River Arts Alliance

Frozen River Film Festival Celebrates 20 Years with New Film Series
2025-12-11 - 2025-12-18, 2025-12-12 - 2025-12-19, 2025-12-13 - 2025-12-20, 2025-12-14 - 2025-12-21, 2025-12-15 - 2025-12-22, 2025-12-16 - 2025-12-23, 2025-12-17 - 2025-12-24
frff.eventive.org
This year the Frozen River Film Festival (FRFF) will be celebrating 20 years of bringing documentary films and filmmakers to Winona. The festival begins Sunday, February 9, (You can still get home in time to watch the Super Bowl!) and runs through Sunday, February 16. This year’s event will feature the World Premiere of FRFF’s self-produced documentary, Beneath the Ice: The Frozen River Film Festival Story. Learn more.

Water Music: Chamber Music at the Minnesota Marine Art Museum
2025-12-11 16:30 - 18:30, 2025-12-11 19:00 - 21:00 (America/Chicago) | Minnesota Marine Art Museum, 800 Riverview Dr., Winona, MN, 55987, United States
November 13, December 11, March 5, April 16
4:30 and 7:00 each day
Minnesota Marine Art Museum
The Minnesota Marine Art Museum (MMAM) is pleased to announce the return of Water Music: Chamber Music at the Minnesota Marine Art Museum, presented in partnership with the Winona Symphony Orchestra. Now entering its fifth season, Water Music brings together art and music through a series of four chamber music concerts performed in an intimate setting within the museum’s galleries. Each performance is designed to highlight both the visual treasures of the MMAM and musical masterworks connected by a shared theme.
New for the 2025–26 season, each concert evening will feature two performances, at 4:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. Between the two performances, guests are invited to enjoy a reception in the MMAM atrium, featuring a treat prepared by the museum’s new Waterbar Café + Provisions inspired by the evening’s program, included with the ticket price. A cash bar will also be available. Guests are encouraged to come early or stay late to enjoy food, drinks, and conversation surrounded by art and music.
The Water Music season begins on Thursday, November 13, 2025, with Water Music: Epic Journeys, paired with the exhibition A Spectacle in Motion: The Grand Panorama of a Whaling Voyage ‘Round the World. The program will include Shostakovich’s Two Pieces for String Octet and Mendelssohn’s Octet for Strings, featuring guest violin soloist Nash Ryder and musicians from the Winona Symphony Orchestra and Apollo Chamber Music.
The second concert, Water Music: Christmas Concertos, will be presented on Thursday, December 11, 2025, paired with Alexis Rockman: Oceanus. The program will include Torelli’s Christmas Concerto, Vaughan Williams’s Fantasia on “Greensleeves”, and Corelli’s Christmas Concerto, performed by musicians from the Winona Symphony Orchestra.
On Thursday, March 5, 2026, MMAM will host Water Music: Quince Ensemble, paired with the exhibition Fluid: What is Marine Art and What Can it Be? This program will feature Zohn-Muldoon’s Destierros and Night and McKinley’s Ten Medieval Songs, performed by guest artists Quince Ensemble and violinist Erik Rohde.
The season concludes on Thursday, April 16, 2026, with Water Music: The Coast and the Sea, paired with the exhibition The Coast and the Sea: Marine and Maritime Art in America. This program will include new chamber works written for baritone Alan Dunbar, featuring Dunbar and guest musicians.
Single concert tickets are $30 for general admission, $25 for MMAM members, seniors, and active military, and $10 for students. Tickets may be reserved online at https://mmam.org/water-music. The Water Music series is presented by the Minnesota Marine Art Museum and the Winona Symphony Orchestra, and is supported by Your Classical MPR.
The Minnesota Marine Art Museum is a nonprofit art museum that creates meaningful art experiences that explore our relationship with water. Located in Winona, Minnesota, the purpose-built museum is located on the banks of the Mississippi River and boasts six galleries, an educational and events space, and a destination retail shop on its seven-acre riverside campus. It is through this surprising diversity that MMAM is not only describing what marine art is, but pushing the boundaries of what marine art can be.
The Minnesota Marine Art Museum is an organizational member of the River Arts Alliance. To learn more about the benefits of membership, please visit: riverartsalliance.org/membership/.
Image credit: Previous Water Music concert at MMAM, surrounded by the immersive art of Anne Labovitz, featuring Liz Pearse, soprano, and musicians of the Winona Symphony Orchestra.

