You can’t miss the Holy Smoke signage at the bottom of the hill along Minnesota State Highway 60 on Faribault’s east side. Christ Lutheran sits atop the hill, offering a sweeping view of the valley. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
SUMMER IN SOUTHERN MINNESOTA is about the outdoors, about gatherings, about food and music and all those things we’ve craved during the long months of winter now come to fruition. As long, sunny days stretch into long evenings, we come together, delighting in all June, July and August offer.
On Faribault’s east side, high atop a hill at Christ Lutheran Church, the seasonal Holy Smoke Pizza Ministry resumes for another summer on June 11. This second Wednesday of the month event isn’t just about the savory and delicious smoked pizzas volunteers prepare and then bake in an outdoor wood-fired oven. But it’s also about community, outreach, music and charities.
Smoked brisket pizza, probably my favorite at Holy Smoke. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
Holy Smoke rates as one of my favorite local summer events. First, I love the pizza. This year’s offerings include smoked brisket, smoked chicken with bacon ranch, Greek/Tzatziki (or vegetable without the chicken), pepperoni, cheese, smoked chicken with artichoke, and margherita.
St. Vincent de Paul in Faribault. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
Second, I love the reason Holy Smoke even exists. As a community outreach, the goal is to raise monies for charitable causes. This season’s beneficiaries are Believet, which provides service dogs to qualifying veterans at no cost; Habitat for Humanity, building homes with and for families; St. Vincent de Paul, providing food, clothing and more to those in need; and the Paradise Center for the Arts, bringing the arts to Faribault. All are worthy causes supported with funds from Holy Smoke pizza sales.
The Old Country Brothers, Gregg, left, and Jeff Sartor, perform at a past Holy Smoke. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo August 2022)
And then there’s the music, a third reason to appreciate this summertime ministry of Christ Lutheran. The Old Country Brothers will perform old country—the likes of Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Kenny Rogers and more—during the June 11 Holy Smoke. Sawyer’s Dream offers a modern take on classic rock of the 60s and 70s on July 9. And, on August 13, Pop Prohibition performs re-imagined pop songs into assorted vintage styles like jazz, the blues, ragtime and more.
The backyard setting of Holy Smoke is casual and relaxed. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
Not to be forgotten is the fourth reason I enjoy Holy Smoke. And that is the sense of community which comes in connecting with friends and meeting new people. Conversations flow. Kids run across the yard, blow bubbles, climb playground equipment and more at this family-friendly event. There’s definitely a relaxed vibe that all is well with the world, even if it isn’t.
But for these three summer evenings, from 5 p.m.-8:30 p.m., all truly is good and wonderful in the world, atop the hill. We gather in our bring-your-own lawn chairs, kick back with our tasty smoked pizzas and beverages (available for purchase on site), listen to music and commune with one another under a wide Minnesota summer sky.
TELL ME: Have you attended an event similar to this in your community or nearby? I’d like to hear.
A piano at the Arts Center of Saint Peter. Photo used for illustration only. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo October 2024)
MOMENTS IN LIFE EXIST that imprint upon the spirit a deep sense of contentment, peace and joy. That happened Sunday afternoon as I sat inside St. John’s Lutheran Church, Lakeville, for a piano recital. As the 11 pianists, including my 9-year-old granddaughter, Izzy, played selections on the grand piano rolled to the front of the sanctuary, I thought, life is good.
And it was good in the 45 minutes when family and friends gathered to hear these young musicians, and one mom, also a piano student, play. Love filled the space. I could feel it. I could hear it in the music, in resounding applause, in congratulatory words. I could see it in broad smiles, practiced bows, photos snapped, hugs shared, and flowers and other gifts given.
Life at its basic is about loving and supporting and encouraging and celebrating.
A SANCTUARY
The recital inside the sanctuary felt, too, like a sanctuary from all the hard stuff happening in the world today. We all need a break from that. These pianists provided that escape as they played tunes like Whispering Wind, Lemonade Stand, Spanish Dancer and the more familiar Linus & Lucy and Star Wars. I swayed to the music, smiling the entire time.
JOY IN CREATIVITY
When young Scarlett and her teacher, Roxanne, played Ode to Joy together, I was whisked away to a wedding. More joy.
