Bearded Lady Motorcycle Freak Show

Motorcycles, hot rods, burlesque and rockabilly come together in unholy matrimony at this sixth annual block party, which takes over the intersection of University and 13th Avs. NE. with plenty of bike-ogling and people-watching opportunities. Enter your bike in the motorcycle show to win prizes in a variety of categories, or take in live music from the Brass Kings, Rumble Seat Riot, Crankshaft, the 99ers, Red Desert, Riff Lord, Violent Shifters, L'Assassins, and Moustache Jim & the Straight Razors, plus burlesque from Le Cirque Rouge. -Jahna Peloquin

Tour de Fat

So Minneapolis is the No. 1 bike-friendly city in the U.S. But the world always needs a few more good bikers. That's the motive behind the annual Tour de Fat. The one-day event named for New Belgium Brewery's Fat Tire beer aims to spread the gospel of the societal benefits of the bicycle via a costumed bike ride, bizarre bike contests, live music from Dovekins, Daredevil Chicken Club and Mucca Pazza, organic food and, of course, beer. It all culminates with a "funeral procession" in which someone's car will be paraded around Loring Park as part of a car-for-bike trade program. The pre-selected winner wins a $3,000 custom commuter bike from Black Sheep Bikes and pledges to go car-free for 12 months. -Jahna Peloquin

The Best of Vita.mn's Summer Story Contest

The theme of this year's Vita.mn Summer Story Contest was sex -- real or fictional -- and with more than 100 submissions, local writers had loads to say on the subject. There was lust; there was heartache; there was humor; there was animal roleplay. Wednesday, selected finalists will read their works at Brave New Workship, where the author voted the crowd favorite will win a Kindle 3G. The jam-packed night of erotica will also feature a brief burlesque show, and sex-savvy columnist Alexis "On the Sexes" McKinnis emcees. The $750 grand-prize story, plus three runners-up determined by Vita-judges, will be revealed in the following day's issue of Vita.mn. -Jay Boller