“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.
Signs direct peach purchasers to the parking lot. A street by the church is under construction, necessitating the signage. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2026)
Boxes of stacked peaches awaited pick-up in the basement during the annual peach sale benefiting the congregation’s youth. They’d sold 560 boxes delivered from family-owned Noland Orchards in Colorado.
The peaches come from Noland Orchards in Colorado. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2026)
“People love Colorado peaches,” said Ane Mentz, church administrator. And they must given the sale of seven pallets, or 11,200 pounds, of the stone fruit, if you’re counting. That’s the max First English could order and they sold out of the 20-pound pre-ordered boxes.
My husband, Randy, arrives to pick up the 10 pounds of peaches he ordered. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2026)
Buyers included the piemakers at Trinity Lutheran Church, blocks away from First English. The volunteers will make homemade pies from 10 boxes of peaches purchased during the sale.
Another buyer, a home brewer, bought 20 boxes of peaches to craft beer. He’s been buying for years, upping the quantity each season, said Mentz.
And, in the past, a local restaurant ordered peaches to create menu items.
First English handed out information about peaches to customers. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2026)
First English sells the 20-pound boxes for $38 or half a box for $19, a substantial reduction from the going fruit truck rate of $60, according to Mentz. The church keeps the price lower, she said, because they want to offer fresh fruit and healthy food to people “without breaking the bank.”
For some 20 summers, this congregation has been selling Colorado peaches, which usually arrive in early August. This year the peaches came early, Mentz said, due to a short winter and early blooms.
Buyers arrive to pick up peaches in the lower level of First English. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2026)
Buyers arrived Tuesday to pay for and pick up their peaches from youth and other volunteers. Youth ages three to seniors in high school bank their money for upcoming church-sanctioned activities like mission and camping trips.
Phoebe Sanchez helped with peach pick-up on Tuesday. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2026)
Phoebe Sanchez, who helps with Sunday School and who was assisting at the peach pick-up, recently returned from a church trip to Montana. That’s just a skip of a state away from Colorado and Noland Orchards, source of all those fresh peaches in the basement of First English.
A sign advertising the fair banners a fairgrounds building. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2026)
IN THE STILL of a Saturday summer evening, I wandered the Rice County Fairgrounds days before the fair opens for a five-day run July 22-26 in Faribault. I took in a scene which will appear and feel decidedly different once this annual “Where the City Meets the Farm” event begins.
Locally-based Schroder Concessions stands sit outside the grandstand. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2026)
This vendor sells cheese curds, including in a bucket. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo 2026)
You can buy 64 ounces of lemonade from the same vendor. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2026)
On this evening, with the sky tinged a muted pink by the setting sun, the glowing lights of two mobile concession stands offered a peek at the festive atmosphere soon to come. I could almost see the line of fair-goers waiting for a bucket of cheese curds, a foot long hot dog or an icy cold old-fashioned lemonade.
The food stand run by Bethlehem Academy, home of the Cardinals. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2026)
Nearby, permanent structures house long-time food vendors—the Cardinal Cafe since the 1950s, The Pork Booth, the 4-H Food Stand and others.
An inoperable carnival ride made in Faribault splashes color outside a livestock barn. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2026)
Food, fun and friends theme the 2026 fair, according to the fair’s website. That seems fitting as I consider the people who will gather here, some coming primarily for the food; others for the carnival rides; many to see the exhibits; others to show off their animals, talents, creativity and much more; many for the entertainment; and, above all, to connect with family and friends for a whole lot of fun.
Picnic tables stacked and ready to put in place for the fair. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2026)
A sign directs visitors to exhibits. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2026)
An old stock watering tank repurposed as a flower planter sits outside the sheep barn. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2026)
But on this pre-fair evening, all was quiet. I observed a state of readiness. Benches and picnic tables stacked. Trash bins in place. Signs posted. Flowers blooming in stock tanks and other containers. Ticket booths set up. American flags flying atop the grandstand.
The Beer Garden is now The Stockyard, a place of beer and bands. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2026)
And near the grandstand, I noticed a new sign, a change at the Beer Garden, now renamed The Stockyard. I suppose that’s appropriate given the agricultural roots of the county fair. It’s a catchy and identifiable tag.
