Take advantage of member discounts
Whether you’ve never been to an opera or you’re a lifelong fan, here’s a great opportunity for you to experience it—at a great price—and to support the University’s School of Music at the same time!
UMRA members will pay only $25 a ticket—a $10 discount—to see the University Opera Theatre production of Street Scene by composer Kurt Weill and librettist Langston Hughes (November 20–23); and Hänsel and Gretel by the 19th century composer Engelbert Humperdinck, performed in German with English supertitles (April 23–26), at the School of Music’s Ted Mann Concert Hall in Minneapolis.
In addition to the discounts offered by the School of Music, UMRA members may enjoy many other discounts. Theatre Arts and Dance is performing Thornton Wilder’s The Skin of Our Teeth (November 14–23); the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum welcomes you to its AppleHouse, open for the season until December 20; and the Bakken Center for Spirituality & Healing has several programs to advance health and wellbeing. All these offerings, and more, are available at discounted prices for UMRA members.
Please go to umra.umn.edu > Resources > Membership Benefits > Member Discounts to learn more, and support the wonderful programs and events offered by the University.
—Bev Moe, UMRA discounts and sponsorships coordinator
News
Beginning January 1, 2027, the University of Minnesota is making updates to medical plans, the pharmacy vendor, and the Wellbeing Program incentive that apply to retirees and dependents enrolled in these plans.
The University of Minnesota has had a presence at the Great Minnesota Get-Together for 167 years. And on September 3, 2026, UMRA made its Minnesota State Fair debut to talk with fairgoers (on Seniors Day) about retirement and to promote opportunities to volunteer through our University Retirees Volunteer Center.
Like all of us, UMRA member Barbara Heinemann has been reflecting on 9/11 and life in the 25 years since then, with mixed feelings.
December 31 is the application deadline for UMRA’s 2027 Professional Development Grants for Retirees competition. Retirees from all five University of Minnesota campuses are eligible to apply. We invited Brad Hokanson, professor emeritus, UMN Department of Design Innovation, to tell us about the work supported by his 2026 grant to promote teaching creativity in high schools.
Meet UMRA member and volunteer extraordinaire Kay Louis. She devoted her career as an Extension educator — “bringing the University to the people” — to developing and providing programming for adults and youth.
The UMRA membership year runs from July 1 through June 30 of the following year. If you haven’t yet renewed your membership for 2027, it’s definitely time to do so!
UMRA has a Facebook group that is open to UMN retirees and others with close ties to the University, for posting messages about anything University- or retiree-related. Learn more.
This will be a new regular column where you can find organizational tasks that need your help! We are currently looking for help researching a new UMRA Membership Database and URVC volunteer database, and a co-producer for UMRA's Zoom webinars. See more details: