What is missing from this extensive park? Maybe big crowds on an evening when a great band (Power…read moreof 10) is performing in the Band Shell. This park has lots of ball diamonds/basketball/football/soccer/tennis (ice rink in winter) to offer sports enthusiasts. Playground & skateboard park are also here. Community events: Summer concerts, farmers market, movie in the park, touch-a-truck, family fun flatables. Check online for the most recent events. * * * * * for the public bathroom by the skateboard park-it was clean & well stocked!

Big 5STARS for family free entertainment! Hope to see you…read morethere Last night was pretty darn good! Kids of all ages having a great time!!

I've been coming here for years! Everything from union meetings to bowling…read more They have put a lot of money into the restaurant but have forgotten about the upstairs area. The "concert" area is outdated, old chairs and tables that need to be upgraded. The staff is very nice and does what they can but I'd rather take my money elsewhere. Bowling is ok, they've upgraded a little bit and the kids have an arcade to play in. Upside: plenty of parking.

This a an Awesome venue. The sound system is amazing…read more (you'll need ear plugs because the sound system brings the energy, the bass beat you'll FEEL) The stage is as good as one can expect from a limited ceiling height. If you have no ass, you may want to bring a seat cushion. They bring in many main stream bands, it's a hidden gem of MEDINA. people complain about some small things in their reviews, bottom line of your ALL ABOUT THE MUSIC it's the place to be.

This is a really fun event. Cocktails at the castle is one of ASI's big events that both races…read moreFunds for the organization, but also introduces people to the museum. It is a really well done event. The setting itself is gorgeous. If you haven't visited the museum/Turnblad do it now. But there's so much going on at this event that everyone can have fun. The bands were incredible. There were a variety of different art activities that you could participate in both inside and out. I liked that several of them related to the Main exhibit that is taking place there right now. They worked with Du Nord spirits to come up with four signature cocktails. We tried two of the four they were both excellent and the rest looked fantastic. They also had four signature mock tails. The food curated for the event also looked great but we made the mistake of eating before we went. The mood was festive and there were people of all ages from 21 on up there. I went with just one friend. I think it could've been even more fun if we brought a crew but either way I think it is an extraordinary sFriday night out with just a special someone or friends. Big thank you to @mspyelp and the American Swedish Institute for providing me the tickets.

A fun night of wine, cocktails, music and mansion exploration…read more Wine from Chile. Cocktails made with Du Nord spirits and small bites from FIKA were all good. We had shrimp piri piri, preserved mango couscous salad, and the coconut cardamom Basbousa cake. The music was from Obi Original & the Black Atlantics. Nigerian Music. Was great.

I've only been here once, and what an event it was!! It…read moretruly does capture the atmosphere of Jazz music. The location is perfect, while it can be hectic getting into downtown and parking, I would suggest going green and spend an all day visit. Taking the rail or bus either way you'll be greeted with GREAT music! They have several stages, played at different times in which you walk from one block to another should you feel the need to explore. Food is wonderful! Plenty of FOODTRUCKS and local eatery. BIGRIVER pizza near CHS and farmers market is AWESOME! Not to mention too, there will Art booths set up from local artist. Including myself :-)) Http://DeMeglioart.com I'll be there FRI-SAT It's a place to come and it's FREE, not the food of course!

Love it! Well organized, Talented Musicians, Great Security, and just a fun Summer Festival!…read more I normally stay at the Mears Stage because I live right there but many other venues around like Black Dog, Amsterdam, and Union Depot Stage, have acts playing at the same time. I think the bigger name bands play at the Main Stages however. Thursday night is a perfect night, not too busy. Friday night is still great but Saturday does get really really crowded so get your spots saved early on that day. I must applaud the Security Team this year. Last year I had a few pesty drunks bugging me, since I am a magnet for that type but this year, while sitting with my friend Ron, a drunk started bothering him, and within a minute, Security was right on it! Bam! Get out of here! It really made me feel good that they were very visible this year!! Thank you to the organizers who arranged this fine security group!

Dropped by for the Eagan Market Fest at the Eagan Community Center (select Wednesdays), but I was a…read morebit early for doors so I decided to go exploring the surrounding park grounds. It's not much in the way of hiking, as the longest path/loop is only a mile long and fully paved with asphalt, but it's got a lot of amenities that would make for an excellent visit during warmer months. This includes a kid's playground, an extensive fitness zone, a splash pad (with toilets and water fountain-- not operating during winter), a bandshell, and a sizable festival grounds. On the other end of the park (near Pilot Knob) there's a gazebo structure with more seasonal restrooms/water fountain, with a multitude of picnic tables, trash/recycling, and grills that would be excellent for outdoor get-togethers. There is parking at both this location and by the splash pad, as well as the massive lot attached to the community center. There's a couple small lakes and plenty of trees, so it's a nice little retreat (even if right across the street is a massive outdoor shopping center...).

I've been bringing my kids to this park for over 10 years. They started with the playground, and we…read moreloved when the splash pad was installed. Now, they like to work out at the Core Valley area (we call it Ninja Warrior Park), while I walk the lovely trails around the pond area. The band shell has some free performances sometimes. My fav feature is the cute gazebo and bridge next to the pond. A very well thought out park for so many uses, including art fairs, food truck fairs, a weekly farmer's market and even a huge July 4th celebration. The Eagan Community Center building is conveniently located the middle of the park.

