Explore Minnesota Events Report for December 11

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Explore Minnesota Events Report for December 11

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SOUTHERN MINNESOTA

Lanesboro Tours & Treasures in the city of Lanesboro will offer HORSE-DRAWN RIDES each Friday, Saturday and Sunday through December 23, with a chance to get an old-fashioned look at scenic and historic Lanesboro all decked out for the holidays. For rates and times, dial 507/467-7000, or check out www.lanesboro-horse-drawn-rides.com

A CHRISTMAS WONDERLAND ON THE TOWN will be offered in the city of Blue Earth through December 31. Come drive the 3-mile loop through Blue Earth and enjoy all of your favorite animated holiday light displays. For further information, dial 507/526-2916, or visit www.blueearthchamber.com

The National Eagle Center in Wabasha will offer EAGLE VIEWING each Saturday and Sunday through the end of March, when the viewing deck will be staffed with National Eagle Center volunteers to answer all of your questions. The deck is located at the end of Pembroke Avenue near the Mississippi River, adjacent to the new National Eagle Center location. To find out more, dial 651/565-4989, or check out www.nationaleaglecenter.org

CHRISTMAS ON HISTORIC BROADWAY will be held Saturday, December 15 in the town of Spring Valley. Highlights include a lighted Christmas parade, Supper with Santa, story time theater, Historical Society home tours, caroling downtown, a cookie sale, and a live nativity scene. To learn more, dial 507/346-7367, or visit http://springvalley.govoffice.com

Lake City will be the site of an OLD FASHIONED CHRISTMAS on Sunday, December 16. Featured will be sleigh rides, carolers, Christmas Card windows, a bonfire on the beach, chili, and gift wrapping at several stores. In addition, enjoy a LIVE NATIVITY SCENE at First Lutheran Church. To find out more, dial 1-800-369-4123, or check out www.lakecity.org

NEW YEAR'S EVE AT QUARRY HILL will be offered at the Quarry Hill Nature Center in Rochester on Monday, December 31. Highlights include cave tours, animal encounters, crafts, a trivia contest, snack buffet, and skiing and snowshoeing, weather permitting. Pre-registration is required, and children must be accompanied by an adult. For further information, dial 507/281-6114, or visit www.qhnc.org

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TWIN CITIES GREATER METROPOLITAN VICINITY

MACY'S HOLIDAZZLE PARADES will be offered each Thursday through Sunday, through December 23, along Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis. Each parade will feature brightly lit floats, marching bands, celebrity grand marshals and nearly 250 costumed characters from popular children's stories. Before or after the parade, head to Macy's in downtown Minneapolis for their annual ANIMATED HOLIDAY DISPLAY featuring the Nutcracker story. The display will be open during regular store hours through December 31. Both events are free! For further information, dial 612/376-SNOW, or check out www.macysholidazzle.com

The American Swedish Institute in Minneapolis will be the site of A NORDIC CHRISTMAS through Sunday, January 6. Come discover the holiday traditions of Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland and Finland, with decorated trees and table settings. The ILLUMINATION OF A SAINT: THE LEGEND OF SANTA LUCIA will also be offered through January 6, with photographs and story panels detailing Lucia's beginnings as a fourth-century Christian martyr, the legends surrounding her, and how the holiday is celebrated today. For more information, dial 612/871-4907, or visit www.americanswedishinst.org

WINTER ON THE FRONTIER will be held Saturday, December 15 at Historic Fort Snelling in St. Paul. Winter in the 1880s was cold, dreary and often deadly. Come learn how soldiers, settlers and servants struggled to make it through the harsh winter. To find out more, dial 612/726-1171, or check out www.mnhs.org/fortsnelling

The Jackson Street Roundhouse in St. Paul will host SANTA'S TRAIN SHOP on Saturday and Sunday, December 15 & 16, as well as December 22 & 23. Come visit Santa, Mrs. Claus and their elves, take a train ride into the winter wonderland, enjoy refreshments, and see the 100 year old roundhouse decorated in its finest. The Minnesota Transportation Museum's Jackson Street Roundhouse is located north of the Minnesota State Capitol. For rates and times, dial 651/228-0263, or visit www.trainride.org

SONGDOGS OF MINNESOTA: FOXES, COYOTES AND WOLVES will be held Sunday, December 16, at the Wood Lake Nature Center in Richfield, with a chance to learn about Minnesota's wild dogs, take a short hike to an area fox den, track animals using radio telemetry, and enjoy other related activities. To learn more, dial 612/861-9365, or check out www.woodlakenaturecenter.com

The Minneapolis Institute of Art in Minneapolis will offer HOLIDAY TRADITIONS through January 13, with tours of the lavishly decorated Period Rooms, costumed guides, and wonderful holiday shopping at the Museum Shop. And enjoy live holiday music performances on December 15, 22 & 29. Weekend visitors will also want to consider a trip to the Purcell-Cutts House, a Prairie School-style home, specially decked out in early 20th-century Christmas décor. For more information, and for rates and times, dial 612/870-3030, or visit www.artsmia.org