The students’ playing was flawless, practiced, disciplined and filled with a creative spirit. I admired the players’ skills, from novice to more advanced, as their fingers landed upon piano keys.
When a young mom stepped up to play two selections, I spotted her husband across the pews. He was beaming, so proud of this woman who studied piano as a child and decided to resume lessons as an adult. She wants a grand piano, she shared in a brief conversation with me after the recital. But that meant convincing her husband. I’d say she’s convinced him.
LIFE IS GOOD
Likewise, Audra, Brysen, Ellie, Evan, Evie, Grayson, Izzy, Jessica, Oscar, Scarlett and Viva convinced me that a piano recital is about much more than just playing and listening to music. It is about family and friends and love. It’s about creativity and celebrating and delighting in one of life’s basic joys—music. Life is good, oh, so good when listening to Trampoline Tumble, Banana Split, Twilight Reverie and 18 other songs played on a grand piano on a Sunday afternoon in May in southern Minnesota.
An1849 map of Minnesota Territory and more as seen through a magnifying lens inside the Rice County Historical Society Museum. Minnesota became a state in 1858. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
HISTORY COME TO LIFE appeals to me because of the immersive experience. I learn better, retain more, when I can engage. This weekend offers ample opportunity to get into history at the Rice County Historical Society’s first-ever Riverside Rendezvous and History Festival along the banks of the Cannon River in Faribault’s North Alexander Park.
A scene inside an 1856 log cabin during a past living history event at the Rice County Historical Society. This weekend’s festival will be outdoors in a park in an encampment type setting. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
Organizers promise that the trades, traditions and history of the 18th and 19th centuries (1701-1900) will come alive via hands-on activities, demonstrations, workshops, storytelling, music and special events. Hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, May 10, and Sunday, May 11. Mothers get in free on Mother’s Day. Otherwise ticket prices are $10 for adults, $5 for children 6+ and $30 for a family pass.
Admittance buys you a whole lot of history-based entertainment, knowledge and fun. For example, the hands-on history happening all day both days includes candle making, rope making, tomahawk throwing, historic toys and games, quill making, log cutting and shops at which to shop, not trade.
This sculpture of Alexander Faribault and a Dakota trading partner stands in Faribault’s Heritage Park near the Straight River and site of Faribault’s trading post.(Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
But you can learn about the fur trade at noon either day as local historian and documentary filmmaker Sam Temple talks about town founder Alexander Faribault and the fur trade. Todd Finney, a descendant of the Wahpekute band of the Dakota (original inhabitants of the land which is now Rice County), will speak at 3 p.m. Saturday and again at 11 a.m. Sunday about the Wahpekute Dakota.
You can learn about hat making, pirates (yes, pirates with MN Jack Sparrow), historic clothing and weapons, things that do and don’t go boom, Civil War medical care and more during workshops and demos.
And then there are four special events, the first a Cane Pole Fishing Tournament starting at 10 a.m. Saturday. Bring your cane pole, not your rod and reel. Some cane poles will be available for participants. Saturday also brings Voyageur Games at 1 p.m. On Sunday, there’s a Tomahawk Throwing Competition at 1 p.m. followed by a Log Cutting Contest at 3 p.m.
I’ve never attended a rendezvous, so I have nothing with which to compare this event. But just reading through the schedule, I’m excited to take in this history festival with my two elementary-aged grandchildren, their parents and my husband. I expect we will all learn a lot and make some great memories.
Vendors will be selling food and beverages. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo used for illustration only)
One more thing, food and beverages will be available for purchase, the food being cheese curds (no festival is complete without that deep fat fried fair food), hot dogs, corn dogs, assorted frybreads, and candy and fudge.
All in all, the Riverside Rendezvous and History Festival looks to be an interesting, informative and enjoyable event for history lovers, families and anyone who’s looking for something different to do on a beautiful spring weekend in southern Minnesota.
A section of Montgomery’s Main Street with Franke’s Bakery (known for its kolacky) on the far left and Pizzeria 201 on the right. In the distance to the right is Heritage Park, site of the Czech May Day celebration. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo May 2025)
MONTGOMERY, MINNESOTA HAS CZECHED the box on one more reason to love this Le Sueur County community of 3,200 some 20 miles west of Faribault. That’s Czech May Day.