A line of barns that will house animals stretches along the south side of the fairgrounds. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2026)
I continued my loop around the fairgrounds, following the row of buildings that will soon house prized animals. Pigs, sheep, poultry, cows, cattle, rabbits and goats. Horses have their separate space across the grounds.
The back entry to the sheep barn. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2026)
Barn doors were locked. But near the end of the row, lights glared in the John Liebenstein Sheep Arena. I stepped inside the open air barn defined by rows of white wooden pens. I followed the clean-swept floor, passed by wheelbarrows. Already, families had claimed their spots with surnames marked on masking tape. Some were there Saturday evening preparing for the arrival of sheep.
Banners defining the purpose of 4-H and the 4-H pledge of head, heart, hands and health draped over a pen, awaiting display.
Brothers Keith, left, and Sam paint gates for the swine barn. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2026)
And behind the swine building I found three young men—Keith, Sam and Charlie—rolling bright red paint onto metal gates to corral pigs. “Nothing like waiting until the last minute,” I teased, my comment not phasing them a bit.
Cotton candy will be available for purchase. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2026)
In the final days before the fair, much will happen as the carnival sets up, vendors and kids arrive, and everything is put in place. I can only imagine the amount of planning and execution that go into creating an inviting and successful fair.
This shows a small portion of the garden, complete with benches, on the east side of the fairgrounds. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2026)
Over at the Rice County Master Gardeners Teaching Gardens on the east end of the fairgrounds, the pristine gardens are in full bloom, an oasis of natural beauty, a respite from the busyness of the fair. The next door conservation building has been reshingled and repainted.
The historic Pleasant Valley School and Holy Innocents Episcopal Church will be open during the fair. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2026)
The Rice County Historical Society has been lining up volunteers to greet fair visitors inside the old schoolhouse and church. I got a call while on vacation, but couldn’t commit. Churches have been lining up volunteers, too, to staff booths. Likewise, businesses are set with promotional displays.
Looking up at the grandstand, which will feature races, an antique tractor pull, alligator wrestling and more. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2026)
Days before the fair opened, I felt a sense of anticipation that comes with any big annual event. Memories will be made here, perhaps while watching juggling, a magic show or alligator wrestling; playing free mini golf, BINGO or Euchre; listening to La Raza de Mexico and other musicians; perusing exhibits of quilts, photos and more; checking out the animals; interacting with Jack Sparrow the Pirate; going on a scavenger hunt; and more, oh so much more.
One of the food vendors already in place when I toured the fairgrounds Saturday evening. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2026)
I haven’t attended the Rice County Fair in years, having been “faired out” decades ago as a young newspaper reporter and photographer covering several county fairs. But my pre-fair tour of the fairgrounds proved motivating. This just may be the year I return to the fair and wait in line for my favorite fair food—mini donuts. Or perhaps I’ll try funnel cakes, order cheese curds, grab an old-fashioned lemonade…
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.
An old International made rat rod. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)
ARTSY FLAMES BLAZED across the hood and doors of the 1940 International Harvester pick-up truck, grabbing my attention as I walked among the vehicles parked along several blocks of historic Central Avenue during the June 19 Faribault Car Cruise Night.
Historic buildings lining Central Avenue make a fitting yesteryear backdrop for the car show. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)
The creative rat rod, with its handcrafted claw hands grasping the side mirrors, its interior plastered with stickers, brown paper bag “air bag,” back end wrenches, rat sculptures and more proved a draw and a conversation starter.
People stop to chat between looking at vehicles while a driver heads for a parking spot. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)
And, for me, that’s part of the point of these summer cruises—bringing community together in conversation with each other. Owners of rat rods, collector, antique and other vehicles are always open to chatting it up. And so are those who come here. Friends. Family. Neighbors. And strangers become acquaintances via introductions.
Rockin’ it with Triple Stitch, the featured band. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)
While I like to talk, I also like to unobtrusively observe. And listen. On this evening, the music of Lonsdale-based Triple Stitch blasted, a guitarist rocking it to “Summer of 69” on the portable stage set up in the street.
