Our five faves of the moment: Mall of America Ice Castles, Strokes single, more

1 This is not your St. Paul Winter Carnival ice castle. The Mall of America Ice Castles (in the north parking lot) are more about stalactites and stalagmites than curtain walls and arrow slits. Roam through this gnomes' ice palace and watch the LED light show turn the ice formations (made from 4 million gallons of water) into stunning works of art. The effects of the colors are dramatically different from day to night. Bring a camera and warm clothes. Admission is charged. mallofamerica.com

3 Walking Shadow Theatre infuses "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" with a lively blend of gothic terror and tongue-in-cheek humor that ably captures Washington Irving's story. The image of the horse and rider, created out of nothing more than scraps of wood, cloth and debris that litter the stage, becomes a tangible symbol of the way in which the mind can create fear out of half-glimpsed shadows, a creaking door and an overactive imagination. brownpapertickets.com

2 After teasing us with a synth-fluffy preview track that sounded like ego fodder for singer Julian Casablancas, the Strokes thankfully pile on the guitars and the snarl again on "All the Time," the official first single from their fourth album, "Comedown Machine." Casablancas sings about living it up in the short-bursting track, and here's hoping that we'll be doing the same when the record arrives March 25.

4 An original staffer at Rolling Stone, Jonathan Cott was in the right place at the right time, landing an interview with John Lennon and Yoko Ono in London in 1968. Cott maintained both a friendship and journalistic relationship with rock's much-scrutinized couple, interviewing them three days before Lennon's murder. In "Days That I'll Remember," the professorial Cott revisits his time with John and Yoko, with both a sense of erudition and wonder, insight and reportage. The final 1980 Q&A finds Lennon unguarded and uncensored.

5 The Minnesota Museum of American Art is the little museum that could — if it only had more permanent gallery space. Two exhibits of works in the museum's collections are presented in other spaces. "Our Treasures," at the Weisman at the University of Minnesota, features 30 drawings, paintings, sculpture and fine crafts spanning 150 years of American art, with special emphasis on Minnesota talents. "Framing the Field," a photo exhibit at St. Catherine University, is a revelation, with a sampling of our state's finest photographers. weisman.umn.edu and stkate.edu/gallery.