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Other stories in "Fall"

• This weekend
  Pick a scarecrow, put on lederhosen.
• Best bets for the weekend
  Chase the colors on byways or art routes.
• Next weekend
  Pick a scarecrow, put on lederhosen.
• Seeing red on the North Shore
  For bursts of color, try these trails through maple forest.
• 10 great trails to ride in fall
  Here's where to get your fill of flora, fauna and fall colors.
• Eyes on the skies
  On bluffs and ridges, it's time to watch the hawk migration.
• Home of horsepower
  In Wisconsin, see where race cars, snowmobiles, outboards and motorcycles were born.
• Scenery in the studios
  On autumn art tours, treasure hunters strike gold (and orange and red).
• Follow a wine trail
  On fall winery tours, sample fruits of the harvest.
• Big birds on the move
  On the Mississippi, tundra swans and bald eagles are heading south.
• Remember the wrecks
  On Lake Superior, gales of November bring haunting memories.
• Join the fun
  With an outdoors club, make friends, see new places and save money.
• All quiet up north
  Like the leaves, room rates have dropped.
• On the ropes in Lanesboro
  Try walking a high wire on Halloween.
• Head toward the (twinkling) lights
  At Christmas, tourist destinations pull out all the stops.
• Save on the ski hills
  Get a deal now on a season pass.
• Ghouls ahoy
  On Great Lakes, two haunted ships are spoiling for a fright.
• Hot tip/A different North Shore
  Didn't reserve for fall-color season? Thunder Bay has rooms.

Fall colors and a concert

Follow musicians to four nooks in the Mississippi River bluffs.

On a fall road trip, it's nice to have more to do than look at colors.

You wouldn't expect the Mississippi River Valley in southeast Minnesota to have a lot of nightlife, but four unusual venues provide an astonishing amount of good music — for those who know about them.

In Red Wing, the jewel-box 1904 Sheldon Theatre (pictured) is best known, and it's hosting Kathy Mattea Oct. 8 and the Cab Calloway Orchestra Oct. 20.

Just west of town, in a renovated barn at Hobgoblin Music's Music Loft, the Soap Box Players present 30 Plays in 60 Minutes Oct. 8-9 and 15-16.

At the earthy Oak Center General Store, up the bluffs from Lake City, Bingham & Thorne plays Oct. 8 and Mike Mangione and the Union Oct. 15.

In Zumbrota, the Crossings at Carnegie hosts Suzy Bogguss Oct. 7 and Ronny Cox Oct. 15.

Each venue has an interesting story, and tickets are cheaper than in the city; at Oak Center, people pay what they can afford. For more, see Music on the Mississippi.

Last updated on October 4, 2011