Czech royalty wait in line at the KCHK Radio tent to introduce themselves to the crowd. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo May 2025)
Sunday afternoon, on a sunshine-filled spring day as perfect as they come in southern Minnesota, Randy and I headed to Montgomery to Czech out this annual event. What we found at appropriately-named Heritage Park were a community, a region, a whole lot of people proud of their Bohemian roots.
A member of the Czech Heritage Club sports celebration buttons on his vest. Some he’s been to, some he hasn’t. (MInnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo May 2025)
A member of the Czech Heritage Club even tried to convince Randy and me that we might have some Czech blood given our German ethnicity. I suppose it’s possible, but unlikely based on knowledge of our family ancestries. But who are we to disagree with a man wearing a traditional Czech vest plastered with buttons like BOHEMIAN POWER and A KOLACH (kolache/kolacky) A DAY KEEPS THE DOCTOR AWAY? He even schooled us about “Minnesota’s Czech Triangle,” which includes Montgomery and the neighboring communities of Lonsdale, New Prague and Veseli.
Czech dancer topiaries, Alenka and Vlada, created by Meghan Petricka, a former Miss Kolacky Days queen, welcome attendees to the Czech May Day celebration. Czech and Slovak flags fly in the background. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo May 2025)
Mostly, though, this event was about music and dance with entertainment by the Czech Area Concertina Club,St. Paul Czech and Slovak Folk Dancers, and Sokol Children Dancers. I was mesmerized by the mostly women and girls spinning and circling and stepping, their colorful skirts twirling as they moved to the steady rhythm of Czech music that sounded a whole lot like a German polka to me. But I am no music expert and, I suppose if I asked my new Heritage Club friend, he would be quick to explain the difference.
Dancing in traditional dress. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo May 2025)
Dancers wore flowers and ribbons on their heads. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo May 2025)
The dancing included jumping. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo May 2025)
On this day it was not as much about learning as observing and enjoying. I watched and photographed, weaving in and out of the crowd, pausing, too, to take it all in, to be in the moment. I saw precision and concentration in well-rehearsed dances. I especially liked the mixing of ages, how women and elementary-aged girls paired, seasoned performers mentoring the young, passing along heritage to the next generation. Their joy was palpable as they clasped hands, leapt, spun. I found myself tapping my foot.
Members of the Czech Area Concertina Club make music. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo May 2025)
Likewise, the Concertina Club set my foot bouncing and my mind wondering. How can these musicians possibly manage to press the right buttons while also moving their squeezeboxes in and out? But they did and created pulsing music in the process.
Raising the May Pole. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo May 2025)
It was the May Pole, though, and subsequent dancing which centered the celebration. The raising of the Majka by a team of men was, in itself, impressive to watch. Randy suggested I sit in a “safe” location lest the towering conifer, stripped of its bark and topped with a ring of flowers and spruce top, topple. He needn’t have worried about my chosen photographic position. These guys, using thick poles, ropes, sawhorses and brawn, easily guided the Majka up and then into a pre-dug hole before stabilizing and securing it. They made the process look easy.
Grabbing ribbons on the May Pole. Two circles circled the pole. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo May 2025)
The floral wreath near the top of the May Pole. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo May 2025)
Ready to circle the May Pole. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo May 2025)
Montgomery Kolacky Days and Miss Czech Slovak Minnesota royalty mostly comprised the first group to circle the May Pole. I will say, though, as I sat baking in the hot sun, it seemed to take an interminably long time to separate the 16 wide ribbons streaming from the May Pole and to get everyone into place. Yet, once the walk, not really a dance, began around the tree, it appeared to go seemingly flawlessly, at least to me.
Czech treats and other baked and canned goods were available from Czech Sis Kitchen. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo May 2025)
American-Czech folk artist and illustrator Doreen McKenney created and vended greeting cards, coloring books and more. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo May 2025)
Working at the Czech style hot dog stand. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo May 2025)
By then I was feeling overheated. So Randy and I headed back toward the van, passing food and beverage stands selling Czech hot dogs and beer, vomacka, kolacky and more. Next time we won’t eat before we come…although we did buy an authentic fruit-filled kolache from two Czech immigrants at the Czech Sis Kitchen.
