Autumnal Arts to Fall For

Welcome to Lavender’s 2025 Fall Arts & Culture issue! As the weather begins to turn and you start to think about making plans under a roof and surrounded by four walls, we have plenty of options to keep you entertained.

If you’re looking to get out of the house, check out “Maybe You Could Love Me” at Mixed Blood Theatre, “Only Ugly Guys” at Gremlin Theater or the new ARENA DANCES show “Debut” at the Luminary Arts Center, all of which are featured in this issue. The Fargo-Moorhead LGBT Film Festival looks to be worth the drive, too (assuming you don’t live in Fargo-Moorhead, in which case it’s a no-brainer).

If you’d rather stay put at home, we’ve got you covered, too. Local artist TELLALI or Brooklyn-based duo Boyish can soundtrack your attempt at a homemade pumpkin spice latté (or any other less-ridiculously-stereotypically-fall-time activities you have planned). We also interview poet Eleanor Lerman and local literary multi-hyphenate Shay Andrewin for those hoping to curl up next to the fire with a good book (or the Substack app on your smart device, I suppose).

It is, however, fall, and not winter, and the weather is still more than good enough to enjoy the outdoors. (This is actually the best weather we get all year, some might say.) If you’d like to take advantage of the weather while it lasts, pay a visit to the City of Lakes Art Fair at Lake Bde Maka Ska. The fall colors should be on full display by mid-October, and it’ll finally be cool enough to really break out your fall wardrobe — two good reasons to get outside!

I hope at least one of the artists we’re featuring in this issue inspires you to check out their work. I don’t expect that anyone picks up an issue of Lavender and immediately fills their calendar with everything we’ve written about. But, if I can get you to really connect with just one of the works we feature, I think I’ve done my job.