Tonight - The Mill District Block Party for National Night Out

Tuesday, August 2nd / 6-9pm

On the Chicago Avenue Mall
(between Humboldt Lofts & the Guthrie)

Please join your neighbors for a dinner get together – we’ll be providing lots more food this year including grilled brats and sides.  If you have the time, please bring some food to share – do come whether you bring food or not, we’ll have plenty.  Beverages will be provided. And there will be music!

We hope to see you there!

"Kids Rock" Camp at MacPhail Center for Music

From the Kids Rock camp at MacPhail Center for Music for kids ages 10-13. This camp is open to singers as well as guitar, bass, keyboards and percussionists. Each band is coached by a MacPhail teaching artist in preparation for the final performance at the Nomad World Pub. Camp this year was held July 18-22.

Mayor Rybak Leads August 1 Dedication of the 35W Memorial Garden

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.

More NorthEast Dog Parade - Slide Shows

This was so much fun we decided to post some more.

Video Slideshow (best in full screen mode):

For those who prefer to browse, sans music:

Best in full screen mode...

This event was organized by NortheastMinneapolis.com - Thanks!

Great Turn Out for NorthEast Dog Parade

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.

Gold Medal Park part of July 30 Great Urban Race

On our way home from the Mill City Farmers Market yesterday we noticed a table set up under a tree filled with balloon animals, so naturally we had to check it out.  Turns out the Great Urban Race was taking place downtown - starting and ending at Huberts' Target Field location.

Amye Scharlau of Cabinets for Wonders assisted contestants with their challenge at the Gold Medal Park stop.  Below, Amye demonstrates how to make a balloon dog, which contestants had to display with their picture before qualifying to move on.

  

You never know what you'll see in our neighborhood - a good reason to get out for a walk as often as possible.

Week 13 at Mill City Farmers Market

It was packed at the Market today!  Great products, demos, music and food - and the weather cooperated this time.  :)  Click here to view Kare 11's trip to the Market this morning.

As of this afternoon, the Mill City Farmers Market was still in third place for Minnesota in the America’s Favorite Farmers Markets contest.  If you haven't voted yet, please take a minute to do so by Clicking here.  Voting is open until August 31.

Mill City Farmers Market July 30, 2011

July 30: Taste of Italy with the Italian Cultural Center

The Italian Cultural Center is the home of Italian culture in the Twin Cities. Stop by to learn more about their language and art history classes, travel info, and more.  

Celebrate it at the Mill City Farmers Market where we are overwhelmed with the abundance of summer's harvests: sustainable fruits and veggies, pasture-raised meats, poultry, eggs and cheese; artisan chocolates, breads and treats. It's easy to fill your pantry needs at the Market, so don't forget your grocery list!

Produce Planner

Sweet corn is in! Along with currants, raspberries, blueberries, garlic, carrots, beets, onions, potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, fennel, tomatoes, green beans, peas, radishes, herbs, salad mix, edible flowers, zucchini, summer squash, collards, kale, Swiss chard, and so much more!!!

Mill City Cooks, 10am

Market Chef, Heather Hartman welcomes Lorenzo Terregrossa of Lorenzo's Ovens to the Market. He's bringing an outdoor oven to make authentic Italian pizzas!

Discover You Can!

Canning connoisseur, Liz McMann leads a demo on safe home canning with a recipe for Bruschetta in a Jar.

Art Market, All Day

Featuring Spring Finn & Co., Cracked Clay, Fruits of the Sea , and Old World Cabinet

Live Music, 11 am - 1 pm

Members of Minnesota Opera's vocal training program will sing a sampling of Italian Art Songs. 12:30 -enjoy a preview of Mixed Precipitation's 3rd annual Picnic Operetta touring local Community Gardens. 

This Weekend in Mill City / July 29-31

Events this weekend in and around the Historic Mill District of Minneapolis and across the Stone Arch Bridge in Old St. Anthony.

Friday, July 29

Northeast Dog Parade

Real Ghost Tour (2 Nights) at St. Anthony Main

The Amazing Adventures of the Corporate Wizard in the Land of LARP at Soap Factory (3 nights)

Live Music at Aster Cafe

Saturday, July 30

Taste Twin Cities Minneapolis Riverwalk Tour (Starts at Gold Medal Park)

Women’s Work: History Player Eva Valesh Tour at Mill City Museum

Mill City Farmers Market

Book Art Biennial 2011 at MCBA (2 days)

8th Annual Mississippi River Challenge (2-day event)

2011 MCBA Prize Gala and Award Ceremony

Live Music at Aster Cafe

Sunday, July 31

CorePower Yoga in the Park

Railroad History Tour at Mill City Museum

Red Stag Block Party

Live Music at Aster Cafe

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

See the menu...

Saturday & Sunday

Brunch at the Aster Cafe
St. Anthony Main
125 SE Main Street
Minneapolis, MN 55414
612-379-3138

Until 2pm.

