TC Weekend | Beloved Community Celebration, Lola Art Crawl, Chipotle Cultivate, MN State Fair and more!

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It’s hard to believe it’s time for the Minnesota State Fair, but here we are. The Great Minnesota Get-together has begun, serving as a gentle reminder that summer is fleeting. Below you’ll find a few engaging events around town to attend if you’re not quite ready to join the crowds at the State Fair.Let us know how you will spend the weekend by sending your photos and comments to tcweekend@tcdailyplanet.net or tag them with #tcdpic, and we’ll add them to the Storify over the weekend.  If you know of an event fit for TC Weekend, use our calendar to upload the event or use the email address above.Minnesota State Fair, August 21 – September 1Will you try one of the 28 new foods at the fair this year? From bacon-wrapped turkey legs and beer gelato, to the Caribbean-style lobster rolls, there’s a lot of new favorites to discover! Continue Reading

Double Dutch draws St. Paul youth like moths to a flame

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Like moths to a flame, Double Dutch is the perfect sport for attracting kids and keeping them moving and motivated throughout the summer.Parents, friends, community members and double dutch enthusiasts packed into the Jimmy Lee Rec Center for the Third Annual Jump Jam Double Dutch Challenge on Aug. 16. Event-goers enjoyed a family resource fair and watched this year’s lineup of Double Dutch teams square off against each other. The event capped off a ten-week fitness program centered around Double Dutch that is sponsored through a partnership between Saint Paul YWCA, Health Partners and the City of Saint Paul.“The program also offers a healthy eating and wellness component, including cooking classes,” said School Success Manager at YWCA Saint Paul Tara Munroe. “The participants come from all different backgrounds and many are new to Double Dutch. Continue Reading

Spotlight on access – physical and virtual – at the 2014 Great Minnesota Get-Together!

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The healthy being craves an occasional wildness, a jolt form normality, a sharpening of the edge of appetite, his own little festival of Saturnalia, a brief excursion from his way of life. – Robert MacIver, sociologist

It’s State Fair time — when new taste treats compete with cheese curds for olfactory prominence, military issue 4-H dorms house weary teens demo-ing the latest in control of frac-sand or groundwater pollution, research-in-progress shares space with Goldie Gopher at the aU of M show-and-tell. Still, as J.V. Bailey (for whom the building that now houses the Minnesota State Fair Foundation is named) observed the “the State Fair approaches in scope and effort an institution of learning.” Continue Reading

This week in Saint Paul: Monday, August 18,–Sunday 24, 2014

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I have noticed the State Fairgrounds getting busier and busier. Folks have been breaking in the place and the anticipation is enough to stave off the pangs that come with the last gasp of summer. Over the next two weeks, a lot of people, young and old, will be back to school. Something will be different soon, if nothing else than a temporary reprieve from the change of scenery, staving off the fits of boredom that visit youngsters and some of us grownups who insist to a parent or caretaker, “There’s nothing to do!” Continue Reading

Senior Safety Pride Day 2014 honors living legacy in Twin Cities

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It was a muggy but otherwise ideal afternoon for the 13th Annual Senior Safety Pride Day, Friday, August 15 at Boom Island in Minneapolis.Sponsored by Mad Dads of Minneapolis, Phillips West, Center Point Energy, Community Action and others, the event served more than 300 seniors with grilled food, games and prizes, and live entertainment. The celebration also included a mini-resource fair, where community organizations provided information about safety, health and wellness, and economic services available in the community.Among the attendees this year were the Royal Red Hat Sabathanettes, the Jolly Seniors, Minneapolis 4th Precinct Police Inspector Mike Kjos, Public Safety and Civil Rights Policy Aide to Mayor Hodges, Nicole Archbold, and many more. Crowd favorites, the Sabathani Still Kickin’ Dancers, got things moving, eventually inspiring some in the crowd to brave the humidity and learn some new steps.Seniors have a special place in the heart of VJ Smith, President and Local Founder of Mad Dads, and the event is his way of giving back. “It feels good to honor our seniors,” said Smith. “If you think of how we got where we are today, it’s only because of them. Continue Reading

TC Weekend | Open Streets Franklin, Powderhorn 24, IndiaFest, Japanese Lantern Lighting, Greek Fest and more!

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Another fun-filled weekend is upon us, with a diverse and invigorating lineup of cultural, community and humanitarian festivities taking place in the Twin Cities. Let the fun begin — scroll down to see what’s on tap!Let us know how you will spend the weekend by sending your photos or comments to tcweekend@tcdailyplanet.net or tag them with name of the event or the hashtag #tcdpic, and we’ll add them to the Storify over the weekend. You can also send us a tip about an upcoming event at the email above or upload it yourself with our easy-to-use event calendar.Powderhorn 24, August 15 – 16It’s all about bikes this weekend in the Powderhorn neighborhood, as residents and friends bike for 24 hours straight. The event is in celebration of the Powderhorn neighborhood and surrounding south Minneapolis area, and sponsored by neighborhood businesses and community organizations. The event pits local bikers against one another in friendly competition to see who can do the most laps in a 24 hour span, while also highlighting the neighborhood. Continue Reading

River Rats serve up Star Wars family fun on the Northside

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A running item in the Sunday Star Tribune is the “Names & Faces” in the variety section. I normally skip the self-congratulating who’s who at various galas, but several weeks ago something caught my eye. Normal people were profiled at the riverfront by West Broadway, attending a show by the Twin Cities River Rats. The kicker? It was a Star Wars-themed performance. Continue Reading

TC Spotlight | Urban agriculture in the Twin Cities

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For this week’s TC Spotlight, we decided to keep the outdoor summer theme and shine a spotlight on the ever-growing urban agriculture movement in the Twin Cities.Urban agriculture comes in various forms and benefits urban communities in many ways. Urban farms provide fresh local food sources and economic development, and they create a space for social interaction, neighborhood beautification, and engagement. Below we’ve highlight just a few of the many organizations that specialize in urban agriculture and how you can support them. Feel free to use the comment section to chime in on your favorite sources of local produce and all things urban agriculture.Related articles and info:Twin Cities Farmers want city officials to do more for urban farmsMiracles Can Happen Celebrates Launch of Giving Garden north MinneapolisCommunity Garden Day, September 13Youth Farm128 West 33rd Street, Suite 2, Minneapolis, MN 55408 | 612-872-4226 Youth Farm specializes in youth development and leadership through the cultivation and selling of food in five communities in the Twin Cities. Youth Farm is a non-profit organization offering year-round programs, meeting participants at their level of development and challenging and growing with them.To gain a better understanding of Youth Farm and the programs it offers the communities, come on out to the annual Neighborhood Harvest Festivals taking place in each of the five neighborhood location this week. Continue Reading