Minnesota Prairie Roots

Writing and photography by Audrey Kletscher Helbling

Connecting & celebrating community at Faribault Fall Festival October 4, 2026

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Kids create at activity stations along Faribault’s Central Avenue during the Fall Festival. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)

KIDS COSTUMED as Big Bird, Buzz Lightyear, a firefighter, cowboy, dinosaur, pig, even a cupcake, and many other characters descended on Central Avenue Saturday for the Faribault Fall Festival. What a delight to see the street crowded with costumed kids and with adults enjoying a beautiful, sunshine-drenched autumn day in our historic downtown.

Creating art for buttons at an activity offered by Friends of Buckham Memorial Library. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)
Kid-painted pumpkins line the curb to dry. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)
One of the many art stations set up for kids to create. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)

The event featured not only kids’ activities and trick-or-treating, but also the Studio ARTour, fire department open house, vendor market and chili sampling.

Serving up chili for Faribault Transportation. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)
A homemade sign marks the Faribault Area Chamber of Commerce & Tourism chili table. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)
Next to his wife serving chili for Faribault Transportation, this volunteer serves Christ Lutheran Church chili. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)

Randy and I arrived at noon specifically to sample chili made by non-profits, businesses, candidates for public office, a church and other cooks. For $5 each, we enjoyed a tasty lunch of chili samples. But it wasn’t all about the food. Moving among chili serving stations set up on sidewalks along several blocks, I met new people, talked with friends, dodged costumed kids, all the while feeling a strong sense of community connection.

Faribault City Council candidate Natalie Halverson serves turkey pumpkin chili (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)
Fest-goers answered a question posed by candidate Halverson. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)

City council candidate Natalie Halverson scooped out pumpkin chili made with foods sourced in Faribault, including turkey and beans. But she also served up an opportunity for locals to jot down their answers to this question: “What are the most important qualities of an effective Faribault City Council?” That engagement impressed me.

Fest-goers sample chili and other food made by Nancy Greer. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)

Around the block, Nancy Greer served her beefy chili, cornbread, cheese and crackers with a pepper spread, and mini cupcakes on a festive table outside Our Place on 3rd. Like Halverson, she offered more. Greer shared mental health and suicide prevention information, handing me a flier about World Mental Health Day on October 10 and Recovery Road MN. The Recovery Road team is walking 1,776 miles to raise awareness about youth mental health and reduce the stigma.

A beautiful autumn-themed centerpiece crafted by Nancy Greer for her chili serving table. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)

Greer’s care, compassion, generosity and optimism—she wore a butterfly tee emblazoned with “BELIEVE in who you are”—left me feeling really good. I walked away with a business-sized card telling me “SOMETIMES YOU FORGET you’re AWESOME. SO THIS IS YOUR REMINDER.” The flip side of the card included validating words such as strength, bravery, smartness and love.

Launching stuffed animals. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)

All around me I witnessed and felt the love. Families walking together. Grandparents, parents and volunteers leading, assisting or simply standing by as kids painted small pumpkins, colored cloth trick-or-treat bags, jumped in a bouncy house, launched stuffed animals toward a dinosaur, created sand and button art, and more.

Signage marks one of two Studio ARTour sites in downtown Faribault. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)

Inside Runamuck Workshop, throngs of kids and adults crammed the toy store. Across the street, Books on Central was also busy. And a block to the north, the Paradise Center for the Arts teemed with art-lovers there for the Studio ARTour, gallery shows and live music.

Creatives brought their homemade and handcrafted goods to sell in downtown Faribault. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)

Vendors selling everything from sweet treats to handcrafted items lined the center of Central Avenue.

Family activities set up in a block of Central Avenue. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)

I didn’t hit every aspect of the Faribault Fall Festival. But I experienced enough to feel the strong sense of community created by this event. It’s good for the heart and soul of a community to come together, to have fun, to appreciate one another, and to recognize that this city we call home is worth celebrating.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Celebrating a memorable milestone birthday September 29, 2026

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Some of the many birthday cards I received, including a watercolor floral, right, painted by my friend Valerie. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2026)

I REACHED A MILESTONE birthday recently. I didn’t celebrate in any big way. Birthdays have become for me almost like any other day. Yet, my closest loved ones assured that I would experience some memorable moments.