One of several food trucks parked downtown during the car cruise. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)
Across the way, an employee at the Twisted Chicken food truck grilled. Other food trucks and local restaurants also offered food. Several shops opened their doors for special Friday evening hours during the cruise.
When I arrived at 6 p.m., people were just beginning to show up. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)
The downtown filled with more and more people as the evening progressed. It was good to see a crowd along Central enjoying themselves on a comfortable summer evening that later cooled to jacket weather.
Fashion meets vintage at the car show. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)
I saw babies in arms and strollers. A little girl cradling her baby doll. Couples walking hand-in-hand. A young man dressed in a fashionable suit leaning against the side of the Black Sheep Auto Sales vintage pick-up truck.
Dogs, people and automobiles. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)
Teens on scooters. Dogs on leashes and one running loose, the owner seemingly not caring about her dog roaming among the throngs of people. I kept my distance.
This racer tried blowing on his race car to move it down the track. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)
A race track outside the toy store drew kids to race mini-cars down a swooping race track. It was sheer joy to watch their excitement, to see their smiles.
These mini models proved popular with the kids. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)
Across the street, kids clamored into small-scale vehicles meant just for them.
Craig, proud owner of a vintage ambulance. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)
I caught up briefly with Craig, who owns an old ambulance, which he sold then somehow managed to buy back after realizing he’d made a mistake by selling the emergency vehicle.
This shiny vintage Plymouth drew lots of admirers. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)
A show volunteer advised me to check out his rusty truck parked on the south end of Central. He showed me a photo on his phone so I could be sure to find it. I later found the pick-up near a shiny black Plymouth on a trailer, just as he said I would.
Even something as simple as a beautifully written name appeals to me artistically. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)
Faribault has its own car club, the Drag-On’s. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)
Sticker love. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)
Occasionally I asked my automotive machinist husband questions. Randy is incredibly knowledgeable about anything vehicle-related. He views this show from a mechanical perspective unlike my artistic viewpoint. I’m drawn to shiny chrome reflecting buildings, hood ornaments, car emblems, the fancy floral patterned upholstery in a vintage Cadillac, the curve of a fender…
A special red, white and blue car became a canvas for car show attendees to sign their names after donating $1 to do so. Proceeds will support veterans and suicide prevention through the organization Operation 23-0. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)
Interests in car shows can be as diverse as the people who attend, including those who signed a patriotic car promoting an upcoming car show. The BlackTop Cruisers Midwest “Fall of Summer Car Show” is set for 11 a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturday, October 3, at South Alexander Park in Faribault.
Checking out a car on the south end of Central Avenue during Faribault Car Cruise Night. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)
I love seeing the mix of people crossing paths, mingling, mixing and coming together at car shows. While cars, trucks and motorcycles draw people to downtown Faribault on a Friday evening, the summer car cruises are, at their core, about community.
The Rev. Penny Bonsell of Little Prairie United Methodist Church, in the background, welcomes the crowd and introduces the Old Country Boys at a June 10 concert. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)
HEAT AND HUMIDITY gave way to a lovely evening on the prairie. Here, on a grassy space edged by trees, a cornfield, county road and gravel parking lot south of Dundas, folks gathered for “Music on the Prairie.”
Waiting to buy a $5 meal deal. The meat portion of the menu varies at each concert. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)
And, oh, what an event, the first in a three-part summer concert series hosted, fittingly, by Little Prairie United Methodist Church. As I took in the scene, I thought, life doesn’t get much better than this—great food, music and conversation in the outdoors on a perfect summer evening in southern Minnesota.
Volunteers grill burgers crafted from locally-raised beef. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)
Waiting in line for food. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)
A volunteer hands out delicious homemade cookies. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)
Even waiting in line for a fresh local beef patty, a cup of specialty beans (the special ingredient being sauerkraut) and the most delicious homemade chocolate chip cookie sprinkled with sea salt didn’t phase typically-impatient me. Conversation flowed. And the down-home music of the Old Country Boys thrummed a beat across the land as they performed atop a flatbed trailer.
