Outdoors with a beat: Rondo Days returns with Rakim, MC Lyte; DJ Queen Duin rocks Cedar, nature fest

Queer Mexican-American DJ Queen Duin will be the heartbeat of the Twin Cities art scene this weekend, performing at The Cedar with Cuban singer La Dame Blanche on Friday and at the Latino Nature Fest in Bloomington on Saturday.

After a five-year hiatus since their 2018 celebration, the Rondo Days Festival returns, highlighting the talent of St. Paul’s Black community.

Afro-Latin beats at The Cedar

Mexican-American DJ Vanessa Duina Hernandez, known as DJ Queen Duin , an advocate for inclusive queer spaces in the Twin Cities music scene, will perform alongside Afro-Cuban singer La Dame Blanche at The Cedar Cultural Center . The event will feature a mix of cumbia, hip-hop, reggaeton, and dancehall music.

Raised in Glencoe, Minnesota, Hernandez was introduced to music by her grandfather, who immigrated from Mexico City in the 1970s. He exposed her to cumbia, mariachi, and American musicians like Freddie Mercury and James Morrison.

“I used to ride with him and he would let me play his cassettes back in the day,” Hernandez said. “He still has a phenomenal CD collection to this day, but he was kind of what started my passion for Mexican and American music.”

Hernandez began her DJ career in 2017 at a Cinco De Mayo event at Mothership , a small underground venue in Minneapolis that caters to the queer community.

“I was definitely a beginner and I’m sure people could tell that too,” Hernandez said. “There were only about 20 or so people so it didn’t feel super intimidating to me … and then I just kept at it and I’ve gotten so much better since then but I’ll never forget that experience. I’m happy to have it.”

Since her debut, Hernandez has performed at iconic venues like First Avenue and The Armory, where she opened for Carly Rae Jepsen during Pride in 2022.

“To this day, that was one of the best sets I’ve had and best feeling I’ve ever had as a DJ,” Hernandez said. “It really gave me wings to fly and to just believe in myself to do this. I performed in front of 6,000 people and I felt such a connection with the audience.”

Hernadez champions inclusivity within Minneapolis’ queer nightlife scene, particularly in venues like The Saloon, where she was a resident DJ for six years. While grateful for the opportunity, she acknowledges the challenges of navigating spaces that cater primarily to white gay men.

“As a queer person of color, I want to cater to people that have similar lived experiences as me — queer women, nonbinary folk, people of color, trans folks, and, to get more specific, queer Latinx people,” Hernandez said. “It was a bittersweet feeling leaving The Saloon because they did help me establish myself as a DJ in the Twin Cities, but also helped me learn how much work we still have to do in the community.”

She co-hosts “Noche Chingona” a quarterly event series celebrating Latin music and queer culture, alongside Chilean DJ Talia Knight .

“We saw a need in the community, not just for Latinx women to feel safe in spaces where there’s Latin music playing, but also for queer Latin folks to come and find community,” she said.

Hernandez will join Cuban singer, flautist, and percussionist La Dame Blanche at The Cedar on Saturday, celebrating the fusion of Latin and Black music.

“I’ve done shows for The Cedar in the past and it’s an amazing venue,” Hernandez said. “They do so much for the community in terms of making folks aware of the versatility of music that’s out there because there’s not just Taylor Swift and Beyoncé right? There’s amazing artists like La Dame Blanche.”

Date: Friday, July 19

Time: 7 to 11 p.m.

Location: 416 Cedar Ave., Minneapolis

Cost: Tickets start at $25 online; $30 day of the show.

For more information: Visit thecedar.org .

Latino Nature Fest offers music, food, and wildlife

The Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge , in collaboration with the city of Bloomington , Indigenous Roots , and Huellas Latinas will host the “Latino Nature Fest,” celebrating Minnesota’s Latino community and its connection to the natural world.

The event will feature animal presentations by the Richardson Nature Center and the Minnesota Zoo’s Zoomobile , along with bird-watching, archery, and a guided walk. Art activities include face-painting, screen-printing, and live music by Latin band Alma Andina , alongside DJs Queen Duin and Talia Knight .

Food trucks from DelSur Empanadas , Chimborazo , and Taqueria Victor Hugo will also be on site, with complimentary meal tickets available to the first 250 attendees.

Date: Saturday, July 20

Time: 1 to 5 p.m.

Location: Bloomington Education and Visitor Center, 3815 American Blvd. E., Bloomington

Cost: Free

For more information: Visit fws.gov/event/latino-nature-fest

Rondo Days returns with Lady Midnight, hip-hop legends Rakim, MC Lyte

St. Paul’s Rondo Days Festival returns for its 42nd year to commemorate the Rondo neighborhood, a historically Black community impacted by the construction of Interstate 94 in the 1960s.

Hip-hop pioneers Rakim and MC Lyte will headline the event. St. Paul artists, including Afro- Caribbean singer Lady Midnight , hip-hop artist Kaleem the Dream , songwriter St. Paul Slim , and jazz singer Jamela Pettiford , who was raised in the Rondo community, will also perform.

Date: Saturday, July 20

Time: 12 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Location: Martin Luther King Recreation Center, 271 Mackubin St., St. Paul

Cost: Free

For more information: Visit rondodays.net .

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