My birthday bouquet from the farmers’ market. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2026)

Let’s start with the morning of my birthday. Randy, per my “I would like a caramel roll for breakfast” word drop the evening prior, delivered on that. He also picked up the loveliest mixed bouquet of dahlias and other flowers from the Faribault Farmers’ Market. My birthday was off to a great start.

The rest of the day was low key with grocery shopping, protesting (I could have done without the obscene words shouted at us and the vehicles threatening our safety), a library visit, a walk between rain showers and then, for supper, take-out from The Twisted Chicken. The owner, when I told him my new age, proclaimed that no way did I look fill in the blank here. He even asked an employee to guess my age. Her answer of 55 was way off. I laughed. Whether they were messing with me or not doesn’t matter. They made me feel good.

Video chats with my second daughter and the 20-month-old grandson in eastern Wisconsin and another with my son and his girlfriend in Boston added to my birthday happiness. Above anything, I want to connect with family on my birthday.

My hand-quilled birthday card crafted by young women in rural Vietnam. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2026)

Earlier in the week, the Boston couple sent me a birthday card handcrafted in Vietnam. It features a clutch of reddish orange flowers created by rolling and gluing strips of kishu paper into a design via the art of quilling. This card, representing resilience, hope and the power of creativity, as noted on the back, will soon be displayed as art in my home. I love the piece and the from-the-heart messages the two wrote inside.

My family knows me well and how much I appreciate the arts. And cards. When my birthday card arrived from Wisconsin, it included abstract art by my toddler grandson. That immediately went on the front of my fridge.

Not to be outdone by their much younger cousin, my other two grandkids, ages seven and ten, gave an impromptu concert the following day for Randy and me. Surprisingly, it did not include the Happy Birthday song, but rather a short song the granddaughter wrote and then songs her younger brother is playing as he starts piano lessons. I couldn’t have asked for a more enjoyable concert.

The interior entry to Escapology in the Burnsville Center. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2026)

The music followed my biggest birthday adventure, joining my eldest daughter and her family at Escapology in Burnsville where we tried to find a missing treasure in the game “Lost City.” We did an escape room several months ago at Copper Cat Escape Games in Brainerd and enjoyed it immensely. So we thought we’d try again. Although we found the treasure and escaped the room in Burnsville with several minutes to spare, it was not easy. We needed help along the way. I also struggled to see in the dimly-lit rooms. And all of us struggled to decipher markings. This experience won’t dissuade me from doing an escape room again though.

I joked with the Escapology game master that the treasure chest should have held chocolate coins. I expect my daughter was thinking, “I’m sure glad I got Mom a bag of dark chocolate sea salt caramel candy.” That’s exactly the sweet treat I found along with a handful of family photos when I opened a gift bag afterwards at her house.

I blow out candles on my slice of birthday cheesecake. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2026)

We gathered in the kitchen for my favorite dessert, cheesecake, among festive birthday decorations. I even had candles on my slice of turtle cheesecake as my family sang “Happy birthday!”

Family and friends, via cards, texts, video chats, art, music, flowers, treats and an escape room adventure, made this milestone birthday memorable. I felt, and still feel, incredibly loved.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Crocheting calms, connects community via “Friendship Trees” project September 24, 2026

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Colorful squares of crocheted art hug a tree near the Cannon River in Bridge Square, Northfield. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2026)

AS SUMMER COZIES INTO AUTUMN and temps drop, I pull out the fleece, flannel and sweaters, wrapping myself in warmth. And in the evening, when I settle in to read a book, I snuggle under a throw or an afghan.

This happy face makes me smile. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2026)

Those images came to me as I meandered recently around Bridge Square in Northfield where crocheted art wraps the rough bark of tree trunks.

