Can Can Wonderland art environment includes mini-golf course

After spending time at Can Can Wonderland, business and computer science teacher Jacob Utities suggests students visit the new amusement area. He said the 18-hole mini-golf course, old-school game machines and inexpensive food appeals to students.

“I think (Can Can Wonderland) is really cool because they have a lot of student-friendly activities. They have a huge art-inspired mini-golf course which is just a blast. I’ve done it myself and I think it’s awesome,” Utities said.

According to Bittercube managing partner Marco Zappia, Can Can Wonderland intends to create an immersive program for artists.

“The idea is to create a medium of self-expression and to kind of experience something that’s weird and you don’t get in your day to day life,” Zappia said. “If you are stuck here over spring break and want to escape for a moment, this is definitely the place to do it.”

Utities said he recommends checking out the pinball games and the food offered at the Can Can Wonderland restaurant.

“They have really old school games that are a lot of fun and really cheap, like a quarter to play. They have old school gun shooting games where the targets flip up,” Utities said. “On top of that they have a lot of cheap, student-friendly food — a ton of different kinds of malts, nachos and they have a mini donut stand.”

Zappia said besides the mini-golf course designed by local artists, Can Can hosts karaoke nights on Fridays and an amateur talent show on Thursdays.

“Anyone can go on stage, anyone can compete, $100 to the winner. It’s pretty ridiculous. We have escape artists, magicians, jugglers, we got a couple drag performances. We have couple trapeze artists and aerial dancers too,” Zappia said.

Zappia said part of the experience of Can Can Wonderland is the open environment it provides for people to express themselves.

Explore the best bookstores in the Twin Cities

Freshman Samantha Klepfer said she fondly remembers visiting bookstore Wild Rumpus as a young child. She said she enjoyed the smaller door for kids to enter through and the variety of animals in the store.

“I love (Wild Rumpus). What I do remember about it is that it had a little kid door and an adult door and you could go through the little kid door. I thought that was the coolest,” Klepfer said.

Store clerk Heather Albinson said she recommends visiting Wild Rumpus to play with the animals that live at the store and purchase books that range from children’s stories to young adult novels.

“If you want a book to read, this is a great place to come,” Albinson said. “It’s just a fun place to go to relive your childhood as well as come here as an adult.”

Albinson said the young adult authors that occasionally visit the store can attract high school students because their books appeal to a teenage audience. According to Albinson, the information regarding any upcoming events is posted on the store’s website around a month before the event takes place.

Another bookstore to visit is Once Upon a Crime, which specializes in all types of mystery novels.

Manager Devin Abraham suggests students visit the store and use books as an escape from the stress of high school.

“Well if they can’t go anywhere for spring break, books a really good way to go on a trip when you can’t actually leave,” Abraham said. “We have a ton of books that are set in different places so they can travel while being stuck here.”

Abraham said the store hosts author signing events that students can join and recommends Once Upon a Crime’s book club that meets every month.

“We also have a lot of author signing events. So if they want to meet local authors and things like that we do offer readings,” Abraham said.

The Once Upon a Crime book club will meet to discuss the book for April, “Where it Hurts” by Reed Farrel Coleman at 6:30 p.m. April 4 and 5 at Bob’s Java Hut, 2651 Lyndale S.

Go outside and take a hike to enjoy spring weather

With over a mile of both pedestrian and cycling trails, Theodore Wirth Regional Park’s woods provide a way to get some exercise as the weather heats up. According to the park’s website, Theodore Wirth offers a wide variety of amenities and activities.

Sophomore Katelyn Costello said the trails would also be perfect places to run with a dog or friend.

“It would be enjoyable for them to get out of the house,” Costello said. “I have a dog, but he’s still a little puppy so taking him out would be interesting.”

Another park to visit is the Minnehaha Regional Park. Besides the 53-foot waterfall the park features, there are some hiking trails which lead to Fort Snelling State Park which offers even more extensive hiking trails for visitors to enjoy.

According to the Fort Snelling website, some trails within Fort Snelling head to the historic Fort Snelling where visitors can take a look at 1820s military life. Both the Theodore Wirth Regional Park and Minnehaha Regional Park provide hiking trails to utilize over spring break.

Grab some friends to go play Whirlyball

According to Whirlyball Event Coordinator Patrick Roberts, Whirlyball is a game combining bumper cars, basketball and lacrosse where teams of five riding bumper cars pass wiffle balls with scoops in attempts to shoot through backboards at each end of the arena.

“Whirlyball is a very fun and exciting game that is attractive to people of all ages especially high school students. It’s very exciting and fast-paced. Whirlyball is one of those things that once you play it once, you get pretty hooked,” Roberts said. “We also have laser tag, which is a great arena for that. We have four pool tables, dartboards and all the pizza and soda possible.”

Whirlyball Twin Cities is open Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. and Saturday 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.