Dancing to the music of the Old Country Boys. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)
This was an evening meant for pulling out the lawn chairs, for coming here to eat a meal served up by church members, to chat with friends old and new, and to listen to songs like “Ring of Fire,” “King of the Road,” “Sweet Caroline,” “Country Roads” and more. Music that got some in the crowd waving their arms, singing along and others on their feet dancing across the lawn.
The Rev. Penny Bonsell, accompanied by the Old Country Boys, sings to her husband, Tom. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)
The Rev. Penny Bonsell and her husband, Tom Hollenhorst, dressed all in black, briefly took the stage to entertain the crowd as June Carter and Johnny Cash singing “Jackson,” the duo’s 1967 billboard country chart hit. The performance was a hit with the audience as was a song Bonsell sang for her husband in honor of their third wedding anniversary.
Cowboy hats fit the music. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)
Another couple in the crowd was celebrating their 70-something anniversary (I didn’t catch the exact year). They were married at Little Prairie, a picturesque white country church located on a country crossroads corner just to the east of the concert site.
The band performs as smoke from the grill drifts and a large crowd listens. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)
Both anniversaries were recognized with rounds of applause. A band member also led the crowd in welcoming a woman home from a lengthy hospital stay while he videotaped the message for Deb. Such care and compassion builds community, connects us.
Afton hangs out by coolers filled with pop and water available for purchase. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)
All ages came to “Music on the Prairie”—babies in strollers, toddler Afton in her floral skirt and soft pink Princess tee celebrating her first birthday the next day, a four-year-old girl who had just finished preschool, young people, parents and grandparents. All generations.
Creating big bubbles on the spacious green space next to a cornfield. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)
Daughter and dad string beads into a bracelet. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)
Kids run around the grounds and play on the fenced in playground built next to a mini Little Prairie church replica facade. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)
I watched as a little girl dipped an over-sized wand in a bucket, then drew bubbles across the air. I watched as a dad helped his two-year-old daughter thread beads onto a string, making a bracelet for her mom. I watched as kids climbed ladders inside the Little Prairie Playground, a mini replica of the church.
I stepped into the cornfield to take this photo of concert goers. This is a definitively rural location in the middle of farm fields. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)
I listened as a train whistle blew, the train rumbling past on a track through a tree line next to the cornfield next to the lawn where we sat enjoying the music of the Old Country Boys.
Kids pull on the rope to ring the bell inside the steeple of the playground church. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)
I listened to the clang of a church bell inside the playground, the hum of a generator powering the band’s amplifiers and electric guitars.
The Old Country Boys drummer. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)
I hugged my friend Lee whom I haven’t seen in a while. I talked to other friends I haven’t seen in a while. And I made new friends here at Little Prairie where great food, music and conversation connected all of us on a beautiful early June evening in the countryside.
The crowd gathers and settles in for the Old Country Boys concert. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)
FYI: The next “Music on the Prairie” on Wednesday, July 22, features the Over and Back Band playing funky rock n roll and gypsy bluegrass. The third and final summer concert happens on Wednesday August 19, with The Rockin’ Hep Cats performing roots rock n roll. Attendees can purchase a meal beginning at 5:30 p.m. Music is from 6-8 p.m.The concert is free with donations accepted to support Little Prairie ministries.
Little Prairie United Methodist Church, rural Dundas. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
SET AMONG THE FARM FIELDS of Rice County south of Dundas, Little Prairie United Methodist Church joins several area congregations hosting free family-oriented mid-week summertime concerts aimed at connecting community.
Gathering on the prairie for a 2025 summer concert at Little Prairie with music by The Old Country Boys. (Photo courtesy of Little Prairie UMC)
Little Prairie kicks off its second summer of “Music on the Prairie” concert series from 6-8 p.m. on Wednesday, June 10, with The Old Country Boys performing old country and rock songs. Subsequent concerts also happen on Wednesday evenings with the Over and Back Band on July 22. Minnesota Music Hall of Fame fiddler Dr. Mike Hildebrandt plays with the band, presenting a unique blend of funky rock n roll and gypsy bluegrass. At the season’s final concert on August 19, The Rockin’ Hep Cats will perform roots rock n roll.