A bear hug on a tree felt like a bear hug for me. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2026)

This is the “Friendship Trees” project, an effort of the local Hispanic community to share beauty and friendship, according to Mar Valdecantos, director of Rice County Neighbors United, the lead on this artistic endeavor. Grants from the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation and the Southeastern Minnesota Arts Council funded the project.

A project summary hangs on a tree of flags. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2026)

But these crocheted pieces created by 39 individuals rooted in nine countries is about much more than beauty and friendship. This is also about healing, specifically recovering from the trauma of federal immigration enforcement in Minnesota last winter. Although dubbed Operation Metro Surge, the lengthy, targeted Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in my state impacted communities far beyond the metro area, including Northfield.

Merchandise for sale at Mercado Local, a shop where local immigrants sell their creative works and goods. An arts space is also housed in the nonprofit. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo 2024)

If you’ve ever crocheted, you understand that rhythmically working a crochet hook through yarn calms and soothes. Gathering to crochet in the arts space at Northfield’s Mercado Local helped ease the anxiety many in the Hispanic community were feeling, and continue to feel, over immigration enforcement, Valdecantos noted in an email.

The florals in this piece include sunflowers, a global symbol of solidarity and resistance. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2026)
Even the skinniest of trees, this one across the street from Bridge Square, got a crochet wrap. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2026)
This cute bunny reminds me of the blue bunny hat worn by 5-year-old Liam Ramos, detained by ICE in Minnesota along with his father. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2026)

As I wandered among the many artsy trees, I thought of all those fingers manipulating yarn to create something beautiful and meaningful from emotional trauma. I expect every artist intentionally crocheted art with meaning.

Division Street backdrops a tree upon which crocheted flags hang. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2026)

Some intent seems obvious to me. Flags hugging a highly-visible tree along Division Street show pride in country of origin and in America.

Monarchs are incorporated into this art piece in the heart of Bridge Square. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2026)

Monarch butterflies on another tree are symbolic of migration, solidarity, hope and resilience. Monarchs became a national symbol of resistance against ICE.

The frog as a form of resistance began with a frog costume in Portland, Oregon. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2026)

Likewise, I spotted a frog, that, too, a form of resistance with a humorous take.

I interpret the lion to stand for fierce strength. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2026)

A lion, I expect, is meant to stand for bravery, fierceness, the power of standing strong.

The Cannon River at sunset as photographed from Bridge Square. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2026)

All around Bridge Square, which centers Northfield’s downtown along the Cannon River, these crochet-wrapped trees represent the strength, courage and resilience of the local Hispanic community. I saw that in the designs, in the bold and bright colors, and felt it simply by seeing.

I expect there’s some symbolism in this mass of spiders. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2026)

Art is powerful.

Bridge Square is centrally-located in the heart of downtown Northfield across from these Division Street businesses. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2026)

These inter-generational crocheters continue to meet at Mercado Local, pulling crochet hooks through yarn, crafting not only for themselves, but also for the greater Northfield community. Connecting. Creating. Calming anxieties, building and strengthening community through art.

In the glow of early evening, sunflowers wrap a tree in solidarity. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2026)

FYI: “Friendship Trees” is a temporary two-month art installation. I photographed the art in early September, shortly after it was installed.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Professional theatrical opera comes to Faribault September 10 at free event September 8, 2026

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Promo credit: Mixed Precipitation

I’M EXCITED. This week brings a Twin Cities-based theatre company to Faribault to perform opera from the back of a pickup truck and trailer, live in Central Park.

Opera, blended with 1990s grunge and rhythm and blues, centers a 7 p.m. Thursday, September 10, show, “Pickup Truck Opera, Volume 6: Tales of Hoffman” by Mixed Precipitation.

To experience theatrical opera locally is such a gift for someone like me who wouldn’t otherwise hear opera or see professional theater like this. And it’s free, which makes this even more appealing. However, attendees are asked to bring a canned food item to donate to the Faribault Community Action Center. The CAC and city of Faribault are collaborating, with support from the Charitable Gambling Advisory Board, to bring the Mixed Precip show to Faribault.

