Sass and Snaps for Sioux Falls: A fab place to be!

Tonight on the Town: Weekend Edition

Friday, May 17
Food: TGIF! Can’t get to a patio fast enough. Enjoy the scenery along Phillips Avenue at Bros Brasserie Americano tonight, where Happy Hour from 4-6 p.m. includes two-fers on all tap beer and $1 off glasses of wine. For dinner, enjoy fresh soft shell crabs or fresh cat fish on the menu.

Event: Take me out to the ball game! The Canaries open their home baseball season tonight at 7:05 p.m., playing the Sioux City Explorers at Sioux Falls Stadium. There will be fireworks after the show and live music by the Cartwright Brothers. And don’t skip out on the food! Ovation Food Services will prepare smoked prime rib, smoked hot dogs and smoked pork loin.

Also going on, this is the last weekend Sioux Empire Community Theatre will host “The Wizard of Oz” at the Orpheum Theater. The show begins at 7:30 p.m. tonight and Saturday and at 2 p.m. Sunday, and tickets are $24.

Saturday, May 18
Food: Amid all the graduation celebrations and open house punch, take a break to enjoy the chef’s special at Phillips Avenue Diner. As part of the Falls Taste Tour Challenge, chef Landon has prepared harissa-rubbed pork spare ribs that are slow-roasted with Korean-style barbecue sauce and cilantro lime coleslaw. And don’t leave without a Salty Dog or S’mores Milkshake to enjoy while checking out SculptureWalk along Phillips Avenue.

Event: Bring the family out to Scheel’s Fish Fest on 41st Street this weekend. From 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. today and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, enjoy fishing vendors and activities for all ages, and register to win a fishing package worth $400. Vendors include Parks Marine, Tebbens Campers, Dan O’s Marine, Cedar Shore Resort, GFP, Walleye’s Unlimited of S.D., S.D. State Traveling Fish Aquarium and Lees Meets. Berkley Experience Trailer also will have a tent set up, and food will be available.

Also going on, participate in the third annual JY6K walk/run and zumba event at the USF Sanford Sports Complex off 69th and Cliff. Registration for the event begins at 8:30 a.m., the 6K begins at 9 a.m. and zumba with Kenny Tomek begins at 9:45 a.m.

Sunday, May 19
Food: I wish I were an Oscar Mayer Wiener! OK, not really, but I sure could use a hot dog. Visit the iconic Oscar Mayer Wienermobile today at Asbury United Methodist Church. From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., hot dogs and chips will be for sale for a freewill donation to benefit Lunch is Served, a local program that provides sack lunches to working men. Tropical Sno shaved ice will also be sold, and applesauce and pudding cups will be collected as well. Anyone is also welcome to attend praise and worship at 11:15 a.m.

Event: Before you begin your gardening this weekend, attend the annual St. Mary’s Plant Sale at St. Mary’s Parish Hall today. From 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., shop flowers, bedding plants and more from local greenhouses. The event is hosted by the Alter Society-St. Theresa Group No. 11.

Star Trek fans needed to be guest on 100 Eyes!

“Star Trek Into Darkness” premieres Friday, and we want to celebrate.

Are you a fan, or do you know any fans, who would be willing to join me at 3 p.m. Friday for a special Star Trek edition of “100 Eyes,” our daily online show?

As much as I’d like to bring in Chris Pine or Zachary Quinto, I just don’t see this happening.

Help a girl out! Email atewalt@argusleader.com or call 331-2342.

O’Gorman grad’s short film will premiere at Cannes Film Fest this week

Sioux Falls native and 2003 O’Gorman High School graduate Dylan Thomson is in France this week attending the Cannes Film Festival to promote his own recent work.

After completing his undergraduate degree at St. John’s University in Minnesota in 2007, Thomson attended the Screen Academy Scotland in Edinburgh, Scotland, and it was there he worked on dozens of short films with peers. Although all of their work has been submitted to film festivals worldwide, “Cold Calling” (screen image of film above) was the first to be accepted at the Cannes Short Film Corner. Two months after receiving the exciting news that they’re film was accepted, and participating in a crowd-funding venture that helped pay for his trip, Thomson packed his bags and left for France on Tuesday.

