Explore Minnesota Events Report as of Tuesday, September 9

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Explore Minnesota Events Report as of Tuesday, September 9

Just some of this week’s highlights include the Highway 75 King of Trails Marketplace, Hawk Weekend, Chisholm Fire Days, the Minnesota Renaissance Festival, 34th Annual Arts & Crafts Festival and Taste of Hutchinson, Faribault Airfest & Balloon Rally, and King Turkey Days.
Northern Minnesota

The 16th Annual Ethnic Festival will be held Friday and Saturday, September 12 & 13, in downtown Walker, with live entertainment from around the world! Highlights include live music and dance performances on three stages, as well as food and craft vendors, family entertainment, interactive activities, and a street dance. To find out more, dial 1-800-833-1118, or check out www.leech-lake.com

The city of Chisholm will present Chisholm Fire Days on Saturday, September 13, to celebrate the redevelopment of Chisholm after the historic 1908 fire. Festivities include a parade, the Firefighters’ Challenge, and various children’s activities. To learn more, dial 1-800-422-0806, or visit www.chisholmchamber.com

An Arts & Crafts Fair and A Taste of Pequot Lakes will be held September 13 at Trailside Park in Pequot Lakes, with quality handmade arts and crafts, as well as specialties offered by area restaurants. Arrive early and enjoy the abundance of fresh, local produce at the Pequot Lakes farmers’ market. For more information, dial 1-800-450-2838, or check out www.pequotlakes.com

Downtown Thief River Falls will be the site of a Great American Block Party on September 13, with a street dance, beer gardens, food stands, and more! For further information, dial 218/681-3720, or visit www.visitthiefriverfalls.com

The 6th Annual Highway 75 King of Trails Marketplace will be offered along historic Highway 75, a Scenic Byway, with "400 miles of Bargains" from the Canadian border to the Iowa border on September 13. Events include city-wide garage sales, church bake sales, a farmers market and an antique and flea market. Just some of the participating communities include Kennedy, Stephen, Argyle, Crookston, Halstad, Georgetown, Canby, Lake Benton, Pipestone, and Luverne. For more information on Crookston area events and activities, dial 1-800-809-5997, or check out www.visitcrookston.com

Hawk Weekend will take place Friday and Saturday, September 19 & 20, at Hawk Ridge Nature Reserve in Duluth. Just some of the many activities include hawk watching, guided hikes and field trips, and evening presentations by local and national experts. Most raptors are reluctant to cross large bodies of water, therefore birds migrating south towards Lake Superior will naturally veer southwest along the lakeshore. Hawk Ridge offers incredible opportunities to view a variety of birds due to its location on the bluffs overlooking East Duluth where impressive numbers of birds can easily be seen. To find out more, dial 218/722-4011, or visit www.hawkridge.org

Buena Vista Ski Area in Bemidji will offer Fall Color Tours by Covered Wagon on Saturday, September 20, with a chance to ride a horse-drawn covered wagon to the top of the Continental Divide which overlooks nine lakes, and forests filled with fall color. To learn more, dial 218/243-2250, or check out www.bvskiarea.com

An Oktoberfest Polka Party will be offered Saturday, September 20, at the Longbranch Saloon in Winton, located near the city of Ely. Featured will be over 20 button box and accordian players from across the range, as well as multiple jam sessions indoors and out. Oktoberfest-style foods will also be available. And on Sunday, September 21, head to nearby Soudan Underground Mine State Park, located near Tower on Lake Vermillion, for a walk through the park and a portion of the underground mine. Be sure to bring a flashlight and a jacket if you plan on joining the mine walk. For more information, dial 1-800-777-7281, or visit www.ely.org

The IRA Civic Center in Grand Rapids will be the site of the 6th Annual Goods From the Woods on Saturday and Sunday, September 20 & 21. This is a marketplace of fine arts, crafts and other items made from materials harvested from the woodlands. There will also be hands-on demonstrations of traditional forest-based crafts, family activities, the "North House on the Road" and "All From One Tree" exhibits, a blueberry pancake breakfast and a walleye lunch. Also on September 20 & 21, head to Highway 38 for the Bargains are Great on Highway 38, where 47 miles of garage sales will be offered from Grand Rapids to Effie. For further information on either event, dial 1-800-355-9740, or check out www.visitgrandrapids.com