The Paradise Center for the Arts in Faribault is also involved, offering free art-making activities—drawing with Kate Langlais and wool felting led by Char Johnson—beginning at 5 p.m.

A WORLD OVERTAKEN BY TECHNOLOGY

But back to that opera. “Tales of Hoffman,” according to program promo info, follows the adventurous poet, Hoffman, as he searches for love and creative inspiration in a world overtaken by technology. Along the way, he encounters ghosts, robots, magicians, and shape-shifting demons in an imaginative, high-energy production.

Already that description has me intrigued considering how relatable and relevant “overtaken by technology” seems.

The show is based on a futuristic version of Jacques Offenbach’s 1881 opera by the same name. That brings to mind George Orwell’s dystopian novel 1984, written in 1949 but absolutely relatable to today.

INSPIRING SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT

Mixed Precipitation, with its original opera productions, aims “to present theatrical events that inspire social engagement” as the company travels throughout Minnesota and Wisconsin during the summer months.

I’m grateful the troupe will be back in Faribault (I saw them here in 2021), engaging the audience in Central Park. I welcome the opportunity to experience pickup truck opera again, right here in the heart of my community. I hope the park is packed on Thursday evening for this mobile outdoor opera that is sure to be entertaining, inspiring and thought-provoking.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Creatively chalking community connections in Faribault September 1, 2026

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A young woman pulled chalk from this tub to create sidewalk art several years ago in a residential neighborhood of Faribault. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

WHENEVER I HAPPEN upon chalk art, I feel a child-like giddiness. Chalk is often a first art medium for children. Easy to use. Forgiving. And just plain fun.

Chalk art photographed several summers ago on a residential sidewalk in Faribault. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

But creating with chalk isn’t only for kids. It’s an art form that all ages can embrace, no matter one’s artistic skills.

Matt Ristrom posted this sign on a music stand outside his music store inviting people to create chalk art. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo August 2026)

In downtown Faribault, I recently happened upon an invitation to create chalk art outside Ristrom Amplifiers, owned by Matt Ristrom. Having met Matt earlier this year and knowing him to be a kind and compassionate person and a gifted creative—he’s a musician, custom builds amplifiers and more—I was not surprised to see a sign and box of chalk outside his music shop.

“Everybody Love Everybody” reads a sign at Ristrom Amplifiers. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo August 2026)

If you stand and study the eclectic mix of items showcased in the storefront display windows, your eyes will surely land on the sign, “Everybody Love Everybody.” That’s so Matt. Offering the public an opportunity to create with chalk fits right in with his loving and inclusive perspective.

Follow the FUN into Ristrom Amplifiers. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo August 2026)

The singular sidewalk-chalked word “FUN” with oversized arrows pointing to the entrance and open front door of Ristrom Amplifiers surely held dual purposes—to welcome customers inside and to encourage chalk art fun.

Happiness in chalk outside Ristrom Amplifliers. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo August 2026)

“You are my Sunshine” circling a smiling sun with added musical notes instantly caused me to smile at the chalk art. Lyrics cycled through my brain. “You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are gray.” Already I felt happy. Chalk art can do that to a person.

Chalked outside Books on Central. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo August 2026)

Next door outside Books on Central, my original destination, someone had chalked “Read More Books.” I stepped inside to the Rice County Area United Way bookshop teeming with customers. Exactly what I like to see—people perusing the shelves for used books to read or gift to others.

One of many quotes posted at Books on Central. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo August 2026)

But I saw more than customers, bookshop volunteers and books. I also noticed inspirational quotes scattered throughout the bookstore. I always appreciate messages that cause me to pause and think, or that simply uplift me.

Chalking art onto a residential neighborhood sidewalk in Faribault several years ago. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

On this weekday along Central Avenue in Faribault’s core downtown business district, I delighted in the unexpected. Chalk art and quotes. Neither proved particularly profound. Yet each showed creativity and a connection to community that felt meaningful. And that matters to me.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Murals celebrate cultural diversity in rural Minnesota August 20, 2026

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This crockpot flag mural in downtown Willmar reflects the city’s cultural diversity. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo June 2026)

WHENEVER I DISCOVER a public mural that celebrates community, especially the cultural diversity of a place, I get excited. Such art builds community in a strong, vibrant, visible way.

