Your Minnesota weekend: Classic summer edition, with a side of jazz

Lake Harriet beach
Lake Harriet in Minneapolis.
MPR Photo/Hart Van Denburg/File

Weather & Roads

How do you know it's a summer weekend in Minnesota? The radar glows with vibrant colors, while thunder, your weather radio and your rain-filled downspouts make strange musical weather noises.

Get ready for a mixed bag weekend that should feature a little something for everyone.

Some warm sunny hours? Check. Steamy tropical dew points approaching the 70 degree mark. Roger that. Occasional thunderstorms and a slight risk for severe storms from NOAA. Yep.

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• Updraft: Classic summer weekend: steamy sun, occasional thunder
• Check your local forecast

Minnehaha Falls kayaker
Hunt Jennings goes over Minnehaha Falls Thursday, June 19, 2014 in Minneapolis.
Jennifer Simonson/MPR News

The state Department of National Resources is advising paddlers to stay off rivers, which are mostly higher and faster than normal. But outfitters say some rivers are safe enough for even occasional kayakers and canoeists.

Kara Owens, a boat and water safety specialist with the DNR, urges caution.

"Think twice before heading out on the water," she said. "The water is high and that water is moving very fast. And with the fast water and high water, there's more debris."

• More: DNR warns kayakers, canoeists about high, fast waters

Drivers will find a major road closure in the northeast suburbs this weekend starting at 10 p.m. Friday.

MnDOT says that Highway 36 between Rice Street and Highway 61 will close on either side of Interstate 35E in Roseville and Maplewood.

But that closing will be followed by others. Crews may shut down Roselawn Avenue and County Road B as soon as Sunday, again to remove bridge decking on 35E.

• More: Major road closure in northeast suburbs this weekend

Food & Drink

Mo Rocca, Russell Klein
Writer, actor, comedian Mo Rocca and Russell Klein, chef at Meritage and Brasserie Zentral, joined The Daily Circuit's Friday Roundtable.
Stephanie Curtis/MPR News

This week's Friday Roundtable on The Daily Circuit focused on food and nostalgia -- particularly childhood food memories, and how they have shaped three famous foodies, including Mo Rocca, writer, actor, comedian and host of My Grandmother's Ravioli.

Mo Rocca, Minnesotans share their favorite childhood food memories

Festivals & Music

Crash Trio
Bassist Pablo Menares, saxophonist Melissa Aldana, and Francisco Mela make up the Crash Trio.
Courtesy of Concord Music Group

The 2014 Twin Cities Jazz Festival includes an expanded list of performances, from big national names to vibrant local ensembles.

This year's headliners include saxophonist Branford Marsalis, who performs at 8:30 p.m. Friday on the Mears Park Main Stage. On Saturday, saxophonist Melissa Aldana takes the stage at 6 p.m., followed by singer Dianne Reeves at 8:30 p.m.

It's also Pride Weekend in the Twin Cities. Find more about the events scheduled from our sister station The Current, where Dan Savage stopped by to play DJ for "Theft of the Dial."

This week's exploration of the upper Midwest's many summer festivals brings us to Lake City, Minn., for the 43rd annual Water Ski Days Festival.

The water ski shows have been canceled, but there will still be a carnival, parade and live music from the Lovin' Spoonful.

See more weekend festivals here

Books & Movies

Every generation grew up with its TV family. If you were born in the '90s, it was probably Cory Matthews' family. Cory and Topanga are coming back to TV, but this time as parents. Millennials are starting to have kids of their own, so Disney, which owns ABC, decided it was time to reboot "Boy Meets World" for a new generation. The title? "Girl Meets World," of course. Read more about it here.

Rudy Maxa
Rudy Maxa in Kyoto.
Photo courtesy of Rudy Maxa

The Daily Circuit's Roaming and Reading segment is a mash-up of two things Kerri Miller loves: literature and travel.

This week, PBS host Rudy Maxa joined The Daily Circuit for an extended Roaming and Reading. They discussed books that inspired you to travel. Weigh in with what books inspire you to travel in the show's comments.

Speaking of reading, researchers are saying that it's never too early to start reading to infants. In a policy statement released Tuesday, the American Academy of Pediatrics called for pediatricians to talk with all parents about reading to their children starting in infancy, and to give books to "high-risk, low-income young children" at office visits.