“It’s been a whirlwind for sure,” he says. “I’m still awestruck, even as I talk to you.”

“Cold Calling” is actually the third installment of a trilogy he and his peers made about a hitman. In this installment, a door-to-door salesman knocks on the hitman’s door wanting to sell cleaning products.

Even though, as a student in Edinburgh, Thomson was assigned short film projects, “Cold Calling” was actually done for fun over a mere weekend because space and equipment was available for use. “We were incredibly happy with how this turned out, from the actors to the lighting to even the comedy,” Thomson says.

Thomson will attend Cannes events to promote his film through May 22. As much as he would like to sightsee and enjoy the French Riviera, it’s going to be a lot of work and little play at Cannes. The main goal for filmmakers is to network as much as possible and get their film into a group screening, so viewers can sit and watch multiple shorts in one time. “I’m going to be pulling 20-hour days, and it’s going to be hard to turn off the networking side of me, but it’s just part of the job,” he says.

All films shown this week will be available to Cannes attendees via a digital library, so anyone that Thomson does network with can watch “Cold Calling” at any time.

“A successful week would be getting our film into a bigger screening, that would be a big milestone for us,” but, “a million opportunities could happen.”

Like running into Ryan Gosling? Thomson says the actor’s latest full-length feature film will be screened at Cannes, and he would love a chance to catch bigger, red-carpet events like that, but lower-key events sound appealing, too. For example, there will be a big outdoor screen on the beach throughout the week, including hundreds of wooden chairs in the sand for fans to enjoy old films that have been shown at Cannes in the past, like Hitchcock movies.

“It’s amazing to have an opportunity to enjoy the history and legacy of the film festival.”

Upon his return from France, Thomson will co-write a short for a 48-hour film festival as well as participate in Ryan Strandjord’s Director’s Workshop Feedback Film Challenge in June, where he’ll attempt to make a short film in one month. He’ll also finish up submitting another film to the South Dakota Film Festival in Aberdeen, so his home state can celebrate the work he’s done. “I would love for my friends and family to see what I’ve been working on all these years.”

We would, too! Congrats to Dylan on all his success, and best of luck in France.

Thomson currently lives in Minneapolis. Read more about his work here.

Participate in the Rib Eating Contest at RibFest

Hungry?

The 16th annual Argus Leader RibFest will be held May 30 through June 2, and sponsors are currently looking for participants to compete in the fourth annual Competitive Rib Eating Contest, held 4 p.m. June 1.

Participants must be at least 18 years old and can register at www.sfarena.com/ribfest. The first eight people to register will automatically be qualified. Entry fee is $20, but all contestants will go home with prizes, and the winner will get a trophy. 

For more information, email info@sfarena.com.

Along with eight award-winning rib vendors, RibFest weekend also will include live music by the Jimmy Buffet Tribute Band AIA, Neal McCoy and the Johnny Holm Band. Free Family Day and KidzFest will be held Sunday.

Admission to RibFest is $5, and $10 weekend passes are available at the Sioux Falls Arena or at the gate.

Shop the farmers market at Callaway’s

Callaway’s has added another farmers market to town this season.

From 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesdays and Saturdays in the Callaway’s parking lot east of 69th and Minnesota, the latest market will feature annuals, perennials and veggie plants from Iott’s Greenhouse; fresh produce from Knobloch’s Greenhouse; specialty meats from Hanisch Farms; and homegrown, canned delicacies from JR’s Specialty Foods. The market will continue through the growing season. Call 334-8888.

Other markets include the Falls Park Farmers Market open 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays and the Sioux Empire Farmers Market open 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays at 8th and Railroad.

Star Trek double feature on Wednesday night

Century Stadium 14 will offer a special double feature showing for Star Trek fans on Wednesday night.

Fans will first watch “Star Trek” at 9:15 p.m. and then enjoy the premiere of “Star Trek Into Darkness” at midnight. Tickets are $18 and can be purchased here. If you just want to attend the midnight showing, tickets are $12.

Call 362-5068 for more information. Enjoy the show!