Painting a wing for the Wing Walk. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo May 2025)
We also passed other vendors and a painting station where anyone could dip a brush and work on painting customized wings as part of The Montgomery Wings Mural Walk. That features butterfly wings scattered around town.
Posy Floral & Gifts vended May Day baskets and more. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo May 2025)
Art, community pride and heritage—even if not of my German ethnicity—draw me to Montgomery. I love this small town with its old-time bakery, meat market and barbershop, its arts and heritage center, its brewery, historic buildings and signage, its homegrown specialty shops and much more. And now that “much more” includes the celebration of May Day, Czech style.
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FYI: Please check back for more Czech May Day photos. I shot more than 200 images and would like to share a few more of my favorites in follow-up posts.
The Irish national flag flies outside an Irish pub in Wabasha. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
I’VE NEVER ATTENDED a St. Patrick’s Day celebration. I’ve never eaten corned beef and cabbage. But I have eaten Irish stew at The Olde Triangle Pub in Wabasha, although not on St. Patty’s Day.
Green beer outside a bar in downtown La Crosse, Wisconsin. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
I once spotted a partially-filled cup of green beer sitting outside a bar in La Crosse, Wisconsin, the day after St Patrick’s Day. I’m quite certain I’ve consumed an Irish lager or ale, although the beer was not colored green.
The Church of St. Patrick in St. Patrick. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
I’ve never attended a St. Patrick’s Day Mass, although I’ve photographed the exterior of the Church of St. Patrick, Cedar Lake Township in the unincorporated village of St. Patrick.
A tombstone in the Church of St. Patrick Cemetery. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
I am 100 percent German, although I had a full-blooded Irishman uncle (he died a year ago) from Belfast. He married into the family.
Now if any of this qualifies me to be an Irishwoman for a day, I will accept the luck of the Irish and don some green on March 17 or thereabouts.
We can all be Irish in mid-March as communities, churches, restaurants and bars, and more celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. In my region of southern Minnesota, you’ll find lots of ways to be Irish. Starting on Saturday, March 15, Sacred Heart Church in Waseca gets festivities underway with Irish music and Mass at 10:30 a.m. A Parade of Clans to The Mill Event Center follows at noon for an Irish rally. I take rally to mean a big party—food, including Mulligan Stew and corned beef and cabbage, served from a food truck; beer; music and entertainment; and more fun. At 7 p.m., Miss St. Patrick and Miss Irish Rose will be crowned. A dance follows. I should note here that Waseca is home to an Irish pub, Katie O’Leary’s Beef & Brew.
Signage on St. Patrick’s Tavern in St. Patrick. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
The tiny, unincorporated Scott County burg of St. Patrick, basically a church, cemetery, baseball field and tavern, is, of course, honoring the patron saint (and its name) via food and music at St. Patrick’s Tavern. The bar and restaurant along Old State Highway 13 northeast of New Prague will serve corned beef, cabbage and red potatoes on March 15 with a green beer on tap. Food and beer specials continue on March 17. There will be music both evenings.
Shamrocks in my yard, planted by friends. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
Over in Le Center, a full day of Irish-themed festivities begins at 11 a.m. March 15 with Mass at St. Mary’s Catholic Church. Over at the American Legion, Mulligan Stew will be served from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. And then at 2 p.m., the big St. Patrick’s Day parade through downtown Le Center begins. Presiding over everything will be the newly-crowned royalty—Miss Shamrock, Miss Leprechaun and Miss Irish Rose. Dancing in the evening at the Legion wraps up the celebration.
A St. Pat’s Day decoration in a storefront window in Faribault. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
In Owatonna, VFW Post 3723 is hosting a March 15 St. Paddy’s Day Dinner & Trivia party with dinner choices of corned beef and cabbage or Shepherd’s Pie, plus sides and dessert, served from 5-6:30 p.m. Irish Trivia follows at 7 p.m. with a chance to win a Pot of Gold. There will also be leprechaun races and other activities.
