The Somali Museum of Minnesota, the nation’s first museum dedicated to Somali culture, will celebrate its 13th anniversary on Saturday, Oct. 31, at the Hopkins Center for the Arts in Hopkins. The event features live music, dance, comedy, a fashion show of traditional Somali dresses, and a new play titled “Laba Adduun,” written by the museum’s artistic director, Mohamoud O. Mohamed.
Founder Osman Ali, who began collecting artifacts in 2009 after the National Museum of Somalia was destroyed in the civil war, said the museum’s mission is to help diaspora members understand their heritage. “I was in diaspora for a long time and because of that, I wanted to know who I am, where I come from and where I belong,” Ali told attendees.
The museum’s collection includes more than 1,500 items—ceremonial drums, coastal jewelry, radios, farming tools and cow‑hide beds—that illustrate traditional Somali home life. The anniversary celebration will also showcase the Somali Museum Dance Troupe and a pop‑R&B sister duo, Faarrow, who will headline the evening.
Program coordinator Fadumo Ibrahim explained that the new play addresses generational communication gaps within the Somali community. “We want every single audience member to walk away thinking about how we can work together as a community to uplift each other,” she said.
New downtown location on the horizon
In addition to the celebration, the museum announced plans to relocate from its current basement space at Midtown Global Market to a newly purchased $2.3 million building at 3430 University Avenue S.E. in Minneapolis. The new facility, slated to open next year, will include a coffee shop and gift shop, expanding the museum’s ability to serve visitors and the broader community.
Zombie theater and Day of the Dead festivities
While the museum marks its milestone, Twin Cities arts lovers have more to enjoy. Minnesota writer Saymoukda Duangphouxay Vongsay’s world‑premiere play “Kung Fu Zombies vs. Southeast Asian Girl Scouts” runs at The O’Shaughnessy at St. Catherine University from Oct. 30 through Nov. 15. The supernatural comedy pits a troop of girl scouts against a zombie invasion and includes a Halloween costume contest on Oct. 31 and a post‑show talk‑back on Nov. 1.
Meanwhile, the annual Festival de las Calaveras brings Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebrations to Minneapolis and St. Paul. The block party kicks off with a parade at Midtown Global Market at 5:30 p.m., then moves to Minnehaha Avenue for lucha libre wrestling, community altars, Aztec dance, aerial performances, and a Latino film showcase. Live music will be featured at The Hook & Ladder Theater, where psychedelic cumbia‑punk duo Tropa Mágica will perform.
All events are open to families and visitors of all ages. The museum celebration tickets cost $25, while theater tickets start at $17.75. The block party is free, and theater admission is $18 online or $20 at the door, with reduced rates for children and seniors.
These cultural offerings highlight the Twin Cities’ vibrant, multicultural landscape and provide families with a weekend of music, theater, heritage and community connection.
Original reporting: Sahan Journal — read the source article.
