Spotlight: Mayday

Today: At this annual south Minneapolis event, "Mayday" is the opposite of the traditional distress call of airplane pilots. The Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre Mayday Celebration is a joyous, communal call, saying goodbye to winter and hello to the sun. The festivities begin with a parade at 1 p.m. at 25th St. and Bloomington Av. S., traveling south to 34th Street before turning into Powderhorn Park. Live music, giant and not-so-giant puppets, dancers and more fill the parade, which culminates in the Tree of Life Ceremony in the park. A music festival and other activities and performances continue until dusk. (1-7 p.m. today. Free. Powderhorn Park, 35th St. and 15th Av. S., Mpls. 612-721-2535 or www.hobt.org.)