The food service area at a 2025 “Music on the Prairie“ concert. Serving starts at 5:30 p.m. (Photo courtesy of Little Prairie UMC)
Besides listening to music, attendees can purchase affordable $5 meals prepared by Little Prairie church members. Up first on June 10 are grilled burgers crafted from locally-raised beef, Jim’s famous German beans (originally created for Oktoberfest in Dundas), chips, dessert and pop or water. July’s main menu item is locally-made hotdogs from Greg’s Meat Shop. And on August 19, Sloppy Joe’s will be served. Serving begins at 5:30 p.m.
Kids can play with bubbles at Little Prairie, just like they did in this photo from “Holy Smoke” at Christ Lutheran Church in Faribault. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
“Music on the Prairie” also includes activities for kids featuring yard games, big bubbles and several small crafts.
Enjoying the music of The Old Country Boys at “Music on the Prairie” on a beautiful summer evening in 2025. (Photo courtesy of Little Prairie UMC)
While the concerts are free, free will donations are welcome to benefit Little Prairie’s ministries. This is a wonderful opportunity to connect with community and enjoy a variety of music, plus a meal, in a quiet countryside setting.
The “Holy Smoke” pizza baking crew at Christ Lutheran Church, Faribault. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
The same can be said for the Wednesday evening summer concert series at Zwingli United Church of Christ in Berne, located in the country south of Wanamingo or a half hour northeast of Owatonna. This summer marks the 15th year Berne has served up music and its handcrafted wood-fired pizzas. The church grounds open at 5 p.m. every Wednesday, June-August, for the themed events benefiting Zwingli UCC, other churches and area non-profits.
It was Berne’s long-running, successful concert series which inspired the Rev. Penny Bonsell to try a summer mid-week music series at Little Prairie. After a pilot run in 2024, the event really took off in 2025, she said, with a goal of growing community.
Wood-fired pizza is also on the menu at Christ Lutheran Church, high atop a hill on Faribault’s east side. The second Wednesday of the month, June-August, “Holy Smoke” pizza and music event runs from 5:30-8 p.m. Proceeds benefit local nonprofits, this summer the Paradise Center for the Arts, Habitat for Humanity and St. Vincent de Paul.
Connecting over music and pizza at “Holy Smoke.” (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
I’ve only ever been to “Holy Smoke,” multiple times, but intend to check out the newest of these summer concert series at Little Prairie. Perhaps eventually I’ll make it to the more distant, larger and busier gathering at Berne.
If you opt to attend any of these, remember your lawn chair. Also bring your appetite, your appreciation of music and your enthusiasm for connecting with others. These three concert series build community with music and food, giving us just one more reason to get outside on a summer evening in southern Minnesota.
FAITH COMMUNITIES are especially busy this time of year as they prepare for the celebration of Christ’s resurrection. Mid-week Lenten services, Friday night fish fries, Palm Sunday and the beginning of Holy Week all usher in Easter morning.
Locally, you’ll find not only the usual, but also a few unique happenings at several area churches. First up, Little Prairie United Methodist Church, rural Dundas, hosts its annual Fish Dinner from 3-8 p.m. Friday, March 27. The meal features fried or baked fish, baked potatoes, salad bar and pie. Tickets must be purchased in advance. Take-out is available. Click here for details.
Also on Friday evening, the Concordia Academy Choir, based at the Christian high school in Roseville, presents an hour-long concert of inspiring music for all ages beginning at 7 p.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church in Faribault. A free will offering will be taken.
Saturday, March 28, brings more activity to Trinity with the Trinity Radio Rumble beginning at 2 p.m. in the Faribault Lutheran School gym, connected to the church. The event, a fundraiser for the congregation’s radio ministry, features family-friendly, live professional wrestling. Click here for more info and to purchase discounted tickets in advance.
St. John’s 50th presentation of The Last Supper Drama in the sanctuary. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
On Sunday, March 29, The Last Supper Drama comes to St. John’s United Church of Christ, Wheeling Township. The drama in the rural Faribault church has been a Palm Sunday tradition for more than 60 years. Performed in the darkness of the sanctuary by 12 actors role-playing the disciples, the drama begins at 8 p.m. Each disciple speaks individually, explaining his relationship to Christ. Refreshments follow the free performance, which will also be live-streamed on Facebook and YouTube.
