Archives For places

What fun this promises to be!  The third annual Northern Spark will be held on Saturday (into Sunday morning), June 8, 2013 from 9:00 p.m. to 5:30 a.m., in Saint Paul, Minnesota’s Lowertown. Northern Spark is the only all-night arts festival in the Midwest—a free, public, dusk-to-dawn nuit blanche that ignites the Twin Cities in an explosion of urban art.

Calling all Twin Cities’ residents and visitors – a fun all-nighter is on the way!

Performances, visual arts, projected images, interactive media, and participatory events bring together a multitude of artists who create art projects in partnership with numerous arts organizations at multiple venues.

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Scoping out the Twin Cities area for items of interest.

Highlights for three upcoming events and activities in the Twin Cities area:

  • 40th Annual Folkways of the Holidays;
  • Folkways By Candlelight;
  • Winter Solstice Sunset Celebration

Here is more information to get you to the right place at the right time:

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Events take place in other states as well. This hardy plunger was climbing out of Lake Michigan during the Polar Bear Plunge on New Year’s Day 2009 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Brr!  When you register for one of these annual events, you literally plan to go jump in the lake – a very, very cold lake!  Yes, the Polar Bear Plunge events will soon be taking place, and all for a great cause.

The Polar Bear Plunge is presented by Minnesota law enforcement as part of the year-round Law Enforcement Torch Run® events. They invite everyone to join them in support of Special Olympics athletes by jumping into frigid Minnesota waters!

The 2013 Polar Bear Plunge Kick-Off will take place on January 25, 2013 at Jimmy’s Food & Drink in Vadnais Heights.  Click here to learn more. The first plunge takes place at White Bear Lake on January 26.

Over 14,000 participants raised over $2.85 million in 2012 for Special Olympics Minnesota, setting new records for both participation and the amount of monies raised.

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The attraction, constructed over the course of four to six weeks during the holiday season, plans to open in late December and stay open through the end of February 2013, weather permitting.

This winter, Mall of America® will bring a one-of-a-kind experience to visitors from around the world. Ice Castles, LLC, will build its largest structure ever, a castle that will stand more than 40 feet tall at its peak and span more than one acre.

This unique ice structure will be built in the Mall of America North Parking Lot.  Its opening date is planned for late December, 2012, but is dependent on the weather.

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An imposing structure that is usually viewed from a different direction.

The average Twin Cities resident has probably not been inside this imposing structure, but it serves a vital purpose both locally and on a national scale.

This photo was taken in 2010.  To learn the name and location of the building plus some historical facts, click on “Continue Reading…”

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Lots of steps, with lots of people making frequent use of them in order to access the resources within this building. Have you been there?

This statue is in a very popular public site in Minneapolis.  The building was completed in 2006, but its history dates back to 1860.

This photo was taken in 2008.  Can you identify this Twin Cities landmark?  To find out the name of the building and learn more information about it, just click on the following link and continue reading…

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If you are brave enough, venture into the unknown at one of the REALLY SPOOKY Halloween sites. And may all go well with you on your journey!

Autumn events taking place throughout the month of October often feature some Halloween-type mayhem or decorations of a less-frightening nature.  These include corn mazes, apple orchard events, zoo happenings, park events, and community or mall-wide celebrations.

However, there are Halloween attractions in the Twin Cities area that can be downright bone-chilling – it pays to do some reading on the internet before heading out to a site as certain attractions may be far too intense for the younger crowd.

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A tin lithographed Halloween tambourine, circa 1940-1950.

The weather can be a bit “iffy” at the end of October – celebrating Halloween indoors at one of the Twin Cities’ shopping malls might be a good alternative to having the little ghosts and goblins go trick-or-treating in private neighborhoods.

Many malls are hosting trick-or-treat events.  Here are some of the Halloween events or related activities that are currently listed on mall websites:

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Distinctive architectural details make this building unique in Minneapolis. Can you name it?

This building is typically viewed from a different direction, but the architectural features are easily seen even from this view.

This photo was taken in August, 2010 of one of our well-known buildings in Minneapolis. Can you identify this Twin Cities landmark?

For the answer and some brief information about what is depicted in the photo, just click on the following link and continue reading…

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Soft lighting in a warm, inviting space.  But where?

This photo was taken in 2006 of one of our well-known spaces in Minneapolis. Do you know its location?

The answer and some brief information about what is depicted in the photo can be found by clicking “Continue Reading…”

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