Sommerfest

Indulge us for a moment with this ode to Walter Mondale: Fritz, the sight of you on a stroll around the Lake of the Isles stirs the embers of our hometown pride. When, startled from your retirement, you broke into a run, we came to appreciate the full meaning of public service. Your loss, while our loss, was your gain, in the end; you’ve earned the right to sit on your front step and watch the sun set on these summer nights. In another encore, one of a more unusual sort, our beloved Mondale will narrate the title character of Aaron Copland’s “Lincoln Portrait,” as performed by the Minnesota Orchestra. Other highlights of this year’s Sommerfest include the Minnesota International Piano-e-Competition Finals Concert, the Dave Brubeck Quartet, and free evening concerts on Nicollet Mall. Never are the sunsets in downtown Minneapolis more cultured or more beautiful. 612-371-5656; www.minnesotaorchestra.org