Call to Artists: Between the Bluffs Plein Air
2025-12-11 18:00 - 21:00, 2025-12-12 18:00 - 21:00, 2025-12-13 18:00 - 21:00, 2025-12-14 18:00 - 21:00, 2025-12-15 18:00 - 21:00, 2025-12-16 18:00 - 21:00, 2025-12-17 18:00 - 21:00
Demonstrations: Sat. Oct 11 9 – Noon
Show: Oct 17, 18, 19
Betweenthebluffs.com
Colleen Shore is a member of the River Arts Alliance. To learn more about the benefits of membership, please visit: riverartsalliance.org/membership/.

Christmas Radio Show: Sam Shovel, Private Eye Twelve Days of Chaos!
2025-12-11 19:00 - 21:00, 2025-12-12 19:00 - 21:00, 2025-12-13 19:00 - 21:00, 2025-12-14 14:00 - 16:00 | 251 Main Street Winona, MN 55987 The Historic Masonic Temple, 251 Main Street, Winona, MN, 55987, United States
Thursday, December 11 | 7pm
Friday, December 12 | 7pm
Saturday, December 13 | 7pm
Sunday, December 14 | 2pm
The ARC – Home of the Historic Masonic Theatre
255 Main Street Winona MN

Theatre du Mississippi Presents: Sam Shovel, Twelve Days of Chaos. Theatre du Mississippi is bringing back our beloved annual Christmas radio show, and this year, the holiday spirit comes with a mystery twist! Join hard-boiled detective Sam Shovel as he unwraps a case filled with festive foul play, suspicious Santas, and more holiday hijinks than you can shake a candy cane at.
Sam Shovel: Twelve Days of Chaos is an original script written by Jim and Jane Jeffries and directed by Michael Opiola. Tune in (or come see it live!) for witty wordplay, nostalgic radio flair, and plenty of Christmas cheer… with just a hint of noir.
Celebrate the season with laughter, intrigue, and a touch of “chaos” only Theatre du Mississippi can deliver!
Pre-Sale Tickets Online: Sliding scale $7-$28
$25 at the Door
Get Tickets Here
Theatre du Mississippi is an organizational member of the River Arts Alliance. To learn more about the benefits of membership, please visit: riverartsalliance.org/membership/.

Commonweal Theatre Presents A Sherlock Carol
2025-12-11 19:30 - 22:00, 2025-12-12 19:30 - 22:00, 2025-12-13 13:30 - 16:00, 2025-12-13 19:30 - 22:00, 2025-12-14 13:30 - 16:00 | Commonweal Theatre, 208 Parkway Ave. N, Lanesboro, MN, United States
Preview Dates
Saturday, Nov 8 | 7:30-10:00 pm
Sunday, Nov 9 | 1:30-4:00 pm
Thurs-Fri, Nov 13-14| 7:30-10:00 pm
Full Run Dates Listed on RAA Event Page
Commonweal Theatre Company
208 Parkway Ave N, Lanesboro, MN
commonwealtheatre.org

Join the Commonweal Theatre Company for Mark Shanahan’s merry and mysterious mashup, A Sherlock Carol. The worlds of Charles Dickens and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle collide in the ultimate Christmas crossover! Learn more.

Prior To The Fields- How Humans and the Land Interact Exhibition Opening and Artist Reception
2025-12-12 17:00 - 19:00 | Blue Heron Coffeehouse, 162 W 2nd St, Winona, MN, 55987, United States
Dec 12 | 5-7 pm
Blue Heron Cafe 162 W 2nd St Winona, MN
Exhibit on display Dec. 9, 2025 – Feb. 2, 2026
Prior to the Fields: an exhibition of drawings by Lois Peterson and Lynn Hobart. Opening reception Dec. 12th 5-7 pm. The images used by both artists are influenced by local woodlands, grasslands and Prairies. For those that wish to help in returning native ecosystems to our local area, native seed packets provided by Prairie Moon Nursery and Lois Peterson, will be available free of charge during the opening reception.
Through the creation of detailed drawings of native plants, fallen segments of trees and imaginative visual narratives, Peterson and Hobart consider the importance of a critical balance in our natural environment. Their observations provide an opportunity for each of us to thoughtfully consider our respective roles and abilities in effecting change.
*This Activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Southeastern Minnesota Arts Council thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.
Lois Peterson is a member of the River Arts Alliance. To learn more about the benefits of membership, please visit: riverartsalliance.org/membership/.