And just some of the upcoming concerts and performances will include:
DISNEY'S HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL: THE ICE TOUR at the Xcel Energy Center, December 13-16
MICHAEL MCDONALD at Mystic Lake Casino & Hotel in Prior Lake, December 16
THE HOLIDAY PAGEANT at the Pantages Theatre in Minneapolis, December 17
R. KELLY at the Target Center in Minneapolis, December 20
LOYCE HOULTON'S NUTCRACKER FANTASY at the Historic State Theatre in Minneapolis, December 20-24
SOUL ASYLUM at First Avenue in Minneapolis, December 21
PETER OSTROUSHKO at the Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul, December 22
DAVE PIRNER & THE VOLUNTEERS at The Cabooze in Minneapolis, December 28
The GEAR DADDIES at the Fine Line Music Cafe in Minneapolis, December 28
DON RICKLES at Mystic Lake Casino & Hotel in Prior Lake, December 30 & 31
SINBAD at Mystic Lake Casino & Hotel, December 30 & 31
TRAMPLED BY TURTLES at the Historic Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis, December 31
VH1'S ROCK OF LOVE NEW YEARS EVE with BRET MICHAELS at The Myth in Maplewood, December 31
BARRY MANILOW at the Xcel Energy Center, January 11, 2008
SESAME STREET LIVE : WHEN ELMO GROWS UP at the Target Center, January 16, 2008
BILL ENGVALL at the Historic State Theatre, January 18, 2008
THE 2008 U.S. FIGURE SKATING CHAMPIONSHIPS at the Xcel Energy Center, January 20-27, 2008
The MARTINA MCBRIDE WAKE UP LAUGHING TOUR at the Target Center, January 26, 2008
QUEENSRYCHE at The Myth in Maplewood, January 26, 2008
DANIEL TOSH at the Pantages Theatre, February 1, 2008
MATCHBOX TWENTY at the Xcel Energy Center, February 4, 2008
B.B. KING at Mystic Lake Casino & Hotel, February 5, 2008
SWEENEY TODD at the Historic State Theatre, February 5-10, 2008
MY FAIR LADY at the Historic Orpheum Theatre, February 20-March 2, 2008
The SMUCKER'S STARS ON ICE TOUR at the Xcel Energy Center, February 26, 2008
FOO FIGHTERS at the Target Center, February 27, 2008
BON JOVI at the Xcel Energy Center, March 18, 2008
JERSEY BOYS at the Historic Orpheum Theatre, March 19-April 20, 2008
DISNEY'S HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL NATIONAL STAGE TOUR at the Historic State Theatre, April 1-6, 2008
The HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS at the Target Center, April 11 & 12, 2008
JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR at the Historic Orpheum Theatre, May 2-4, 2008
MONTY PYTHON'S SPAMALOT at the Historic Orpheum Theatre, May 27 through June 1, 2008
CELINE DION at the Target Center in Minneapolis, October 30, 2008
For further information on any of these performances or events, please contact Ticketmaster at 651/989-5151

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NORTHERN MINNESOTA

The BENTLEYVILLE TOUR OF LIGHTS, located in the city of Cloquet, will be offered daily through Saturday, December 29. This free family event features several million Christmas lights, 600-plus snowflakes suspended from trees, and 230 lighted reindeer scattered throughout 3 acres of woods. Santa will greet kids daily through December 23. Cider, coffee and cookies are even free of charge. Donations are accepted, and visitors are encouraged to bring nonperishable food and toy donations for the Salvation Army. To learn more, dial 1-800-554-4350, or check out www.bentleyvilleusa.com or www.cloquet.com

The Northland Arboretum in Brainerd will be the site of the SERTOMA WINTER WONDERLAND each Wednesday through Sunday evening, through December 30, with over 50 colorfully lit, animated displays. There will also be a Holiday Village where children can have their picture taken with Santa Claus. To find out more, and for rates and times, dial 218/829-8770, or visit www.sertomawinterwonderland.com

The CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY HOLIDAY TRAIN will arrive at the Holmes Street Railroad Crossing in Detroit Lakes at 4:15pm on Friday, December 14, with performances by entertainers and musicians as cash and food donations are collected for local food banks. And on Saturday, December 15, head to Washington Square Mall in Detroit Lakes for a free kids' movie, sleigh rides, and photos with Santa. For more information, dial 1-800-542-3992, or check out www.visitdetroitlakes.com

This Old Farm Pioneer Village, located just east of Brainerd at Paul Bunyan Land, will be the site of the 2ND ANNUAL FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS each Friday, Saturday and Sunday, through December 30. Featured will be 40 traditional Christmas scenes and music, animated pioneer villagers and elves, a large collection of nutcrackers and dolls, historic village stores, a train depot, church, old-time school house, and much more! For further information, dial 218/764-2524, or visit www.thisoldfarm.net

A LOOM DESIGNS WORKSHOP will be offered at the Mille Lacs Indian Museum and Trading Post in the city of Onamia on Saturday and Sunday, December 15 & 16. Participants will learn loom beading techniques and design in this two-day workshop. Loom designs are free form designs that can be used for headbands and belts, or attached to material or buckskin. For rates and times, and to reserve a spot, dial 320/532-3632

The Paramount Theatre in St. Cloud will be the site of numerous holiday performances, including: BOBBY VEE -AN UP NORTH DECEMBER on Saturday and Sunday, December 15 & 16, with a children's choir, orchestra, and all the "Vee" hits; HANDEL'S MESSIAH on Friday and Saturday, December 21 & 22, with The Messiah Chorus, soloists and orchestra; and a showing of the 1970 holiday classic movie Scrooge on Sunday afternoon, December 23. For tickets and times, dial 320/259-5463, or check out www.paramountarts.org

A ZOO YEAR'S EVE will be offered Monday, December 31 at the Lake Superior Zoo in Duluth. Visitors will enjoy sliding, skating, zoo visits, cookies and a fireworks display. To learn more, dial 218/723-3748, or visit www.lszoo.org

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