See the menu...

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.

Tomorrow Night - The NorthEast Dog Parade

Winding through the neighborhood with dog-themed prizes, refreshments, & giveaways - The parade starts at Historic Chute Park (University & Central) and ends at the Key North Parking lot (1st Ave NE.)

Tonight - Mill City Live Featuring Molly Maher & Her Disbelievers

Time: 6:00pm-8:00pm

Location: Mill City Museum, 704 2nd Street South

Performers:  Molly Maher & Her Disbelievers

Fee: $5 per person; includes admission to Mill City Museum. Free for MHS members.

The Twin Cities’ most explosive outdoor concert series is back for an eighth season with a slate of bands curated by music writer Jim Walsh. Featuring legendary performers from the heyday of the Minneapolis sound, these concerts will riff on American music in a gorgeous riverfront setting every Thursday from July 7 through Aug. 18. Admission includes the concert and entrance to the museum from 4 to 9 p.m. Food and drink by D’Amico Catering available for purchase.

Music in The Park - A Relaxing End to a Hectic Day

Naphtalia was this week's Tuesday night Music in the Park artist at Father Hennepin Bluffs.  It was the first time Dave and I had a chance to attend one of these performances.  Kudos to the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board for bringing us this series.

The weather was picture perfect, and the attendees (ranging in age from babies to seniors) looked absolutely contented. 

HEADS UP - West River Road Closed Today Through Sunday

West River Road will be closed between Plymouth Avenue and West Broadway, starting today through Sunday, July 31 for the National Wakeboarding Championships being held on the Mississippi River north of downtown.

From Minneapolis Park Board email:

This is a reminder that there will be a weekend long event that will close down West River Parkway starting on July 27th, 2011 to July 31st, 2011. Please plan accordingly this weekend.

You Can Change a Life

Today - a homeless mother is working on job applications and housing searches, and her husband is working on his Microsoft Office skills.  Their children are in preschool, and they're looking forward to movie night this week.  All of these activities are taking place at People Serving People - and all of these activities are made possible through donations from community members.

 

People Serving People's community-funded programs help nearly 1,000 families work towards self-sufficiency yearly. However, donations are down 40% this year, and they need every bit of help they can get to help homeless families become stable.

 

Starting September 1st, all monthly donations made to People Serving People (by first-time donors) will be DOUBLED.   A donation of just $10 a month can truly make a difference.  That, doubled, would mean that a total of $240 will help a family to be supported by staff and volunteers through their Family Support Services.

 

There is a limit to how many people can get their donations matched – so sign up today to get on the list to join the Change a Life Coalition on September 1st!

 

Fill out the pledge form and make a difference today.

Tonight - Washburn Crosby Elevator 1 Preservation Project

Minneapolis Heritage Preservation Commission

Item #3 on the Agenda

4:30 p.m., Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Room 317, City Hall

350 South Fifth Street

Minneapolis, MN 55415-1385

3. 104 8^th Avenue South, Washburn Grain Elevators – St. Anthony Falls Historic District, Ward 7

Staff: Aaron Hanauer, 612.673.2494 – Staff Report

Certificate of Appropriateness for preservation and stabilization work.

Staff Recommendation: Adopt staff findings and approve the Certificate of Appropriateness with the following condition(s):

• For the Gold Medal Flour, any work beyond the condition analysis shall be reviewed by CPED-Planning Preservation Staff.
• CPED-Planning Preservation Staff shall review and approve the final plans and elevations prior to building permit issuance.
• The Certificate of Appropriateness approval shall expire if it is not acted upon within one year of approval, unless extended by the Planning Director in writing prior to one-year anniversary date of approvals.
• By ordinance, all approvals granted in this Certificate of Appropriateness shall remain in effect as long as all of the conditions and guarantees of such approvals are observed. Failure to comply with such conditions and guarantees shall constitute a violation of this Certificate of Appropriateness and may result in termination of the approval.

Washburn Crosby Elevator 1 Preservation Project

View more documents from Mill City Times

New Outdoor Fitness Offering in the Mill District - Range of Motion Wellness

Minnesota summers are way too short to be exercising indoors. 

Jeremy Morris, an American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Certified Personal Trainer, and founder of Range of Motion Wellness, is taking his workouts outdoors.

Starting this Thursday, July 28, at 5:00pm, and every following Thursday through September 29, Jeremy is leading a 60-minute "Mill City Ruins Workout" at the Mill City Ruins parking lot (near Lock and Dam 1).

Per Jeremy, "This workout will allow people who feel a little out of shape to make the gradual transition to regular exercise, and will give regular exercisers an exciting break from the gym."