A Festival of Adventures & Mud River Music Fest will be held September 20 & 21 at Aitkin City Park in Aitkin. This historic event recognizes the importance of the Mississippi riverboats, lumber camps, railroads and settlers to the area, and includes historical re-enactors such as William Aitkin, sawyers, blacksmiths, members of Pike’s Expedition, a riverboat captain, and saloon girls! In addition, there will be a traders’ row, delicious foods, and lots of live music! For rates and times, dial 1-800-526-8342, or visit http://aitkin.com
Twin Cities Greater Metropolitan vicinity

The Minnesota Renaissance Festival will be held at a recreated 16th-century European village, located just south of Shakopee off Hwy 169, each Saturday and Sunday, through September 28, including Friday, September 26. This is the largest Renaissance Festival in the United States, with more than 500 entertainers on 15 stages, 275 crafters, 120 food booths, and old-time games and competitions, as well as belly dancing lessons, an Arabian horse show, yoga lessons, the World Amateur Highland Heavy Games, and much more! Each weekend will feature a different theme, including the Silk Road, Irish Heritage, Italian Carnival, and Chocolate and Romance! To find out more, dial 1-800-966-8215, or check out www.renaissancefest.com

The 2nd Annual Bunker Prairie Fest & 5K Bunker Stampede will be held September 13 at Bunker Hills Regional Park in Andover. Just some of the fun family activities will be wagon rides, apple cider making, bird-banding, nature hikes, hay rides, a children’s arts and crafts tent, live music, prairie plantings, hands-on archery demonstrations, a petting zoo, local vendor booths, a 5K fun run, a kids’ run, and yoga in the park! To learn more, dial 763/757-3920, or visit http://anokacountyparks.com

City Square Park and downtown Waconia will be the site of the 47th Annual Nickle Dickle Day on Saturday, September 13, featuring a car and truck show with over 20 classes of antique and collector cars and trucks, a large craft fair with nearly 120 vendors, live music and entertainment, and lots of in-store specials. For more information, dial 952/442-5812, or check out www.destinationwaconia.org

The 5th Annual Wild Rice Festival will be offered September 13 at the Harriet Alexander Nature Center in Roseville in a celebration of wild rice, Native American culture, and the great outdoors! Highlights include a fund-raising wild rice pancake breakfast, wild rice sausages, wild rice soup and fry bread, traditional wild rice harvesting demonstrations, lots of activities and games, hands-on apple cider pressing, Native American music, dancing and story-telling, a silent auction, children’s games and activities, a performance by the Heart of the Beast Puppet Theater, and much more! For further information, dial 651/792-7012, or visit www.cityofroseville.com/HANC

The Landmark Center in St. Paul will be the site of a Harvest Moon Lantern Festival on Sunday, September 14, to commemorate the late autumn harvest celebrations that are native to Vietnam. Participants will have a chance to make origami and bamboo lanterns, and assemble and decorate miniature storybooks telling the folktale of the moon festival. There will also be storytellers, vendors, food booths, and a foot parade in and around Rice Park at dusk, with lanterns lighting the evening sky and songs filling the air! To find out more, dial 651/292-3225, or check out www.landmarkcenter.org

The 2008 Franconia Arts & Music Festival will be held Saturday, September 20, at the Franconia Sculpture Park in Shafer. This day-long arts festival celebrates the artists and new sculpture installations, with live music, dance, puppetry, a family sculpture workshop, mural-painting & graffiti community workshop, a hula hoop demonstration, face-painting for the entire family, guided tours of the park, Tribal Spirits of the Sun musicians and belly dancers, and other stage performances and speakers. Food and refreshments will also be available. To learn more, dial 651/257-6668, or visit www.franconia.org

