Covering life, work, and play in the Historic Mill District and Downtown Minneapolis Riverfront neighborhoods. Have an opinion, local news or events to share? Contact us.
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Check out MNopedia, a new Minnesota history website recently launched by the Minnesota Historical Society. It's currently in Beta, so the bones are there with only limited content. Based on what's there so far it promises to be a fun and interesting site to follow.
Read more about it in Kristin Tillotson's StarTrib article, "MNopedia Site Makes History Fun".
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Minnesota State Fair history is now at your fingertips with a new cell phone tour developed by the Minnesota State Fair Foundation and the Minnesota Historical Society.
Fairgoers can use their own phones to dial up the voice of Tim Russell from “A Prairie Home Companion” and listen while he guides them to 12 historically significant spots at the fair.
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Find out how State Fair mascot Fairchild got his name, which famous folks appeared at the Grandstand and what Marjorie Johnson’s secret is to winning so many blue ribbons for baking!
Also hear fun facts, fair sounds and personal memories.
“The cell phone tour takes fairgoers to places they may have passed many times, but this time they’ll learn fascinating stories related to those places,” said Wendy Jones, Head of Minnesota History Center Museum and Education Programs.
Smart phone users can scan a QR code on the sign at each stop to connect to the tour.
Brochures for the cell phone tour are free and can be found at fair information booths, the J.V. Bailey House and at the Minnesota Historical Society Booth #79 in the lower level of the Grandstand. Fairgoers who finish the walking tour get a free prize (while supplies last).
If you can't make it to the Fair, you can still enjoy the cell phone tour. Call 1-877-411-4123 and follow the prompts.
If 2nd Street South towards 3rd Avenue is part of your walking, jogging, biking or driving route, you've probably noticed new parking pay stations were recently installed between 5th Avenue and 3rd Avenue.
Raya Zimmerman's "Smarter Parking" article in the August 15-28 Journal sheds light on why they're being installed, how they work, how to use them and how to avoid mistakes that will most likely result in a ticket.
It's actually a pretty straight forward system to use, but until parkers get comfortable with it you can count on seeing people frozen in front of the pay station with squinting eyes and furrowed brows.
Laurie Hertzel's "Punching up a New Literary Collaboration" article in the August 21 Star Trib (click here for the August 20 online edition) mentions Milkweed Editions, 1011 Washington Avenue South. According to the article, Milkweed and two other local presses, along with select Twin Cities book sellers, have created the Literary Punch Card as a means to increase book signing traffic, book sales, etc.
The launch party for the Literary Punch Card is scheduled for September 14, 5:00pm-7:00pm, at Club Jager, 923 Washington Avenue North.
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Day of the Dead / Dia de los Muertos Postcard Contest.
Minnesota Center for Book Arts (MCBA) is sponsoring a Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) postcard competition, with all entries to be displayed in the Open Book Lobby Gallery from September 16 to November 6, 2011. A $250 "best of show" prize will be awarded.
Entering is super easy: Create your entry - a 4"x6" postcard - using any media: collage, paint, drawing, printing, sewing, photography, digital imagery or any other artistic method. Then mail it to MCBA by September 12, 2011.
More details are available on the Artist Opportunities page.
The St. Paul and Eagan Markets are still the Minnesota leaders in the America’s Favorite Farmers Markets contest. Cast your vote for the Mill City Farmers Market by Clicking here. Only 10 days left to vote!
Salty Tart Bakery debuted at the Market this week, as did Sweetland Orchard. YUM!
Am I really the last person to "discover" Minneapolis? Until recently, I probably knew more about the religious capital of Kandy, in the central highlands of Sri Lanka, than I knew about Minneapolis. Turns out that this bike-friendly metropolis has a lot to offer visitors beyond Grain Belt Beer, long winters, and Mary Tyler Moore reruns. Here are just a few of the activities I tried during my recent visit.
All of the featured activities highlighted were from riverfront neighborhoods near downtown.
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There's still time to submit your photos in the Picture a Park Photo Contest!
The contest, sponsored by the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board(MPRB), People for Parks(PFP) and National Camera, is designed to highlight the life and times in Minneapolis parks year round.
Entries can depict people, activities, nature and places in the Minneapolis parks system from any time of the year. The contest is open to amateurs of all ages, Minneapolis residents and non-residents. Photos must be unpublished and taken in Minneapolis parks. Photographs from all seasons are encouraged. Photographers can submit up to four entries.
