The last time I ate at the Burrito Union, I had no idea they hosted a cribbage tournament. If I’d known, I would have bought a Starfire Pale Ale and signed up. I don’t live in Duluth anymore, but I’d like to play some crib with Duluthians (and even our neighbors in Superior).

I’d also like to invite everyone to a fantastic event at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis — on Saturday, August 20, the Walker’s Open Field program is collaborating with me on an event called Cribbage in the Field.

Art need not be some hifalutin sculpture, nor inaccessible painting hanging from some New York gallery wall – it can be as simple and accessible as our favorite games and pastimes. Cribbage, by its social nature and artistic flair, is the perfect marriage of art, gaming, and community, and that’s what Cribbage in the Field is all about. We’ll be playing cribbage, hosting a live crafting of a board, raffling away a custom Walker cribbage board, and more. And it’s all free, raffle included.

Meet and play the guy behind the world’s largest cribbage board as his 17-lb. pegs sit nearby. Count 15-2 against (or team up with) other local artisans on their custom boards, and anyone interested in bringing their own unique boards certainly should. We’ll have a host of boards and cards regardless. The Electric Ensemble will be playing nearby, and if you’ve never been to the Walker or walked the Sculpture Garden, Cribbage in the Field is a perfect opportunity to visit this world renowned museum, as well as steer clear of the crowd (and fees) of the upcoming State Fair.

More info and updates can be found on the Facebook event page, or by following #openfield, @WalkerArtCenter (or me, @JordanWiklund) on Twitter.  Hope to see you there! If you are interested in joining the artisan table, please shoot me an email at [email protected]. We’re making fliers beforehand for every unique board and participant.

Get skunked at the Walker Art Center during Cribbage in the Field!

PS–Paul, thanks for your 1949 Saturday Evening Post blurb. Check it out:

“A daily Finnish newspaper in Duluth gave up last year and its plant was taken over by the Labor World, which has a substantial circulation. But the main morning and afternoon newspapers are Ridder papers, which cover the port and iron-range news as a matter of course and also devote regular space to one of the city’s odd whimsies, an inordinate interest in the game of cribbage. The number of cribbage boards around town is astounding, and the presence of a near-perfect 28 hand in a tussle between two teams of the City Cribbage League is a matter for serious news report.”