Mexico’s flag on the mural in Willmar. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)

Earlier this summer, while traveling through west central Minnesota, I found a pop art mural in the heart of downtown Willmar. Titled “Bring Some to Share,” the art by Minneapolis muralist Lili Lennox makes a bold statement on the exterior of Midtown Plaza Mall.

Hanging out in downtown Willmar near Midtown Plaza, this young man invited me to take his portrait. He represents the changing face of this west central Minnesota city. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo June 2026)

The public art speaks to the diversity of this city of some 21,000 which, when I grew up an hour to the south, was overwhelmingly White. Today Hispanics, Latinos and Blacks account for nearly 40 percent of Willmar’s population.

The Honduran flag on the Willmar mural. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)

Thus the eight aluminum panels featuring flags of the USA, Somalia, Mexico, Honduras, India, Norway and the Karen National Union, plus the old Minnesota state flag, painted on slow cookers certainly represent Willmar today.

A Somali man walks past the “Bring Some to Share” mural on Midtown Plaza in Willmar. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)

The location of the mural on Midtown Plaza seems especially fitting, The building serves as a business center and gathering space for East African immigrants. It once housed Erickson Furniture, a long-time regional business with connections to Faribault. The Erickson family also operated a furniture store in Faribault beginning in 1956 until its closure in 2025. The store has since reopened as Erickson Family Furniture, but is no longer in the Erickson family.

This mural in downtown Faribault reflects the city’s diversity. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

Faribault, slightly larger than Willmar at 25,000 residents, is also a diverse city with sizable Somali and Hispanic/Latino populations. And Faribault, too, celebrates its diversity via a public mural in the heart of downtown. “Love for All” features multi-hued hands signing the word “love” in American sign language.

This photo taken in June shows two Somali women in downtown Faribault, where many Somalis live, work and own businesses. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

I appreciate that Minneapolis artist Jordyn Brennan’s inclusive artwork depicts how this county seat town has evolved—no longer mostly all White, but rather of differing races. Today Whites comprise about 66 percent of Faribault’s population.

A mural on Lucky Cat Records in Minneapolis celebrates community and the diverse culture of the Whittier neighborhood. More and more, communities in greater Minnesota are growing culturally diverse, just like their big city counterparts. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo)

Statistics aside, Faribault and Willmar are examples of a changing rural Minnesota. Like long ago European immigrants, East Africans, Hispanics, Latinos and others come here for jobs, for opportunities, for a new life. They come to work, to start businesses, to raise their families, to pursue the American dream. Some have escaped war, poverty and other violence in their native countries.

The Somali flag on the Willmar mural. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that not everyone values the cultural diversity of cities like Faribault and Willmar. I’ve heard and read the derogatory comments, which I won’t repeat. Rather, it’s important to remember that all of us in Minnesota, except Native Americans and descendants of slaves, are either immigrants or the descendants of immigrants.

Carrying a crockpot from an event in Kerkhoven, just northwest of Willmar, in June. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

So let’s bring our crockpots brimming with assorted flavors to the table to share. Let’s celebrate each other by connecting in conversations, gathering in community and understanding that we are more alike than we are different.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

About that backwards book display at Buckham library August 18, 2026

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Buckham Memorial Library, Faribault. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

AS AN AVID READER, I always have a stash of books stacked on the floor next to the recliner. Most come from Buckham Memorial Library, which I frequent often. Having grown up in a rural area of southwestern Minnesota without a library nearby, I feel incredibly grateful to live within blocks of the public library in Faribault.

Sprayed book pages with artsy designs are featured in a display at the library. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo August 2026)

On a recent stop at Buckham, I not only picked up more books, but also took note of a vibrant and unusual book display. Identifying signage suggests: “Don’t judge a book by its COVER. Judge it by its EDGES!”

