get the kids out of the house. The weather is turning, cabin fever is real, and there's actually a lot going on around the metro right now. Here's what's going on for families the next couple weeks.

Click on an image for more information.

MSHSL Girls Basketball State Tournament

Right on the heels of hockey weekend, the Girls Basketball State Tournament takes over the U of M campus March 11-14. Class AA and AAA play at Williams Arena, the legendary Barn, while Class A games are held at Gangelhoff Center at Concordia. If you've never been to a state basketball tournament session, it's worth going - the atmosphere is great, the competition is legitimately high level, and tickets are much easier to come by than hockey. Check mshsl.org for the full bracket and session times once seeding is set on March 7.
More info **HERE**.

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RESTAURANT NEWS

House of Sambus - 527 W. Broadway Ave., Minneapolis | Minneapolis's newest Somali spot on Broadway Ave in the Northside serving fresh daily sambusas, burr pastries, tea, and coffee. The beef and lentil sambusas are both getting strong early reviews. Order the bur with cardamom Somali tea if you want to linger.

Volière Spirits & CrowBar - 704 E. Minnehaha Ave., St. Paul | Minnesota's first all-women-owned whiskey distillery opened in the historic Hamm's Brewery complex in St. Paul. They opened with a full lineup of eight-year-old whiskey - rare for any new distillery - by purchasing the barrel inventory from the former 11 Wells Spirits that occupied the same space. CrowBar is first-come, first-served, no reservations, vinyl spins nightly. A genuinely cool room worth the trip to the East Side.

Aubergine - 525 Selby Ave., St. Paul (former Revival space) | Cathedral Hill Megan and Bjorn Jacobse are opening their French restaurant in the former St. Paul Revival space in Cathedral Hill in March 2026. The menu draws from Bjorn's Lyonnaise roots with French technique, local Minnesota ingredients, and a wine-focused beverage program. One of the most anticipated openings in the Cities this year. Follow restaurantaubergine.com for the exact opening date.

A note on the local restaurant community: It's been a hard winter for a lot of spots around the metro. Showing up for the places you love - and trying the new ones - matters more right now than it usually does.