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Catch up on your sleep Friday night, because Saturday's Northern Spark festival doesn't stop 'til the sun comes up. The all-night art extravaganza kicks off at 9 p.m. on Saturday and dazzles until 5:26 a.m., with music, sculpture, theater, opera and interactive art projects spread throughout Minneapolis.

Northern Spark art festival takes all-night gaming to a new dimension

Think of it as "an art smorgasbord catered by hundreds of artists," said organizers Steve Dietz and Sarah Peters. The 

 includes more than 70 activities and attractions.

Here's just a taste of what the night holds.

8 reasons to stay up all night with Northern Spark

 | Minneapolis College of Art and Design, all night

Printmaking, roller skating and disco music aren't often used in the same sentence but here you go: There's a printmaking roller skating party at MCAD with disco music! They've set up a roller rink and will have skates to use at no charge. You can also experiment with printmaking techniques using old skates and glow-in-the-dark ink.

Let the Minnesota Astronomical Society lead you in star gazing outside the art museum. At 11 p.m., some more nocturnal friends will arrive: The Raptor Center will bring out the owls.

 | Mill City Museum, multiple presentations

Enjoy a taste of opera under the stars with the cast of the Mill City Summer Opera. They promise a "musical journey twisting classical music and popular genres into one exciting evening of music." Shows will begin at 9, 10 and 11 p.m.; each will run approximately 45 minutes.

It will be writer vs. writer in downtown Minneapolis Saturday night. Local arts organization Revolver is hosting their third annual literary duel. Two writers at a time will face off at typewriters, trying their best to pen a mini-masterpiece in the face of disruptions and distractions. (That's not all Revolver has planned: They're also hosting 

 at MCAD, a room full of stories you'll need a flashlight to explore.)

 | Mill City Museum Train Shed, all night

The brainchild of experimental theater artist Roger Nieboer, Marketopia promises to be "part financial counseling session, part walk-through board game, part hands-on microeconomics lesson, and part flea market from another planet."

You've never played foosball like this before. You know the little plastic people on sticks you maneuver to hit the ball? Those will all be real human players. The organizing artists have built a scaled-up, 30-foot foosball court.

The Water Bar is exactly that: a bar that serves samples of local tap waters. Visitors can sip water from around the Twin Cities and learn about local water resources. The chatty bartenders are scientists, water advocates and environmental science students. Bottoms up!

The lights will stay on all night at the Walker Art Center. Tour the galleries from dusk 'til dawn for free. They have a full schedule of events indoors and out, along with food trucks, live music and a chance to make art of your own.

Arts and Culture

Tracy Mumford

Author

The all-night art extravaganza runs from Saturday night until sunrise on Sunday, with music, sculpture, theater, opera and interactive art projects spread throughout Minneapolis.

8 reasons to stay up all night with Northern Spark

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