Patterns and solids sprayed onto the edges of book pages. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo August 2026)

Below that sign, colorful books line three shelves. They look a bit like bolts of vivid plain and patterned fabric with page edges, not spines, exposed.

The backwards placement is intentional to showcase the sprayed, or painted, edges of the books. I love the artsy display, which appears fitting for an art gallery.

Signage explains why page edges are painted. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo August 2026)

Additional signage further explains that spraying the edges makes a book appear richer, of better quality, premium. While the practice of painting edges was once used to protect books from dust and moisture, the process is now primarily decorative, according to Buckham Public Services Librarian Allyn McColley.

Sprayed pages up close of artsy designs. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo August 2026)

That’s confirmed with signage listing sprayed edges as done in a solid color, gradient, stenciled or artwork style. The art, especially, from dripping blood, to a dagger, floral pattern, feathers, nature themes and more, focused my creative eye.

About five years ago, spraying book edges became a “thing” again. McColley has noticed that trend in the genres of fantasy, science fiction, horror, romance and regular fiction. One look at the exposed pages in the display created by library technician Caitlin Boran confirms that.

I pulled out the book to see the title of this fantasy. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo August 2026)

Examples of the 49 books I counted with painted edges are “His Face Is the Sun” by Michelle Jabes Corpora, “The Dragon Wakes with Thunder” by K.X. Song and “Wild Reverence” by Rebecca Ross, all fantasy; “Strange Ink” by Gary Kemble, horror; and “Overdue” by Stephanie Perkins, fiction.

Another fantasy book pulled to reveal the title. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo August 2026)

The fact that I hadn’t noticed the revived trend of painting page edges perhaps comes from my personal reading choices. I don’t read fantasy, science fiction, horror or romance.

But I read lots of fiction (especially murder mysteries and books by Minnesota authors) and some nonfiction. I’m at the library often, perusing the shelves, pausing sometimes to look at the displays created by library staff.

An overview of the display. Additional info can be found on printed sheets on the right exterior side of the shelving unit. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo August 2026)

The current artsy “Don’t judge a book by its COVER. Judge it by its EDGES!” creation remains up until the end of August. Once a month library staff changes out the book nook display located between the front check out and information desks.

Other times you might find books there featuring topics like winter, gardening, Halloween, sports, poetry and much more, whatever staff decides to showcase each month. And right now it’s the colorful sprayed edges of book pages, displayed like a mini art exhibit on three coved library shelves.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Hotdish & potlucks, oh, so Minnesotan August 4, 2026

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“Bring Some to Share” by Lili Lennox pops color onto the side of Midtown Plaza in downtown Willmar. The mural reflects the cultural diversity of Willmar celebrated through food and community. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)

PAGE THROUGH ANY MINNESOTA church cookbook, and you’ll find countless recipes for hotdish.

Leaving a gathering at the Kerkhoven Civic Center with a crockpot. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo June 2026)

Plate up at a Minnesota potluck and you’ll find countless crockpots, cake pans and glass bakeware brimming with hotdish.

Hotdish, a mixture of meat (usually hamburger); vegetables; pasta, rice or tater tots; a binding agent (often a can of cream soup); and sometimes cheddar cheese, is a Minnesota staple. We love our hotdishes, not casseroles, here in the North Star state.

Hotdishes brought to a recent family reunion, including Tater Tot Hotdish in the upper right corner. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2026)

Tater Tot Hotdish is our signature hotdish. Our unofficial state hotdish. The Minnesota Congressional delegation even holds an annual hotdish contest in Washington D.C. Politics are set aside all in the name of a friendly cooking competition among legislators.

In my community, a Hotdish Showdown and sampling are part of the annual Faribault Flannel Formal celebrating all things flannel in the deep of winter.

I seldom make hotdish, with the exception of Chicken Wild Rice Hotdish. But whenever I’m at a potluck, I’ll scoop up whatever creative concoctions cooks prepare.

Bars brought to the Kletscher family reunion. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2026)

Recently I attended my family reunion, an annual gathering of the descendants of Henry and Ida Kletscher. We arrived with our crockpots, our cake pans, our bowls, laying out a buffet of hotdishes, baked beans, salads, bars, desserts and more.

