The Cedar Cultural Center


The Cedar Cultural Center is a music venue in Cedar-Riverside neighborhood of Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, near the West Bank campus of the University of Minnesota. It is a 503 non-profit organization and operated by volunteers.

History

The building which houses the Cedar Cultural Center was a movie theater called the Cedar Theater from 1948 until the 1970s. In 1989 the building was donated to the non-profit organization Minnesota STAR started by Deb Martin and Mary Ann Dotson.
A guitar belonging to Minneapolis folk musician Spider John Koerner is on display in a glass case in the Cedar's lobby. Koerner had originally donated the 12-string Epiphone to the nearby Palmer's Bar upon his retirement in 2013, but when Palmer's closed in 2025, the guitar was gifted to the Cedar.

Events

The Cedar is the host to a wide variety of musical genres with an emphasis on world music and lesser known or independent artists. Since 2009, the Cedar has hosted an annual Global Roots Festival showcasing international musicians.