Diverse Radio for Minnesota’s Communities
17 Unique Stations from Border to Border
17 Unique Stations from Border to Border
After losing a year of the Minnesota State Fair to COVID, the fair is on track to open again this summer as usual. And of course, that means…new foods! Nikki Hines is the person that books the food vendors for the fair. She joined Julie to give us a preview of what we can expect.
WTIP’s The Roadhouse is supported in part by funding from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.
Favorite local musician Pete K joined The Roadhouse for our first live in-studio music session in more than a year! You can learn more about Pete’s music and schedule here.
WTIP’s The Roadhouse is supported in part by funding from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.
Anthony Brutus Cassius was questioned by the FBI, fought to be the first Black person in Minnesota to get a liquor license, and his famous greasy burgers were once mentioned on the Johnny Carson show. But above all, starting in the 1930s, Cassius created space for the Twin Cities Black community to eat, drink, organize and connect. Even today, there are hardly any Black-owned bars or restaurants in the Twin Cities. Cassius’ story helps us to understand how we got here.
“The Godfather of Black Space in Minneapolis” traces Cassius’ life and impact as a labor organizer, civil rights leader, and entrepreneur. This episode of the MinneCulture Podcast was produced by food writer and chef Mecca Bos and audio journalist Nancy Rosenbaum. It’s the first installment in the Hidden Black Foodways of Minnesota — an audio documentary and podcast series that will spotlight untold and under-told stories of Minnesota’s Black food makers and pioneers.
In downtown Minneapolis, there’s a gay bar with several dance floors conveniently named the Gay 90’s.
The Gay 90’s hasn’t always been gay. The bar began as a supper club for a straight crowd. It opened in the 1950s and the name was a reference to an earlier decade, the 1890s.
Then, in 1975, the vibe changed in a big way. The owners of the Gay 90’s bought a disco ball, hired DJs, and turned the 90’s into a club catering to gay men.
In this original KFAI documentary, “Fly Robin Fly: That Disco-Crazed Moment When The Gay 90’s Came Out Of The Closet” by KFAI’s Todd Melby, you’ll hear a history of the bar featuring some of the people who worked, danced and connected at the Gay 90’s.
Theme music by Xavier Santiago. Other music by J. Melby. Thanks to the Tretter Collection at the University of Minnesota for photography and oral history audio. Image courtesy of the Minnesota Historical Society.
Support for the MinneCulture Podcast on KFAI comes from the Minnesota Arts and Cultual Heritage Fund.
Thirty years ago, variety was hard to come by at Twin Cities farmers markets. But that’s changed, with many operations boasting an array of fresh fruits and vegetables. Much of it is grown by Hmong-American farmers, who have firmly established their influence on the local food scene. Mike Moen reports on how this family tradition from another side of the world found new life in the Midwest.
Mark Seeley is a longtime climatologist and commentator on MPR. He joined Brian on The Roadhouse to talk about the drought conditions across Minnesota and if any relief could be on the way this summer.
WTIP’s The Roadhouse is supported in part by funding from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.
It’s summer, and that means it’s time to check in with one of our longtime guests, Sam Cook.
Sam is a retired outdoors writer for the Duluth News Tribune, though he still contributes a weekly general column. He joined Dave on The Roadhouse.
WTIP’s The Roadhouse is supported in part by funding from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.