So whether you like fish, music, wrestling and/or drama, you’ll find all four in faith communities in the Faribault area this coming weekend.
(Promo sourced from The Grand Event Center Facebook page)
THE GOOD FOLKS of Northfield, Minnesota, are organizing again to help their neighbors. This time it’s via a 12-hour Mutual Aid Marathon from 10 am-10 pm Saturday, March 7, at The Grand Event Center in this college town south of the Twin Cities.
Proceeds from the fundraiser will go to organizations—such as Sharing Our Roots and Northfield Community Action Center—providing mutual aid to those in the community impacted by federal immigration enforcement.
Doors open at 10 am at the event center, 316 Washington Street, just a block off Division Street in the heart of this historic downtown. Suggested donation at the door is $10.
From 10 until noon, attendees can enjoy a breakfast with 30 percent of entree sales going to organizations doing vital work in the community. Likewise, profits from a “pay what you can” appetizer buffet, which starts at 4 pm, will also be donated.
Event planners promise a full day and evening of live music, performances, poetry, political education, and powerful speakers. See the event poster promo above for a complete schedule.
Organizers are calling upon the public to: Bring friends. Bring family. Bring your appetite and your solidarity. Come for a while or stay for the entire marathon.
As I see it, the Mutual Aid Marathon is all about neighbors helping neighbors, which is the very definition of a loving and caring community.
Attendees at a past Faribault Flannel Formal cozy inside a non-working amusement ride inside Corks & Pints. (Photo credit: Faribault Area Chamber of Commerce & Tourism)
Voted as the Best Dressed Lumber Jack in 2025. (Photo credit: Faribault Area Chamber of Commerce & Tourism)
The dress code calls not for formal wear, but rather for flannel, preferably buffalo plaid red and black. That’s my kind of winter attire. Attendees can even participate in Lumber Jack and Jane costume contests, which call for creativity in flannel wear. Beards will also be judged to find “the best,” whatever fits that definition.
Chicken Wild Rice Hotdish, an example of the hotdish you may find at the Faribault Flannel Formal. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
This promises to be a Minnesotan event through and through with activities like a Hotdish Showdown. Note, I wrote hotdish, which is the Minnesota word for casserole. Locals will cook up their favorite hotdishes to be judged and sampled.
The influence of legendary lumberjack Paul Bunyan—who may or may not have eaten hotdish, but who certainly wore buffalo plaid flannel—will be noticeable. There will be axe throwing in a special trailer, a Beaver Toss (that would be stuffed beavers), bag toss and hammerschlagen (driving nails into a stump). Fun stuff to show off precision skills and perhaps a bit of brawn.
Inside the lower level of Corks & Pints, which connects to the distillery. (Photo credit: Faribault Area Chamber of Commerce & Tourism)
No event is complete without music. Minneapolis rock cover band Robos headlines the stage. Those who purchase $75 VIP experience tickets for early admittance at 3 p.m. can also exclusively enjoy the music of Wayne & the Boys, a one-man band performing the music of Wayne Wagner, inducted into the Legends of South Dakota Country Music Hall of Fame. VIP perks also include a swag bag, two complimentary drink tickets, voting power and access to exclusive hideouts.
Flannel attendees gather on the patio between the distillery and Corks & Pints. (Photo credit: Faribault Area Chamber of Commerce & Tourism)
Whether you go VIP or opt for a $25 general admission experience, the Faribault Flannel Formal is sure to be a true Minnesotan experience, especially with all that plaid flannel. You can even experience Minnesota winter by stepping outside to order a drink at the Sleigh Bar (new this year) and then warm up in a heated tent, followed perhaps by a conversation about the weather. We like to talk weather here in Minnesota.
You may even overhear phrases like “You betcha.” Or “That’s different.” Or “It could be worse.”
But mostly, I expect you will hear friendly conversations, lots of laughter, maybe an ice fishing tale or three, and praise for Minnesota, this place we love. Even in the deep of winter. (Mostly.)
Minnesota Prairie Roots 
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