The Pond Dakota Mission Park in Bloomington will present River Rendezvous 2008 on September 20. This living history festival demonstrates the lifestyles of people living in Minnesota between 1800 and 1870, with a focus on the history and culture of the Dakota Indians, the fur traders and the early settlers. Highlights will include story-telling and interactive, hands-on demonstrations. For more information, dial 952/563-8877, or check out www.ci.bloomington.mn.us
Southern Minnesota

The 34th Annual Arts & Crafts Festival and Taste of Hutchinson will be held Friday and Saturday, September 12 & 13, at Library Square in downtown Hutchinson. Featured will be over 200 art, craft, and food booths. Other activities taking place in Hutchinson September 12-14 will be four garden tours and two gardening workshops, a flea market, cruise-in car show, Belgian Waffle breakfast, and a book sale. For more information, dial 1-800-572-6689, or visit www.explorehutchinson.com/arts.htm

The Faribault Airport will be the site of the Faribault Airfest & Balloon Rally, September 12 & 13. Featured will be the beauty and color of hot air balloons, a spectacular air show, a WWII B-25 Mitchell Bomber, live music, military fly-bys, a speakers’ forum, kids’ activities corner, ultra-light and aircraft displays, and glider, aircraft and helicopter rides. For further information, dial 507/334-4381, or check out www.faribaultairfest.com

King Turkey Day will be held September 13 throughout downtown Worthington, with the "Great Gobbler Gallop," a live turkey race, large grand parade, free pancake breakfast, children’s rides, a beer garden and live family entertainment. Treasure hunters will also enjoy the downtown flea market, and collectors of baseball paraphernalia will want to head to Northland Mall for the King Turkey Day Baseball Card Show. To find out more, dial 1-800-279-2919, or visit www.kingturkeyday.com

The city of Hendersen will be the site of the 9th Annual Great Minnesota River Birding Day Rally on September 13. Everyone is encouraged to spend some time in Sibley County observing birds, and then gather at Henderson Feathers at 3pm to report their sightings, and enjoy a program featuring the Bell Museum, the National Eagle Center, the Raptor Center, and the author of "The Boreal Owl Murder.” And on Saturday and Sunday, September 13 & 14, the city of Henderson will celebrate Heritage Days, with street actors, an antique and art fair, historic picture gallery, underground tours, a quilt display, old time baseball game, horse and wagon tours, and food and games. To learn more, dial 507/248-3234, or check out www.hendersonmn.com

The 6th Annual Highway 75 King of Trails Marketplace will be offered along historic Highway 75, a Scenic Byway, with "400 miles of Bargains" from the Canadian border to the Iowa border on September 13. Highlights include antiques and collectibles, farmers markets, and folk art by local, talented craftspeople. Just some of the participating communities include Ortonville, Canby, Lake Benton, Pipestone, and Luverne. For more information, dial 507/368-9577, or visit www.visitlakebenton.com

Pickwick Mill in Winona will be the site of Pickwick Mill Days on September 13. Featured will be a pancake breakfast, free mill tours, pottery, blacksmithing and spinning wheel demonstrations, a raffle, bake sale, silent auction, a Llamateers presentation, children’s games, cloggers, bingo, a roast pork dinner, rides on horse-drawn wagons, and a flea market. For further information, dial 507/452-9658, or check out www.pickwickmill.org

Dožínky, the 24th Annual Czech Harvest Festival will be held Saturday, September 20 along Main Street in New Prague, with the Parade of Farm Pride, ethnic food and merchandise vendors, a petting zoo, Fire Department water fights, Gopher State Railroad Museum steam train rides, and music, singing and dancing on three stages. A Classic Car Cruise will be offered Friday, September 19. To find out more, dial 952/758-4360, or visit www.newprague.com

Downtown Willmar will be the site of Celebrate Art! Celebrate Coffee! on September 20. Highlights include a juried art show and sale, art demonstrations, ethnic dance groups, musical performances, poetry readings, art exhibits, youth hands-on art tents, storytellers and free gourmet coffee in the outdoor cafe. To learn more, dial 320/231-8560, or check out www.CelebrateArtCelebrateCoffee.com

 “The information in this report is provided courtesy of Explore Minnesota Tourism.”