Hotdishes and other hot food prepared for the Kletscher reunion. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2026)

Laura, who raises beef with her husband, my cousin Greg, brought Beef Stroganoff. Mark brought the best baked beans, so delicious I had two helpings. David, as he always does, brought sauerkraut, a nod to our German heritage. And someone brought Tater Tot Hotdish.

A mandarin orange salad and fresh cucumbers served at the family reunion potluck. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2026)

I ate more than I should have. But, hey, how could I not sample the goodness my extended family prepared in their kitchens?

Days before the reunion, the topic of hotdish surfaced at a funeral. No, hotdish was not served as it often is at Minnesota post-funeral luncheons. Rather, hotdish recipes were featured in a family cookbook compiled by my former neighbor, Jan, then displayed at her funeral.

My neighbor Jan’s Tater Tot Hotdish recipe from her personal cookbook. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2026)

G-Jan, as she was known to her grandchildren, with the help of her daughters, pulled together favorite recipes to print and place in a small binder for family. Her recipe box was also displayed. Among those recipes, hotdish. Goulash. Italian Hotdish. And then the “KIDS LOVE IT,” Jan noted, Tatertot (sic) Hotdish.

The Belview Bar & Grill promoted the day’s specials, including Tater Tot Hotdish. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

No food truly says “Minnesota” more than hotdish. We take pride in this dish referred to as a “casserole” in other parts of the country. “Hotdish” sounds less stuffy, more down-home, a word that fits Minnesotans. Especially when you toss in tater tots.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Growing kindness via a children’s picture book July 15, 2026

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(Book cover sourced online)

IF ONE JUDGES a book by its cover, then Kindness Grows is assuredly a book you will want to read. The unique cover features a cut-out, a peek-through that continues through the pages, first as a narrow crack, then a sapling and, finally, a mature, leafy tree.

My friend Sue gifted me with this kindness button last summer and I’m getting more and more compliments on it. It’s one small way I can spread the message of kindness. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

When I saw this children’s picture book written and illustrated by Britta Teckentrup on display at Buckham Memorial Library in Faribault, I immediately grabbed it. Both for the novel, artsy cover and for the title. Kindness is desperately needed right now in America.

I’ve found, as an avid reader, that children’s picture books are as much for adults as kids, especially when they carry a universal message for all ages. In this book the message of kindness.

This author-artist smartly uses dark colors in her illustrations to represent negative behavior on one page balanced by light colors, positive behavior, on the opposite page.

Kindness themes this inspirational garden in Pine River, Minnesota, where uplifting words and messages are written on rocks. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

For example, Teckentrup writes about friendship and how mean words can damage a relationship. That’s shown in two children with their backs turned to one another against a dark sky backdrop. On the opposite page, the friends face each other in a sunny garden scene. Teckentrup writes about how encouragement, positive actions and words can grow love.

Another two-page spread shows a group of children arguing in a rainstorm with pointed finger, pulling arms, clearly mad at one another. On the opposite page, they hold hands, play together under a blossoming tree. Words and art reinforce each other.

This author does not shy away from truth when she writes of the widened cracks of anger, of our inability to listen or to try and understand.

Among several kindness signs I photographed in Deerwood, Minnesota, several years ago. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

But she shows the reader how to overcome disagreements and differences, starting with a smile. Simple actions—like care, kindness and love—bridge division. No matter our age, together we can be better. That’s the resounding message shared in Kindness Grows.

TELL ME: What children’s picture book has resonated with you on the subject of kindness or another topic especially relevant to today?

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Cruisin’ to Dawn’s Corner Bar in Dundas June 30, 2026

Filed under: Uncategorized — Audrey Kletscher Helbling @ 6:00 AM
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The sun glares on the bumper of a 1969 Olds Cutlass 442. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)

SUN GLARED OFF shiny chrome and gleaming hoods, surfaces waxed to prideful perfection for the monthly Classic Cruise In at Dawn’s Corner Bar in Dundas. The event was a first for me on a Sunday afternoon when I could have attended several other area car shows. But Randy and I chose Dundas.