There is no entry fee. The deadline for submissions is September 5, 2011. Rules and entry forms are available online at MPRB. Information is also available at National Camera Exchange's website.
Photographer Categories:
- Youth (ages 17 and under)
- Adult (ages 18 and up)
Subject Categories:
- Beauty in the Parks
- Events in the Parks
- Fun in the Parks
All images will be judged on the basis of impact, image quality, composition and story telling. First, second and third place will be determined in each age and subject category. Photos entered in the contest will also be open for vote by the public for a Peoples Choice Award.
First place winners in the three subject categories in both age divisions will receive a 2012 calendar including their winning photograph. Second and third place winners will receive certificates of merit and recognition. Photos will be posted on the MPRB and PFP Web sites, and on display at select parks.
In addition, of the six first place winners, Gold, Silver and Bronze recognition will be determined, with the winners receiving a National Camera gift card and up to a 16x20 enlargement of their winning entry.
Peoples Choice Award winners will receive a 5 x 11-inch individually engraved paver at the Lake Harriet Bandshell.
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In the spirit of the MN State Fair, Mill City Farmers Market will host its own Canning Conteston Saturday, August 27.
Enter your home processed goods to a panel of judges in one (or all three!) of the categories listed below. Your works of art will be evaluated based on the official MN State Fair criteria.
Rule #1: All produce ingredients must be LOCALLY GROWN!
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Category: Sweet
Including jams, jellies, syrups, whole fruit preserves, butters...
Category: Tangy
Includes pickles, relishes, chutneys, salsa…
Category: Market Fresh
Show off your market dedication – how many Mill City Farmers Market vendors can you represent in one jar of home canned goods?!
Scorecard for all categories:
- Overall appearance
- Size and shape
- Color
- Texture
- Most creative recipe
- Best use of ingredients from the Market!
How to submit your goods:
Bring your Sweet, Tangy and/or Market Fresh goodies to the Market on August 27. Volunteers will be collecting submissions in the Market Cafe from 8:00am – 9:00am. A panel of judges will evaluate each submission and choose a winner from each category. The winners will be announced after the Mill City Cooks cooking demo (around 11:00am), after which time contestants can pick up their submissions.
Please include the following with your submission:
- Name
- Phone number
- Submission name (i.e. Strawberry Rhubarb Jam)
- List of ingredients
- List of sources (i.e. name of farm/market vendor where strawberries and rhubarb were purchased)
Our Judges
Barbara Schaller is a canning connoisseur, steadily winning blue ribbons at the Minnesota State Fair since 1981. Visit her blog “I Can Can, Can You?” to take home some jammin’ cannin’ tips.
Liz McMann is a Master Food Preserver and natural foods educator at the Mississippi Market. She is an avid urban gardener, documenting her gardening, cooking and preserving project on her blog “Food Snobbery is my Hobbery“.
The Soap Factory's5th annual Haunted Basement is on the horizon. Ticket are now available thru their website and Facebook.
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Hundreds of volunteers keep the Haunted Basement screaming. Click here if you'd like to assist with building, props, painting, cleaning, costumes, makeup, taking tickets or acting.
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Triple Espresso is scheduled to play at the Southern Theater November 16, 2011 - January 8, 2012.
Triple Espressotells the story of three guys whose bid for showbiz fame and fortune ended in 4-minutes of magnificent failure on national television. Hugh Butternut, Buzz Maxwell, and Bobby Bean tell their rags-to-rags story earnestly, with hysterical results. Butternut is a musician, a vulnerable soul with a lounge lizard smile; Maxwell is an uncertain magician with an attitude; and Bean is an irrepressible, all-over-the-map entertainer with big dreams. This comedy appeals to young and old. Box Office: 612-874-1100
At long last, what I've been dreaming of all summer - Sonny's sweet corn ice cream! It's heaven in a cup.
The St. Paul and Eagan Markets are still the Minnesota leaders in the America’s Favorite Farmers Markets contest. Cast your vote for the Mill City Farmers Market by Clicking here.
Events this weekend in and around the Historic Mill District of Minneapolis and across the Stone Arch Bridge in Old St. Anthony.
Friday, August 11
Real Ghost Tour (2 Nights) at St. Anthony Main
Saturday, August 12
Women’s Work: History Player Eva Valesh Tour at Mill City Museum
Taste Twin Cities Minneapolis Riverwalk Tour (Starts at Gold Medal Park)
Sunday, August 13
Washburn A Mill Tour at Mill City Museum
Weekend Brunch
Saturday & Sunday
Brunch at Spoonriver
750 South 2nd St (at Chicago Ave S)
Minneapolis, MN 55401
612-436-2236
Reservations recommended
10:00am - 2:00pm
Saturday & Sunday
Brunch at the Aster Cafe
St. Anthony Main
125 SE Main Street
Minneapolis, MN 55414
612-379-3138
Until 2pm.
Sunday
Brunch at Spill the Wine
1101 Washington Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55415
612-339-3388
brunch buffet 10am- 2pm Sunday
$12/person (kids 3 and under eat free, 4-12 years are 1/2 price!)
includes: eggs, bacon, french toast, hash browns, fresh salad and fruit, pastries, build your own omlette bar and more...
featuring absolut bloody bar for $5.
also offering fair trade coffee and full bar.
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The "East Downtown Minneapolis - Can You Picture It?" photo contest is seeking photos, videos and other presentations that, through its people, architecture and public space, make the East Downtown district vibrant.
The contest is sponsored by the East Downtown Council, and is open to everyone. The entry deadline is August 31, 2011.
Click here for information on rules, prizes and more.
A nice size crowd participated in this mornings Twins Territory TC 4K. The race started on 12th Avenue South, headed down 2nd Street South, and took runners thru the North Loop and Warehouse Disctrict to Target Field. The race helped raise money for the Twins Community Fund.
Only 3 1/2 weeks left to vote for the Mill City Farmers Market in the America’s Favorite Farmers Markets contest. You can do so by Clicking here. Currently the St. Paul and Eagan Markets are in the lead for Minnesota, but all three are behind the national leaders. It appears Southern and Eastern Market patrons are much more involved in voting for their Markets. What gives?
Friends (new and old), food, drink, music, massages, door prizes and Segways - they all add up to a perfect 2011 National Night Out in our Mill District neighborhood.
Special thanks to everyone who organized, provided refreshments, and helped set up and clean up. Also, thank you to Mill City Commons, Sorella Wine & Spirits, The Doorway, Segway Tours and Mark Stillman.
Visit the Block Party Website for more photos...
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We met Scott Hubers, Lifestyle Director at Mill District City Apartments, at National Night Out. He keeps things hopping at their building, but it's not all party, party, party.
Scott brought to my attention a volunteer opportunity he's promoting for Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity this Friday, August 5 (8:00am to 5:00pm). Work is on a new 3+ bedroom two-level, single family house, which is taking the place of a foreclosed home that was beyond repair. If you're looking for something to do this Friday, here's an opportunity to learn about Habitat for Humanity, work with your hands and get some exercise, and meet like-minded people who believe in giving back.
For more information, or to sign up, contact Scott at 507-339-0319 or sjhubers@msn.com.
In remembrance of Sherry Engebretsen - Artemio Trinidad-Mena - Julia Blackhawk - Patrick Holmes - Peter Hausmann - Paul Eickstadt - Greg Jolstad - Scott Sathers - Christina Sacorafas - Hanah Sahal - Sadiya Sahal - Vera Peck - Richard Chit.
Driving rain ended shortly before the 5:00pm Memorial Garden ceremony dedicated to the victims and survivors of the August 1, 2007, 35W bridge collapse.
The Memorial Garden features 13 columns, which bear the names of the individuals lost to the collapse. Names of the survivors are engraved in the black wall behind the columns. Behind the wall is an observation deck for viewing the river and new 35W bridge.
Following speeches by Mayor Rybak and Governor Dayton, loved ones shared sentiments and there was a performance by Christina Baldwin, Jennifer Baldwin Peden and Bradley Greenwald.
Governor Dayton had ordered flags in Minnesota to fly in half-staff in observation of the fourth anniversary of the 35W collapse.
A huge crowd gathered in Chute Square for the July 30 NorthEast Dog Parade. We didn't make it to the Red Stag for "Dogtail Hour" afterwards, but the parade kick off was quite a party by itself.
Mill City Times | 35W Bridge Memorial | Mill District Block Party | Mill City Media
Tuesday, August 23, 2011 at 2:00PM