A grand old building with " this is a college campus" parking. They have prepaid parking for the…read moreclosest "church street" lot but don't get into that long slow lane, if you aren't prepaid. We were directed to the Nolte lot which was wasn't far away and a tunnel walk to the Northrup (which was nice as it was cold.) At the theater itself, they had plenty of people to help direct and the seats were comfortable and the view was just fine.

North Auditorium - twin Cities ballet Nutcracker…read more In 1989, I saw my first performance of The Nutcracker at the North Auditorium. Thirty-six years later, I brought my son back -- he's about the same age I was then -- hoping to share the magic of Christmas and the magic of The Nutcracker with him. When I called to purchase tickets, I specifically asked whether this was a classical version of Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker, and I was told that it was. Because of that assurance, you can imagine my disappointment when it became clear that this was not a classical interpretation at all. The director took extensive liberties with this 133-year-old masterpiece to make it more "Minnesota." There was a wooden flute meant to imitate a loon, complete with a loon dance. There were Viking elements, a bird dance I couldn't make sense of, and a riverboat scene with fish. Were some of these moments cute? Yes. Were they Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker? No. If I had seen the riverboat dance with the little fish at a student dance recital, I would have smiled and thought it was charming. But when you are expecting the timeless classical Nutcracker -- first produced in 1892 and beloved for its enduring magic -- this reimagining is deeply underwhelming. To be fair, there were positives. I appreciated the relaxed sensory-friendly performance, especially as I have an autistic son. It was wonderful to see so many young children there with their families, and the little girls dressed in their ballerina-inspired outfits were absolutely adorable. The student performers did well, and this was clearly a meaningful experience for them. That said, I only counted about four principal dancers who felt at a professional level. The two principal dancers in Act II who performed the solos and duets were very good, and for a brief moment, I was truly captivated by their dancing. The set design, however, was lackluster -- it felt cheaply made and lacked the Christmas magic this piece deserves. Perhaps the production was working within a very limited budget. I did receive discounted tickets, and I'm grateful for that. Had I paid full price, I would have been very upset. This performance was not worth full price. I love theater. I love dance. I always wished I could have been a dancer myself and took classes when I was younger. I have friends who are professional dancers, now retired, so I understand what the arts can be -- the breathtaking, awe-inspiring, make-you-cry-and-you-don't-know-why magic of live performance. That is what I hoped my son would experience. He didn't. I didn't either. When it was over, I asked him what he thought. He shrugged and said, "Good." And that really sums it up. It was good -- but it wasn't great. It wasn't extraordinary. And it wasn't Christmas magic. If you have a friend or family member in the performance, I understand wanting to attend. But if you're expecting the classic Nutcracker and the kind of Christmas magic this piece is known for, you won't find it here

Gasthof Zur Gemütlichkeit (the restaurant) is now closed permanently. Fulton Brewery has stepped…read moreup at moved the Oktoberfest to the Fulton NE (2540 NE 2nd St) location! The Oktoberfest tent was so fun! Lots of portapotties, so not too much of a line! Great German foods and beers (both Fulton & German). Thank you Fulton! Great live music and dancing and entertainment! Stein holding contests! Remember, the fest is open until 10pm-so get there early! Free entry, street parking, bring your id if you want to drink, no dogs.

Attending Gastof's Oktoberfest tent is a yearly ritual we love doing. This year, we lucked out and…read morethe weather was tropical for the first weekend (September 21st). We like to bring our own beer stein (as we have purchased so many over the years and have a collection). If you don't have one, they are only the price of one token. Tokens = $6 this year and you can use them from year to year. Rumor has it, that you can use for a drink at the downstairs bar year round (if you don't use them all at the tent). Not sure. They have a wide variety of Oktoberfest style beers, local brews, a cider, cocktails and even hard sparkling water. If you get munchie... there is always food for purchase with tokens. Sadly, this year... their was only one large tent vs two. Plus they squished the outdoor area down so they could valet more cars. This made it a tight cluster of people. Can be a good thing and a bad thing. Smoking is allowed outside the tent. By 8:45pm, there was no room to stand inside or out of the tent. Get there early and attempt to find a bench in the tent... good luck this year with half the space and seating. Positive side, it's free to enter and play hammerslaggan (some game with a hammer and nails into wood... perfect for intoxicated people). Haha.

This review is going to review the Centennial Park Amphitheater in Brooklyn Center as well as the…read morepark-since it's an integral part of the open air amphitheater. The park & amphitheater are west of the Brooklyn Center Community Center, just north of Brooklyn Center Library & Government Center. It's on the Shingle Creek Regional Trail, which runs near the Shingle Creek. Two large paved free parking lots are available. There's a little bit of something for everyone: Trails, ball fields, playground, picnics, mature trees to relax under-maybe catch a performance on the amphitheater stage (Tuesday evenings during the summer-check their site for times & performers).

Wonderful venue for outdoor concerts and other stage events! Recently, I attended a concert there…read more What a great time!