Your Minnesota Weekend: Catch a fish, or train

Lettuce
Small lettuce plants. available at many local garden stores such as Mother Earth Gardens in Minneapolis, come in a variety of colors and textures. They can be planted in pots and harvested for use in everyday cooking.
MPR Photo/Jennifer Simonson

The weekend is finally here. And with that first spring storm under our belt, we're ready to hit the lakes running.

But if the fishing opener is your number one stop this weekend, better get your bait early. Prime bites may be harder to get a hold of this year because of regulations aimed at stopping invasive species in their tracks.

Map: Aquatic invasive species spread across Minn.

Aquatic invasives
Starting at top right, clockwise: Zebra mussels, Asian carp, flowering rush, spiny waterflea, faucet snail, eurasian watermilfoil.
Photos: MPR News, AP, DNR, USGS

At least the ice is gone.

Create a More Connected Minnesota

MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.

Ice melts in NE Minn. just in time for fishing opener

Of course, once you've reeled in your lines, don't forget Mother's Day this Sunday. Little Mason and Emma may just giggle and burp, but hopefully the older kids can find time between retweets to grab some flowers.

Looking for something to do with mom?

For a celebratory tale of female empowerment, check out "Behind the Eye," which continues its run this weekend at the Park Square Theatre. The play explores the exciting career of female World War II photographer Lee Miller.

Art Hounds: Hero's Journey, Behind the Eye, and a sexy, sensual groove from Sloslylove

Behind the Eye
A scene from Park Square Theatre's "Behind the Eye."
Courtesy Park Square Theatre

Or hearken back with a film about Ralph Steadman. Steadman is best known for his illustrations in the works of Hunter S. Thomson, but he is also recognized as one the world's greatest satirical artists.

The film "For No Good Reason" explores his notable career. It opens this weekend in Minneapolis.

Ralph Steadman at home
Ralph Steadman at home in England in the new documantary about his life and work "For No Good Reason."
Courtesy Sony Pictures Classics

Stop by your local farmers market. This year's hard winter hasn't stopped those spring greens. Beth Dooley, author or "Minnesota's Bounty, the Farmer's Cookbook" let us in this week on her early spring favorites.

Appetites: Spring brings fresh greens, lighter cuisine

Wishing you had more to talk about with your favorite farmer? There's always the bees. Minnesota is one of five states receiving federal money to help the honeybees. Find some food for thought in a new memoir by Dave Goulson, a long-time bee-admirer and professor of biological and environmental sciences at the University of Sussex.

Dave Goulson on saving the bees

'A Sting in the Tale'
'A Sting in the Tale' by Dave Goulson
Book cover courtesy of publisher

But if you really want to knock it out of the park this Sunday, the Current's Andrea Swensson says there's nothing better than a free brunch show with Chris Koza.

The Ice House in Minneapolis will be hosting The Rogue Valley frontman at 11 a.m. this Sunday. Swensson says their brunch shows usually run into the early afternoon.

Local Gig List: May 8-11

If it's a local craft brew your mom's hankering for, best to grab that growler early. There was a glimmer of hope for Sunday growler sales, but it vanished this week.

House passes liquor bill without Sunday growlers

MPR News' meteorologists say the weather will be quite spring-like for this weekend's festivities. Temperatures will be a bit cooler on Saturday, but may reach the 70's by the end of the weekend. You can expect scattered showers, intermingled with sun.

Severe weather gone; cool, unsettled weekend coming

Severe Weather
Nou Katzmarek tries to shield herself from an afternoon downpour in Savage, Min., Thursday, May 8, 2014.
Glenn Stubbe/Star Tribune via AP

Get daily forecasts on your phone: Text 'weather' to 677677

With that kind of weather, it looks to be a nice weekend for a trip.

If you're looking to stay local, hop on a bike. Stay away from crowded intersections if you can. High traffic areas have yielded the most bike crashes in recent years.

Tracking the most dangerous intersections for Minneapolis cyclists

Cycling safety
We attached cameras to Janne Flisrand's bike and asked her to show us how she navigates hot spot intersections in Minneapolis, Minn. The intersections have among the highest numbers of crashes involving bicycles based on crash data from 2009-2013.
Bill Middeke/KARE 11

It's a good time to break out that electric car. Minneapolis installed 39 new charging stations for electric vehicles on Wednesday. There are about 2,000 electric vehicles owned and operated in the state, according to Drive Electric Minnesota, a coalition of government entities, business and private groups that advocates increase use of electric vehicles.

Electric car charging stations come to Minneapolis

Feeling more adventurous? Go ahead and hop on a train. It's the first weekend since 1971 that passenger trains are passing through St. Paul's Union Depot. From there, you can find yourself en route to Chicago or even headed out to Portland. You might want to grab some extra reading, though, in case Amtrak's scheduling kinks aren't quite worked out.

All aboard: Amtrak returns to downtown St. Paul, but not without challenges

One suggestion for a good read: The newest novel from St. Paul's own Nicole Kelby. "The Pink Suit" tells the story behind the creation of the suit Jackie Kennedy wore in Dallas on the day President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. Kelby says she wanted her novel to explore what the First Lady meant to ordinary Americans at the time.

St. Paul novelist tries on Jackie's suit

Amtrak train
An Amtrak train waits at the platform at Union Depot in St. Paul, Minn. Wednesday, May 7, 2014. The first arrival of a passenger train since the renovation of Union Depot is scheduled for Wednesday evening.
Jeffrey Thompson/MPR News

Whatever you do, don't try to board the Green Line. Not quite yet. You may be seeing lots of trains, but Metro Transit says it is still in testing mode. Service between downtown Minneapolis and St. Paul is on track to begin next Wednesday, June 14.

Metro Transit heading into final month of Green Line testing

Here's a few suggestions for the weekend soundtrack:

The hip hop group Atmosphere released a new album this week. Its title, "Southsiders," pays homage to the south side of Minneapolis, where band members Ant and Slug grew up Writes Current blogger Andrea Swensson:

The arrangements on Southsiders move away from the live instrumentation that defined The Family Sign (guitarist Nate Collis and keyboardist Erick Anderson, who have also toured with Atmosphere in recent years, are on hiatus from the group) and switch back to the basic formula of Ant's intricate production and Slug's introspective lyricism.

Art Hounds recommends DJ SloSlyLove, who plays this Saturday at Hexagon Bar in Minneapolis. Openers include Phantom Tails, Danger Ron & the Spins and Pornonono.

The Current's Local Gig List features the Theo Brown Album-Release show this Friday at Amsterdam Bar and Hall in St. Paul. The R&B singer will release his latest album, "The Void".

Also topping the Current's list are Tine and the B-Sides, playing at First Avenue on Saturday night.

It's time to populate the summer calendar. The Walker Art Center announced its schedule for music and movies in the park this season. The free movie screenings run Mondays in August, following live music at 7 p.m.

Walker reveals Summer Music and Movies lineup