Upcoming Events

Loft Events

For In-person events: Advanced tickets guarantee a general admission seat and help cover the Loft's costs to host the event. We are committed to accessibility at our events. If the event cost is a barrier, please show up to the event and we will accommodate you at the door through pay-what-you-can admission.  

Date
Time
6:30pm-8:30pm
Celebrate Indigenous Place — A Poetry Service Announcement

Join Heid E. Erdrich and a cohort of poets convened and commissioned as part of her fellowship from the Academy of American Poets.

Presenters
Heid E. Erdrich
Price
$0.00
$0.00 (Friend)
Poetry Service Announcement Graphic
Date
Time
2:30pm-4:30pm
Craft Talk: The ABCs and 123s (and other clichés) of Picture Book Writing

Please join us for a craft talk on writing picture books with the 2024 McKnight judge in Children’s Literature, Don Tate! 



Presenters
Don Tate
Price
$40.00
$36.00 (Friend)
Location
The Loft at Open Book
Square promotional image for a picture book craft talk featuring author and illustrator Don Tate. Don Tate stands smiling in a denim shirt, hands clasped. His signature is prominently displayed over his torso. The background is bright pink with a grid texture and a border of illustrated picture book covers. Large bold text reads: “The ABCs and 123s (and other cliches) of Picture Book Writing.” The Loft Literary Center logo appears at the top, along with a black and white calendar icon showing May 31.
Date
Time
5pm-7pm
Friend Fête (June 2025)

Come together as one big friend group at our semi-annual gathering for Friends of the Loft! Have a drink and a bite, make connections, and participate in the open mic at this free donor social hour.

Price
$0.00
$0.00 (Friend)
Location
The Loft at Open Book
Friend Fete
Date
Time
12:30pm-1:30pm
Loft Young Writers' Open Mic: Summer Youth Week 1

Join and celebrate the Loft's young writers as they read from works written in a Loft summer youth camp! This reading takes place from 12:30-1:30PM and is open to family, friends, and the public.

Presenters
Marianne Manzler
Price
$0.00
$0.00 (Friend)
Youth Open Mic
Date
Time
7pm-8:30pm
Writing Excuses Podcast LIVE at the Loft

Join the Loft for a rare chance to watch the award-winning Writing Excuses podcast record live episodes, right here in Minneapolis. Audience members will be able to bring their writing questions to the show and have a chance to get them answered.

Presenters
Erin Roberts
Mary Robinette Kowal
DongWon Song
Howard Tayler
Dan Wells
Price
$15.00
$10.00 (Friend)
Location
The Loft at Open Book
Writing Excuses Event
Date
Time
12:30pm-1:30pm
Loft Young Writers' Open Mic: Summer Youth Week 2

Join and celebrate the Loft's young writers as they read from works written in a Loft summer youth camp! This reading takes place from 12:30-1:30PM and is open to family, friends, and the public.

Presenters
Marianne Manzler
Price
$0.00
$0.00 (Friend)
Youth Open Mic
Date
Time
7pm-9pm
Mentor Series Reading with Anaïs Duplan and Chris Stark

The Loft Literary Center Presents a 2025-2026 Loft Mentor Series Reading with mentors Anaïs Duplan and Chris Stark and fellows Michelle Jayne, Angelina Nguyen, and Mary Beth Becker.

Presenters
Anaïs Duplan
Chris Stark
Michelle Jayne
Angelina Nguyen
Mary Beth Becker
Price
$10.00
$5.00 (Friend)
Location
The Loft at Open Book
Graphic depicting the upcoming Mentor Series reading with the headshots of the two mentors and three fellows.
Date
Time
5pm-9pm
Art in Words - Writing@Mia: GIANTS II: The Dean Collection (July)

Come, write about art in an immersive experience of exhibitions, lectures, and collections at the Minneapolis Art Institute. In this adventurous class, writer and Loft Executive & Artistic Director, Arleta Little, will invite participants to explore ekphrastic writing through discussion, exercises, and workshops while learning about visual art and artists from the 20th and 21st centuries.

Presenters
Arleta M. Little
Price
$0.00
$0.00 (Friend)
Location
Minneapolis Institute of Art
Art in Words at MIA
Date
Time
12:30pm-1:30pm
Loft Young Writers' Open Mic: Summer Youth Week 3

Join and celebrate the Loft's young writers as they read from works written in a Loft summer youth camp! This reading takes place from 12:30-1:30PM and is open to family, friends, and the public.

Presenters
Marianne Manzler
Price
$0.00
$0.00 (Friend)
Youth Open Mic