Winona Brass Band Season Begins Nov. 9
2025-12-13 11:00 - 13:00 | Winona Middle School Auditorium, 1570 Homer Rd, Winona, MN, 55987, United States
November 9 | 3:00 pm
Winona Middel School
December 13 | 11:00 am
Central Lutheran Church
April 12 | 3:00 pm
TBD

The Winona Brass Band open their 32 nd season with a Fall Concert on Sunday November 9 at 3:00 pm in the Winona Middle School Auditorium. The performance features selections suggested by members of the group resulting in an eclectic mix from British composer Malcolm Arnold’s Four Scottish Dances to the music of Queen. All WBB concerts are free and open to all. Free-will donations gratefully are accepted at the door.
Founded 1993, this British Style traditional Brass Band is unique in our area. Consisting only of brass instruments and percussion, the sound has been described as rich, vibrant, and organ-like. Instruments include cornets, flugelhorn, alto horns, trombones, baritones, euphoniums, tubas and percussion – 28 players in all!
WBB has made the Winona Middle School their rehearsal and performance home since fall 2024, with both fall and spring concerts happening in the Middle School Auditorium. The December 13 performance will be held at Central Lutheran Church at 11 am rounding out a full day of holiday festivities including a craft sale, Scandinavian-based bake sale and soup/sandwich lunch. The spring concert, scheduled for Sunday April 12 at 3 pm, will feature guest composer and conductor Dr. Jack Stamp as well as a few more players favorites that couldn’t fit into the fall concert!
The Winona Brass Band is a non-profit community ensemble with members from throughout the region. If you’re a brass or percussion player and are interested in membership opportunities please contact Janet Heukeshoven at jheukesh@smumn.edu or WBB board president, John Helm at helmje2@gmail.com. Follow the Winona Brass Band on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/winonabrassband.
Eric Heukeshoven is a member of the River Arts Alliance. To learn more about the benefits of membership, please visit: riverartsalliance.org/membership/.

Sounds of the Season with Winona Brass Band
2025-12-13 11:00 - 13:00 | Central Lutheran Church, 259 W Wabasha St., Winona, MN, 55987, United States
Get into the holiday spirit with the Winona Brass Band as they return to Central Lutheran Church
to present a festive concert on December 13 at 11:00 am.
It’s going to be a full day at Central
Lutheran with the popular Holiday Bake Sale starting at 9:00 am in Grace Hall – rosettes,
krumkake, lefse and more, plus a craft sale. The Brass Band concert will be in the sanctuary from
11:00-11:45 followed by a soup/sandwich lunch.
All are welcome to join in the holiday
festivities!
The Winona Brass Band, directed by Dr. Janet Heukeshoven, will perform a wide variety of
familiar Christmas carols. The audience can even sing-along at this family-friendly event.
Winona Brass Band concerts are free and open to all. Donations are accepted to support the
group’s mission to bring their unique style of music to a diverse audience free of charge.
The Winona Brass Band is a non-profit community ensemble with members from throughout the
region. If you’re a brass or percussion player and are interested in membership opportunities
please contact Janet Heukeshoven at jheukesh@smumn.edu or WBB board president, John Helm
at helmje2@gmail.com.
Follow the Winona Brass Band on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/winonabrassb

Johnson Street Underground Holiday Concert
2025-12-13 19:00 - 21:00 | Winona Arts Center, 228 E. 5th St., Winona
Please join us in welcoming back our favorite TTBB acappella group,
Johnson Street Underground, for their annual holiday concert at the Winona Arts Center, 228 E 5th Street, Saturday, December 13 at 7:00.
Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the door — available at Music Mart and Eventbrite.
JSU covers a wide variety of songs and styles, including tunes by Maroon 5,
Dolly Parton, the Beatles, and Adele. Matt Schultz is the lead tenor along with
Seth Flatten being the lyric tenor. JSU’s baritone is Charlie Opatz, who also
swaps parts with everyone else. Rounding out the group is John Chernega as
the bass and group humorist! This year’s holiday show includes new tunes,
percussion, and audience sing-alongs.
Gallery and coffeehouse open at 6:00 for coffee and treats; cash bar
available for wine and beer.
Our concert series is funded in part by donations
from Merchants National Bank. Dahl Toyota, and Affinity Plus Credit Union.

Mini Book Class with Preston Lawing
2025-12-14 13:00 - 15:00 | Winona Arts Center, 228 E. 5th St., Winona
Join us on Sunday December 14 from 1:00 to 3:00pm for a Preston Lawing Mini Book
Workshop.
In this workshop you will learn how to make a small 3” miniature book
combining folded paper sheets to form origami pages that can be opened, displayed
and shared. The small pages may be used for drawings, journal entries, family
memories, thoughts, quotes and recipes. When the book is turned inside out and
opened into an exploded star shape, it can be hung as a decoration or displayed as a
keepsake miniature book to treasure or share. Class cost is $20 for members and $25
for non-members. All materials provided.
Contact Jen at jsbenson50@gmail to register
for this workshop.
