Independent Bookstore Day

April 24, 2018 by Leave a Comment

This Saturday, April 28th is Independent Bookstore Day.  Not an official holiday by any means but it might as well be at our house.  We love Independent Bookstore’s, both of our girls almost always have a book close by.

Lucky for us Minnesota has several bookstores for us to browse and find unique books.   If you get near Red Wing, stop by Fair Trade Books and pick up a copy of the Midwest Indie Bookstore Map.  The map is a way for you to explore bookstores all over the state on your own time, not just on Saturday.

For some extra fun on Independent Bookstore Day you can pick up a passport at any of the 18 participating 18 metro bookstores.  A chance to check out a store or two you may have not heard of, win some prizes, find some great books and do some exploring.  You can find out more information here.

The Star Tribune has an article listing several special events happening during the day as well.  You can find the article here.

 

Filed Under: Events

Gluten-Free Food Allergy Fest Minneapolis – Half Price Discount Tickets

April 23, 2018 by Leave a Comment

Gluten-Free Food Allergy Fest Minneapolis – Half Price Discount Tickets

The Gluten-Free Food Allergy Fest is coming to the Minneapolis Convention Center May 19-20, 2018. At the event, you can sample a wide assortment of free food samples from over 90 exhibitors and check out the ongoing presentations and lectures from celiac and nutrition experts, as well as cooking demos from world-class chefs with a gluten-free diet in mind.

The show is all about helping consumers make living gluten-free easier. Whether you’re thinking about going gluten-free or you’re a gluten-free pro looking for new products and ideas, the Gluten-Free Food Allergy Fest has something for everyone.

Tickets are regularly $15 each, but right now you can 2-for-1 tickets HERE. Plus, use the coupon code SALE3 through 4/24 to drop the price to just $12 ($6 per person). Child admission is $5 up to age 12, so for kids you’re better off buying full-price tickets.

Order discount Gluten-Free Food Allergy Fest tickets HERE.

Filed Under: Events, Great Deals

MIA Art in Bloom 2018

April 23, 2018 by Leave a Comment

The annual “Art in Bloom” is this weekend at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts.  Beginning Thursday and going through Sunday, a chance to see fresh floral creations and the artworks that inspired them.  If you’ve not heard of this event, it’s one we try to attend each and every spring.  We’ve had such a long winter, and spring is finally here so an event with real flowers will be a much needed boost to say goodbye to the winter blahs.  

View fresh floral creations and the artworks that inspired them. Enter a world of timeless art and fresh flowers during the 35th annual Art in Bloom—a FREE four-day festival of fresh floral arrangements and fine art, presented by the Friends of the Institute at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. Delight in 165 floral designs that interpret objects from Mia’s collection. A Twin Cities rite of spring!

Art in Bloom raises funds to support Mia projects, including education and transportation for school children, exhibitions, art acquisition, education, and programs throughout the community.

More information about programs, events, talks, workshops and demonstrations during Art in Bloom at Mia can be found here.

 

 

Filed Under: Attractions, Events, Minneapolis

Woodbury’s Central Park Indoor Amphitheater Performances

April 21, 2018 by Leave a Comment

Many of our communities offer some fabulous free or inexpensive entertainment options.  Some are geared towards kids while other events are more for adults. Woodbury’s Central Park Indoor Amphitheater Performances offer something for everyone.  Check out the upcoming calendar here on their website.

  • April 22nd 2pm:  Joe Meyer Smooth Sensation
  • May 6th 2pm:  So. Wash. Co Community Band
  • May 10th  7pm:  Saint Ambrose Varsity Band
  • May 20th  2pm:  The Zingray’s

Do you have a favorite community venue you would to share with others?  We enjoy checking out what other towns in MN have to offer as well as share with our readers.  Please let us know so we can pass on the information.  Supporting our communities makes them thrive.

 

Filed Under: Concerts, Events

Hastings Story Walk on the RiverWalk this Weekend!

April 20, 2018 by Leave a Comment

Hastings Story Walk on the RiverWalk

It might not be shorts and flip flop weather just yet but it will be SPRING this weekend.  I am sooo hopeful that we will see this snow melt before our eyes!  Either way, with 50’s in the forecast it’s time to enjoy the outdoors and celebrate the warmth.

To celebrate Spring and Earth Day head to Hastings and enjoy the Story Walk on the RiverWalk this Weekend!  You can enjoy this free event either Saturday or Sunday from 8am-7pm.

Plan a trip down to the Hastings RiverWalk with your kids or grandkids for a self-guided story. Start at Levee Park or Jaycee Park, and enjoy some fresh spring air while you read the book “Call Me Tree” in honor of Earth Day. Back and forth distance is just one mile.

Filed Under: Attractions, Events

The Moline Open House — Tour Building And Meet Tractor Experts

April 19, 2018 by Leave a Comment

Moline Tractor Open House

Perhaps you may have heard of the Minneapolis Moline?  It’s been several years but the tractors and machinery were made locally here in the Twin Cities metro area of Minnesota.

This Saturday, (April 21) you have a chance to see seven recently restored tractors at special open house event.  No tickets or reservations are needed and this is a free event to attend, taking place from 1-4.  This would be a great event for the history buff or tractor fan.