(Promo source: Paradise Center for the Arts Facebook page)
Music centers a high-energy show Saturday, March 15, at the Paradise Center for the Arts in Faribault as Twin Cities-based The Northerly Gales brings its spin on Celtic Folk and Americana to the stage at 7:30 p.m. And, yes, you can enjoy a beer while enjoying the music.
Patrick’s on Third anchors the corner on the left of this block in downtown St. Peter. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
Over in St. Peter, St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated on the actual date, March 17. Paddlefish Brewing offers a special on its Leprechaun Lager. I expect the Irish and not-so-Irish will also gather at Patrick’s on Third for food and drink, including green beer. The Govenaires, the longest, continuously-operating drum and bugle corps in the U.S., performs in the 5:30 p.m. St. Patrick’s Day Parade and then briefly afterwards at Patrick’s on Third. The Governaires are traveling to Ireland in August to participate in the Rose of Tralee International Festival. They are encouraging donations of $17 on March 17 to help fund the trip.
Irish pride shows on the Kilkenny, Minnesota, water tower. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
So there you go, a sampling of St. Patrick’s Day activities happening in my region. But I must mention one more thing. If you want to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in Kilkenny, Minnesota, you’ll have to wait. The Le Sueur County town of some 150 with the Irish name shifted its annual Irish celebration to September. Halfway to St. Paddy’s Day is set this year for September 13 and 14. Mark your calendars for more Irish fun six months from now.
My vintage single of Roberta Flack’s hit song, “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face.” (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo February 2025)
WHEN ROBERTA FLACK SANG, her words flowed effortlessly. Soothing. Her voice like poetry singing words of love.
Flack died today (Monday) at age 88, news which pulled me back to the early 1970s and her Grammy award-winning singles, “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” (1973) and “Killing Me Softly With His Song” (1974). I love those two hits of new love and of love exposed.
I filed through my vintage 45 rpm vinyls until I found Flack’s, then dropped the record onto the turntable to once again immerse myself in feelings of young love. I was in high school when Flack’s singles released and then became Billboard hits.
The songs are universal in theme, undeniably beautiful in delivery. At least that’s my perspective as a Baby Boomer who can’t read a single musical note, can’t carry a tune and knows she likes a song when she likes it.
The timing of Flack’s death during February, Black History Month, seems worth noting, too. She accomplished much as a Black woman. At the age of 15, Flack received a full scholarship to Howard University, a historically Black private college in Washington DC. She earned a bachelor’s in music in 1958, going on to teach music while also pursuing a singing career. Clearly, she accomplished her goals.
(Book cover sourced online)
In researching her background, I learned of a 2023 children’s picture book autobiography, The Green Piano: How Little Me Found Music, written by Flack and by Tonya Bolden with illustrations by Hayden Goodman. The title references a piano Flack’s father found in a junkyard, then refurbished and painted a grassy green. Flack was nine years old when she got that first piano. That it came from a junkyard reminds me of the bicycles my maternal grandfather pulled from the junkyard, repaired, painted and gifted to me and my siblings. I was just as thrilled to have my own bike as Flack was to have her own piano.
Flack’s backstory of growing up in a family that valued music and recognized her talent is a love story, too. If only every child would be loved so deeply and encouraged to follow his/her dreams, what a beautiful world this could be.
TELL ME: Whose music do you appreciate and why? And if you remember Roberta Flack, I’d like to hear your thoughts on her and her work.
This Nigerian-themed quilt art was created years ago by my friend Susan. The art reflects to me the joy of an African spiritual. The fabric came from Nigeria, where Susan’s father-in-law served as a Lutheran missionary. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
THE SONG WAS UNEXPECTED during Sunday morning worship at the conservative Lutheran church I attend in Faribault. But it was fitting for the day and for my feelings, which have leaned deeply into discouragement recently.
The African American spiritual, “There Is a Balm in Gilead,” proved a temporary balm for my soul. The old school word “balm” holds a healing connotation. The song’s refrain encourages: There is a balm in Gilead to make the wounded whole. There is a balm in Gilead to heal the sin-sick soul.
