For 48 years, the annual holiday display has been the defining event of 700 Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis -- from the days of Dayton's to its current tenant, Macy's. If you somehow managed to not see the display every year as a kid, it's sort of a "Willy Wonka"-esque trip through various scenes consisting of handmade, moving set pieces, ending in a trip to Santa's lap or the bakery, where you can score an enormous, decorated sugar cookie. Macy's has stuck with the same show, more or less, for the past few years, but this season it offers a new addition: Macy's Puppet Theater, staging the holiday production "Moose Crossing" with an all-star cast of voices that includes Julie Andrews and renowned "Lion King" puppeteer John Tartaglia. The display overlaps with another downtown holiday tradition, the Holidazzle parade, Nov. 26-Dec. 19.

In response to the Tweed Ride trend, the local goth contingency has started its own group bike ride. Instead of retro British tweeds and newsboy caps, think industrial armor and black leather gear befitting a "Mad Max" motorcycle gang. The leisurely ride will embark from Gold Medal Park and travel through downtown Minneapolis with plenty of bar stops, ending at (where else?) Ground Zero. Be sure to bring your own flask -- and tall leather boots.