5 Barbie-themed events in the Twin Cities to celebrate the fantastic life in plastic

From custom pink cakes to drag brunches, local businesses are making the most of Barbie mania.

July 21, 2023 at 12:30PM
A chair in the shape of a high-heel is is displayed in the Barbie Dreamhouse Experience near Alexanderplatz square in Berlin, Germany,Thursday May 16, 2013.
(Colleen Kelly, AP/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Come on Barbie, let's go party.

With the release of the Greta Gerwig-directed "Barbie'' movie, it's a Barbie World. Life in plastic is, indeed, fantastic, and in the Twin Cities, there is no shortage of options to celebrate Barbie mania.

Showtimes at theaters are quickly selling out for this weekend, and local businesses are capitalizing on the craze. In addition to movie premiere parties (where Barbie-themed attire is encouraged), you can join a Barbie rave, drag show or late-night bar crawl, and even nosh on Barbie- and Ken-inspired macarons.

Here are five Barbie events to check out in the Twin Cities.

Dollhaus — A Malibu Dreamhouse Rave
Fine Line is often home to underground indie rock shows, but on Saturday, it's going hot pink. The Dollhaus Malibu Dreamhouse Rave, by Stardust and Techno Girls, will feature DJ sets by DJ TNA, Patrish, Babyghost, Astrolex and Daisy Hex. The 18-and-up event starts at 9 p.m., and includes a Barbie costume contest with a grand prize of $200.

Attendees can expect a bubble machine, a lifesize Barbie box and lots of neon lights. The playlist that night should range between house, techno and hyperpop.

Hex said she hopes the Barbie rave resonates with anyone, regardless of their identity.

"Inclusivity is a huge part of what we do," she said. "Barbies, at their core, are really kind of about celebrating yourself. You dress up your Barbie how you want to, [and] how maybe you picture yourself looking, or your ideal form."

Custom Barbie desserts

If you're hoping to indulge in the saccharine sweetness of the Barbie lifestyle, Something Sweet in Coon Rapids is selling pool party cakes (with a cheesecake filling and cake crumbles) and Barbie sugar cookies through Sunday. But owner Maddie Lu said the biggest seller so far has been the his-and-hers Barbie and Ken macarons.

"I played with [Barbies] a lot as a child, and with the new movie coming out, I was just really excited about that and figured that other people were too," she said. "It turns out they were, because it's been a hit."

You can also grab a four-pack of Barbie cupcakes, with flavors including Pink Champagne, Raspberry Pool Party, Cherry Chip and, of course, Barbie Girl. Lu's store in Blaine, Macarons by Maddie Lu, will be selling the Barbie desserts through this weekend, as well.

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Barbie's Fabulous Bar Crawl

If you're looking for an all-out celebration, join the Barbie bar crawl on July 29. Event planner Samantha Howell said the North Loop crawl will include stops at Inbound Brewery, Graze, The Loop and Basement Bar.

Howell's collaborating with the bars to offer specialty cocktails. The event also includes a homemade "Barbie Glam Bag" that Howell is determined to keep secret, but says will be "very pink."

She's also encouraging attendees to get eccentric with their attire — pink dresses, tiaras, glitter.

"A lot of people can connect to the Barbie story," she said. "And if you can't, then you maybe can connect to just wearing pink and having a silly fun time."

Barbie Drag Brunch

Crave American Kitchen & Sushi in downtown Minneapolis is no stranger to drag brunches — they host them on most weekends. The July 30 drag brunch will have an all-Barbie theme, and the show will feature four drag queens; Sasha Cassadine, Queen Onya, Jaidynn Diore Fierce and Utica.

Sasha Cassadine is an experienced drag queen and diehard Barbie fan, and she’ll be hosting Crave’s drag brunch on Sunday. (Ryan Coit/KingOfQueens/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

They're preparing to riff off the most iconic types of Barbies, donning everything from swimsuits to presidential attire. Both the movie and the toy have called gender roles and expression into question, which makes it a perfect fit for a queen, said Cassadine.

"When I was a kid, I would secretly play with Barbies all the time, so I'm super excited," Cassadine said. "As drag queens, we're life-size Barbies anyway."

The brunch, organized by Flip Phone Events, will have three performances, but two are already sold out. Tickets are still available for the 3 p.m. show, and they start at $17.


Barbie premiere pre-party
If you just want to see the "Barbie" movie, then Rosedale Center may be the spot. On Friday, at the AMC Rosedale 14, Potluck is hosting a party with a Barbie photo op and a Lululemon bag giveaway. There also will be specialty cocktails, some of which are mixed with edible pink glitter. The event runs from 5-8 p.m. and the theater has showings of the movie every hour.

about the writer

about the writer

Gannon Hanevold

Features Reporter

Gannon Hanevold is a Star Tribune summer intern from Arizona State University.

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