Central MN Entertainment Roundup: Concerts, Shows and Fall Fun, Oct. 9 to 25

Grab your calendar, central Minnesota. The next two weeks are stacked with tribute bands, folk nights, a big musical at the Paramount, a zoo full of costumes and a couple of shiny new places to explore. Every listing below was checked against at least two sources that agree on the date, time and place. Shows can still sell out or shift, so tap through to the venue before you head out.

Tribute night central: Pioneer Place on Fifth

Downtown St. Cloud’s Pioneer Place on Fifth, 22 Fifth Ave. S., is basically running a classic-rock time machine this month. All four shows start at 7:30 p.m.

• Fri., Oct. 9: Mallrats Presents MTV Unplugged. A ’90s acoustic throwback. The theater said only about 10 seats were left as of Oct. 6, so call before you go.
• Fri., Oct. 16: Big Love Little Lies. The music of Fleetwood Mac. The venue and Visit St. Cloud list 7:30, while the band’s own page says 7, so double-check your ticket.
• Sat., Oct. 17: 7 Wonders of Rock. Big voices from the ’70s and ’80s, with limited seating left as of last week.
• Sat., Oct. 24: The V-Gees. Bee Gees falsettos, disco and all.

Box office: 320-227-2221.

Live music around town

• Fri., Oct. 9, 6 p.m.: Kat Blue at Iron Street Distillery, 539 E. St. Germain St., St. Cloud. A mellow way to kick off Art Crawl night.
• Fri., Oct. 9, 9 p.m.: Let Them Cook at the Red Carpet, 11 Fifth Ave. S., St. Cloud, on the Main Stage. Late-night energy for the night owls.
• Sat., Oct. 10, 7:30 p.m.: Heartland Symphony Orchestra in Little Falls. The orchestra opens its 50th season with “Where We Were” at Little Falls High School’s Charles D. Martin Auditorium, with two former music directors back on the podium. Donations are taken at the door.
• Sun., Oct. 11, 7 p.m.: Connie Kaldor with the Granite City Folk Society at Iron Street Distillery. Songwriter storytelling at its coziest.
• Fri., Oct. 16, 6 p.m.: Tyler Herwig at Iron Street Distillery.
• Fri., Oct. 16, 7 p.m.: Mark Stuart with the Granite City Folk Society at Bo Diddley’s Pub & Deli, 129 25th Ave. S., St. Cloud.
• Fri., Oct. 16, 7:30 p.m.: China Rider at the Red Carpet. A Grateful Dead experience, timed to celebrate Bob Weir’s birthday.
• Fri., Oct. 23, 8:30 p.m.: Bullets & Butterflies with Sir Pyscho at the Red Carpet.
• Sat., Oct. 24, 7:30 p.m.: Buck & Tammy Sue (full band) at Gnarly Bard Theater, 804 W. St. Germain St., St. Cloud.

On stage: Les Misérables at the Paramount

GREAT Theatre goes big with Les Misérables at the Paramount Center for the Arts, 913 W. St. Germain St. It opens Friday, Oct. 16, at 7 p.m., with 2 p.m. matinees on Oct. 17 and 18. Week two brings an ASL-interpreted show on Friday, Oct. 23, at 7 p.m., then Oct. 24 at 7 p.m. and Oct. 25 at 2 p.m. The run continues through Nov. 1. Plan on close to three hours, and note that GREAT flags mature themes and stage gunfire, so check its content notes before bringing younger kids.

Festivals and fall fun

• Fri., Oct. 9, 4 to 8 p.m.: October Art Crawl in historic downtown St. Cloud. Free, walkable and full of local art, plus a brand-new mural to find.
• Fri., Oct. 16, 4 to 7 p.m.: Parktober Fest at Wilson Park, 625 Riverside Drive NE, St. Cloud. It’s free.
• Sat., Oct. 17, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.: Granite City Bizarre Bazaar at River’s Edge Convention Center, 10 Fourth Ave. S., St. Cloud. Admission is free.
• Sat., Oct. 24: BooFest at Pine Grove Zoo, 1200 W. Broadway, Little Falls. A sensory-friendly hour runs from 1 to 2 p.m., then general admission from 2 to 5 p.m. Tickets are required, and costumes are basically mandatory in spirit.

Comedy check

We looked hard for stand-up nights in the Oct. 9 to 25 window, but none had two sources agreeing on the details yet, so they’re not listed. If you’re booking a local comedy show, send us the link and we’ll add it once it checks out.

New to explore

• Minnesota Military & Veterans Museum, Little Falls. The new museum near Camp Ripley, at 21702 Haven Road, opened in mid-September after a three-day grand opening. It holds artifacts and personal stories of Minnesotans who served, from the Civil War era to today. Fall hours are Thursday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• East Asian music exhibit at the Great River Children’s Museum, St. Cloud. A hands-on traveling exhibit lets kids drum, gong and chime their way through instruments from China, Japan and South Korea. It’s in the museum’s rotating gallery through Jan. 10.

Playing a show or opening something new in central Minnesota? Send it to Central MN Buzz with a link to the official page.

Central MN Buzz is brought to you by Dan DeMark, Realtor | LPT Realty (goldenrulerealestateservices.com), illuminet and StarShot.

Sources: Pioneer Place on Fifth, WJON, Mallrats, Big Love Little Lies, The Value Connection, Iron Street Distillery, Granite City Folk Society, Red Carpet Nightclub, Heartland Symphony listing, Gnarly Bard Theater, GREAT Theatre, Downtown St. Cloud Art Crawl, City of St. Cloud, Granite City Bizarre Bazaar, Pine Grove Zoo, BooFest tickets, Minnesota Military & Veterans Museum, Brainerd Dispatch, WJON on the children’s museum and the Visit St. Cloud events calendar. Checked Oct. 8, 2026.