He added, "I decided to focus one of my initial group workout settings in the Mill Ruins Park because it has a lot of opportunity to deliver both low and high intensity elements by using the great topography, it's close to Gold Medal Park, which is equally flexible, convenient to so many great residences, and it's a beautiful setting.  Few outdoor workouts in the local parks have such dynamic elements as the Falls, the Stone Arch Bridge, and the history of the city all setting the backdrop with good landscape features that can help provide a quality full-body workout.
 
Ten years ago I was living in Marcy Holmes while attending the U, and commuted to the StarTribune by walking across the Stone Arch Bridge. During that time the Mill Ruins were being excavated and redevelopment of the area was underway. I was fascinated by the redevelopment of the Mill District and it just stuck with me. When I started this venture I realized that I needed to find untapped resources for these kinds of events. The river and Mill District area were great opportunities. I'm really looking forward to helping others share the resource in a new way."

Sessions are only $5 each, and will take you on a short warm-up, body-weight strengthening exercises, and a stretching cool down.  E-mail reservations are strongly encouraged, but anyone is welcome to attend.

Jeremy also offers Personal Training, Worksite Health and Lifestyle Concierge services.  Visit the website, Facebook and Twitter for more information.

Aquatennial Festivities & Fireworks

One of the highlights of the festivities was a group of bucket drummers who could really pound it out.  They played to a big crowd all night.

The rain threatened, then arrived, but it was a warm rain at least.  We shot video from different vantage points as we sought shelter from the rain under nearby trees.  The huge crowd stayed for the show.  The first video is shot using our "good" video camera and tripod, the last three handheld with our Flip HD.

Finally, a slideshow of the photos we shot (best viewed in full screen mode).

2011 Minnesota Fringe Festival Events at Mill City Museum

The Mill City Museum will be one of the three downtown Minneapolis venues for the 2011 Minnesota Fringe Festival, which runs Thursday, August 4 thru Sunday, August 14.  The other areas are Upton, the West Bank and St. Paul.

Click here for the Fringe schedule at Mill City Museum. 

This is the Fringe's 18th year, with 168 different productions showing on 18 stages throughout the Twin Cities.  All shows are 60 minutes or less.

Fringe is an annual performing arts festival in the Twin Cities.  For 11 days, over a thousand artists present works in every discipline and genre.  No one selects the participating shows - a lottery determines which of nearly 400 applicants win production slots at the festival.

Mother Nature Wreaks Havoc at Mill City Farmers Market (Week 12)

We got a late start to the Farmers Market this morning, arriving shortly after 10am.   Upon arriving we found the plaza empty except for the Real Foods stand and the Chef Shack truck.  What we missed wasn't just a heavy rain, it was a horrific blast from Mother Nature that tore apart tents, sent products flying and brought nearby condo residents rushing down to help the vendors.

I don't know if KSTP was already on site to get pictures of something in particular, but they captured the chaotic scene.  Click here for KSTP's article (and pictures 01-07 in the accompanying slide show).

And just like that, the sun came out - but it was definately not business as usual.  Who knows how much product was destroyed, and how many tents and other display items will have to be replaced.  What do those things, combined with the loss of a day's sales at a busy Farmers Market, mean for each vendor? 

In the train shed, we managed to fill our bag with produce and other items, but I sure did miss my usual weekly stops, such as Tiny Planet Produce and Bramblewood Cottage - to name just a few.

 

This week's cooking demo was cancelled (Chef Nick Schneider was going to demystify Pesto for us), but the musicians (Gypsy Mania Quartet) found a covered area off to the side of the demo area to play.

And then there was Sonny's. Their ice cream is good for the soul.  (FYI - Sonny's ice cream is now available at Mill City Market Grocery and Deli, 1020 Washington Avenue South in the Bridgewater Lofts). 

As of this afternoon, the Mill City Farmers Market was still in third place for Minnesota in the America’s Favorite Farmers Markets contest.  If you haven't voted yet, please take a minute to do so by Clicking here.  I can't imagine a cooler Farmers Market than ours! 

This Weekend in Mill City / July 22-24

Events this weekend in and around the Historic Mill District of Minneapolis and across the Stone Arch Bridge in Old St. Anthony.

Friday, July 22

Real Ghost Tour (2 Nights) at St. Anthony Main

Torbreck Winery at Sorella

Saturday, July 23

Taste Twin Cities Minneapolis Riverwalk Tour (Starts at Gold Medal Park)

Mill City Farmers Market

Minneapolis Riverfront Tour at Mill City Museum

Target Fireworks along West River Parkway

Sunday, July 24

CorePower Yoga in the Park

Midwest Photo Safari St. Anthony Falls Heritage Trail Tours

Washburn A Mill Tour at Mill City Museum

Conversation with Mark Allen at Soap Factory

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

See the menu...

Saturday & Sunday

Brunch at the Aster Cafe
St. Anthony Main
125 SE Main Street
Minneapolis, MN 55414
612-379-3138

Until 2pm.

See the menu...

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.