Minneapolis Moline Tractor Event
 

About the Minneapolis Moline Event:

 
Join Hennepin History for this special off-site open house in collaboration with Doran Companies. See seven recently restored vintage tractors that fill an exhibition space off the Moline apartment building’s lobby. The building, which opened last fall, is located on the former site of Minneapolis Moline. Agricultural artifacts and modern murals fill the public spaces and document the company’s history. Meet Minneapolis Moline historians, learn about Hopkins history, tour the building’s creative shared spaces, and enjoy complimentary snacks and beverages. Free.

Meet Hennepin History representatives in the building’s lobby at 100 8th Avenue South, Hopkins. No reservations necessary.

Filed Under: Attractions, Events

Spring Into Pahl’s Open House

April 18, 2018 by Leave a Comment

It might not look like spring and it might not feel like spring, but it is.  This Saturday April 21st you can Spring Into Pahl’s Open House, a chance to smell fresh flowers and if nothing else pretend there’s not snow on the ground.  Pahl’s is located in Apple Valley and a favorite for our kids, they almost always have free popcorn.

Pahl’s Market Spring Open House

Saturday, April 21st 9am – 5pm 

Come and celebrate Spring’s arrival with a fun-filled day of cheerful seminars, blooming greenhouse tours and super savings!
Enjoy 20% OFF almost everything at Pahl’s during our Spring Open House!
(excludes gift cards, landscape services, bulk material and delivery charges)

Filed Under: Events, Great Deals

*UPDATED* Twin Cities Spring Babies Festival 2018

April 17, 2018 by Leave a Comment

Twin Cities Spring Babies Festival Updated Dates and Times

Hugging babies just feels good – especially when they’re baby animals! For the second year in a row, Twin Cities Festival is hosting a spring baby animals event in which visitors can hold and/or pet baby goats, sheep, bunnies, ducklings, chicks, and ponies!

Additional activities include a kids’ corn pit, a straw bale maze, a hayride, and a kids’ play area. For a little extra you can enjoy pony rides, inflatables, a gunny sack slide, food vendors, and more. Most of the fun is fully enclosed, so the event is open rain or shine.

Plus, on the very first day they’re open (Saturday, April 14), the first 400 children through the gate will receive a free stuffed toy bunny!

When: Saturdays and Sundays from 10 am – 5 pm / April 14 & 15 (closed due to snow), April 21 & 22, April 28 & 29 and May 5 & 6 (added due to snow)

Where: Twin Cities Festival – 8001 109th Ave N in Brooklyn Park, MN

Tickets are $9 if purchased online or $10 at the gate for ages 2+. If purchasing online, use the coupon code T350 to save an extra $1, dropping the price to just $8! Kids under 24 months are free. Concessions and some activities are not included in the ticket price (see above). Be sure to dress appropriately for spring on the farm! Dogs/pets are not allowed.

Filed Under: Attractions, Events, Kids

Exhibit Opening: Central MN Remembers Vietnam

April 17, 2018 by Leave a Comment

Central MN Remembers Vietnam

The Morrison County Historical Society is hosting a new exhibit and it opens this coming Saturday, April 21st.  It was supposed to open this past weekend but the weather had other plans.  The Exhibit Opening: Central MN Remembers Vietnam will be from 2-4pm at the Weyerhaeuser Museum in Little Falls.  If you are unable to attend the opening event, the exhibit will run through the end of 2018 so plenty of opportunity to check it out.  Plus it’s a free exhibit, no admission to view it.

Central Minnesota Vietnam Exhibit

The Morrison County Historical Society (MCHS), is hosting an opening of the exhibit “Central Minnesota Remembers Vietnam” to showcase multiple perspectives on the Vietnam War. The exhibit was created using items loaned from members of the public and features artifacts, photos and stories from veterans, protesters, and refugees, along with glimpses of what was occurring here in Central Minnesota at the time.

The exhibit opens with a free public event on Saturday, April 21, 2018, from 2-4 pm at the Weyerhaeuser Museum in Little Falls, MN.

During the opening, there will be assistance available to help people learn how to share their Vietnam-related stories on the digital story wall on PBS’s “The Vietnam War” website. “The Vietnam War” is a 10-part documentary produced by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick.

Filed Under: Attractions, Events

Gardening for Native Pollinators at the Lee & Rose Warner Nature Center

April 16, 2018 by Leave a Comment

Gardening for Native Pollinators

Do you enjoy gardening?  We attempt some sort of garden each year, although this year we are wondering when we will actually see the dirt!  Spring and Summer always come, it’s just a matter of when.

I don’t use chemicals on my garden and we compost all year.  Usually we end up with a large amount of tomatoes and then anything else that grows is a bonus.  If gardening is something you enjoy or perhaps want to try for the first time, check out the Gardening for Native Pollinators at the Lee & Rose Warner Nature Center.  The informational session coming up on April 21st from 10-11:15, would be a great tool for all of us.  There is a small admission of $5 per person and registration is required.  Call the Nature Center to register.

We are thrilled to host Heather Holm, an award winning author and national speaker, who will teach us during this presentation about native pollinators and how to attract them to our gardens. Heather’s publications Bees (2017) and Pollinators of Native Plants (2014), have established her as a resource on the interactions between native bees and native plants.

Filed Under: Events
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