An overview of the car show taken from the hill above the parking lot. That’s Dawn’s Corner Bar on the corner in the background. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)

By car show standards, this proved a small event, compacted into a paved parking lot across the street from the bar along Railway Street North.

Gathering on the back deck of Dawn’s Corner Bar. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)

While we meandered among the vehicles, which included cars, trucks and a few motorcycles, The Chad Johnson Trio played on the deck behind the bar. I remember only “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” the other songs becoming background music as I tuned into the car show.

Dawn’s Corner Bar in Dundas. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)
Signage high above the front entrance to Dawn’s Corner Bar. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)
Randy checks out Greg’s 1956 Chrysler. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)

But outside and in (I peeked inside), people packed the place, enjoying the music, $2.50 domestic tap beer and $10 cheeseburger baskets. Greg, who drove his 1956 black-and-white Chrysler to the show with a Sears bike strapped to the rear, vouched for the sizable, tasty burgers. I should have thought ahead. But Randy grilled burgers the previous evening and I was neither hungry nor thirsty.

An old shed backdrops a 1930s Ford hotrod and a 1963 Buick. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)

I settled for appreciating and photographing vehicles driven to Dundas for a show-and-tell of sorts on a Sunday afternoon heating up to be a hot and humid week in southern Minnesota.

Lots of conversations happening at the car show. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)

Conversations flowed as classic vehicle enthusiasts discussed whatever you talk about when you’re really into cars. Randy, who worked as an automotive machinist in next door Northfield for nearly 40 years, talked to former customers. That included a guy who brought an old truck Randy worked on. I hear those stories all the time from grateful customers. Randy was, and is, really good at what he does and knows a whole lot about everything automotive.

Big Bird dangles inside a bright yellow Firebird. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)

I’m more interested in the quirky, the artsy, the unusual. A Big Bird dangling from a Big Bird-hued Firebird brought to mind my second daughter who, as a child, carried her much-beloved yellow Sesame Street stuffie everywhere.

The km/h speedometer of a Foggy Ducati motorcycle is marked with dots, presumably a visual for the driver to keep his speed in check. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)

A vintage Honda motorcycle reminded me of my oldest brother revving up his bike, roaring across the farmyard, tires spitting gravel.

The show featured not only cars and trucks, but also several motorcycles. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)

I expect nearly everyone attending the show could share a story, for classic vehicles are the stuff of memories.

A beautiful, artsy shifter knob in a Ford hotrod. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)

Grandpa’s car. Siblings piling into a boat of a family car for a road trip. First car. Learning to drive a stick shift. Saturday night at a drive-in movie. A stop at the root beer stand. Racing down a back county road. Young love in a car parked at a dead end. Lights out under an inky dark sky. So many memories and stories.

A Model A Ford. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)

As I walked among the many classic vehicles, I could only imagine the stories, told and untold. I wonder sometimes if that isn’t the real reason why people own these vehicles. It’s a way of holding onto the past, of connecting with previous generations, of reliving yesteryear, when life was, in many ways, less complicated.

A hood ornament that could grace an art gallery. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)

Some may consider their vehicles an investment. And maybe they are. An investment in life as it once existed in quieter, gentler times.

I have no idea what this car art symbolizes. But it caught my eye. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)

By the end of my walk about the classic vehicles, I’d taken some 80 photos and engaged in several conversations. But mostly, I observed. The setting. The people. The vehicles. The art. After all that, and as the pavement was heating up I needed to cool off in air conditioning. I also needed a drink of icy cold water, although a beer may have hit the spot, too.

As noted on this 2017 tee, Henderson hosts a Classic Roll In. That happens from 5-8 p.m. every Tuesday, June-September. However, the Tuesday, June 30, show was cancelled due to the extreme heat. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)

FYI: Dawn’s Corner Bar in Dundas hosts a Classic Car Cruise In from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. the last Sunday of the month June-September.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling