Long-time and much-beloved professor Mary Easter is retiring from Carleton College. As you might imagine, given Mary’s prominence locally and nationally, there’s a big to-do about it on Saturday, with a performance, celebration, and reception. However, it’s hard, at least for me, not to consider the biggest cultural event of the weekend to be Carleton vs. Saint John’s for the MIAC Football Championship. But let’s get to the details.


Friday, November 14th, it all starts out with Northfield Reads, Faith Sullivan, Sheila O’Connor, Heid Erdrich, Wang Ping, and Shannon Olson will read from and discuss “Riding Shotgun: Women Write About Their Mothers”, as part of the Northfield Reads! community-wide book club, 7:00 p.m., Great Hall on the Carleton College campus. Also “Spring Awakening” by Frank Wedekind, 7:30 p.m., Kelsey Theater, on the St. Olaf College campus, “Our Town” by Thorton Wilder, 7:30 p.m., in the Northfield High School Auditorium, Collegium Musicum/Early Music Singers Concert, 7:30 p.m., Boe Chapel on the St. Olaf College campus, an Orchestra Concert featuring Schubert’s Symphony No. 8 and Sibelius’ Symphony No. 5 conducted by Hector Valdivia, 8-9:30 p.m., in the Concert Hall on the Carleton College Campus, Karaoke, 9 p.m., at the Rueb-N-Stein, Norwegian Cowboy at the Tavern Lounge, and one of my personal favorites, Meredith Fierke at the Contented Cow.

Saturday, November 15th, the Carleton Knights take on the Saint John Johnnies for the MIAC Championship, 1 p.m., Carleton College Stadium, “Our Town” is performed at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Northfield High School Auditorium, the Special Performance “Dances for Mary”, 2:30 to 5:30 p.m., Arena Theater on the Carleton College campus, Kids Night Out at the YMCA, 6 – 9:00 p.m. in the Northfield Armory, Tuition Daddies, 6:30 – 9 p.m., Hogan Brothers, Sweet Jazz, 7 to 10:00 p.m., The HideAway, “Spring Awakening”, 7:30 p.m., Kelsey Theater, St. Olaf College campus, Poetry Reading, featuring Minnesota Poets, Marjorie Beuttner and Graham George, 7:30 p.m. Monkey See, Monkey Read, D J Music, 9 p.m., The Rueb-N-Stein, Marty Anderson and the Goods, The Contented Cow, and Lonesome Dan Kase, Tavern Lounge.

Sunday, November 16th, it’s Twenty Views of Dundas, 3 – 7:00 p.m., ArtOrg, Politics and a Pint, 6 p.m., Quiz Night, 8 p.m., and the Northern Roots Session, 7:30 p.m., all at the Contented Cow.