As I sang the refrain, I wondered, what or where is Gilead? Later research revealed that, during Old Testament days, Gilead was a mountainous region east of the Jordan River and an important source of medicinal herbs. That makes sense as it relates to the lyrics.
Christ’s face in a stained glass window in the sanctuary of my church, Trinity Lutheran, Faribault. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
In the New Testament, “balm of Gilead” refers not to an herb which heals physically, but to Jesus through whom spiritual healing comes. That also makes sense as it relates to lyrics of the song printed on page 749 of the Lutheran Service Book.
Events of recent weeks in this country have me feeling apprehensive, unsettled, worried, in need of a healing balm. I know I am not alone in these feelings as we face economic challenges, upheaval, chaos and uncertainties on endless levels. Each day seems to bring something of new concern. No matter where you stand politically or spiritually, you have to feel the tension and uncertainties in this country.
A snippet of a photo by Stephen Somersteinfrom the exhibit, “Selma to Montgomery: Marching Along the Voting Rights Trail,” which I saw at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota, in 2015. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
On Sunday, as I sang the African American spiritual, I allowed myself to be swept into the healing words of hope and comfort. It was not lost on me that, sitting on the end of my pew, was a family of mixed race—an African American father, White mother and three biracial children, one a darling baby boy of ten months. I thought of my own newborn grandson, who is mixed race. What does the future hold for these two little boys? Will they face challenges simply because of their skin color? I’d like to think not. But…
And I thought, too, of the new calendar month of February, in which we celebrate Black History Month, focusing on Black history, culture and education. I reflect on slavery, on Civil Rights leaders, on racial disparities, diversity, equity and inclusion, wondering how I, personally, can educate myself and make a difference.
A message left by a visitor to the Selma exhibit at St. Olaf College. It’s so applicable to today. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
It truly does start with each of us standing up for what is good and right and decent and not going along with what we know in our hearts, minds and souls to be wrong. And then, maybe then, we’ll find our balm in Gilead.
The Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa, seats 2,100. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo May 2015)
A TIME EXISTED when ballrooms centered weekend entertainment and socializing across southern Minnesota: The Monterey Ballroom in Owatonna, no longer a dance hall, but an event center. The Kato Ballroom in Mankato, today primarily a place for banquets, wedding receptions and meetings. The Gibbon Ballroom in Gibbon, once the site of Polka Days, now closed. George’s Ballroom in New Ulm, demolished. The Blue Moon Ballroom in Marshall, destroyed in a 1981 fire. Ballrooms, as they once were in their heyday, are mostly non-existent or altered in usage.
Inside the Surf Ballroom, portraits of Ritchie Valens, left to right, Buddy Holly and J.P. Richardson. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo May 2015)
But just across the border along Interstate 35 in northern Iowa, an historic ballroom remains open and going strong. That’s the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, an 84-mile or one hour and 15-minute drive from my community of Faribault. I’ve been there. Not to dance. But to tour the venue that marked the final performance site for Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson on February 2, 1959.
This display inside the Surf references “American Pie.” Displays like this line spaces in the museum part of the Surf. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo May 2015)
The next morning, a chartered plane carrying the trio crashed in a field shortly after take off from the Mason City Municipal Airport, killing the musicians and pilot, Roger Peterson. February 3, 1959, was, according to singer and songwriter Don McClean, “the day the music died.” The tragedy is forever immortalized in McClean’s 1971 “American Pie,” a lengthy song I know well given I was a teen of the 70s.
The ballroom stage, where a crew was setting up for a LeeAnn Womack concert during my visit. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo May 2015)
Ten years have passed since I visited the Surf Ballroom. But nearly every January, I mentally revisit that experience of walking onto the wooden floor of the iconic ballroom and immersing myself in yesteryear. It’s not that I’m a big Buddy Holly fan or even into music all that much. But I can appreciate the significance of this place in rock ‘n roll history.
In the back of the ballroom are layers of booths, all original. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo May 2015)
The three musicians, plus Dion and the Belmonts, Frankie Sardo, Waylon Jennings, Tommy Allsup and Carl Bunch, were on a 24-day Winter Dance Party tour through Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa when they so tragically died. They had been crisscrossing the Midwest in a tour bus, playing in big cities like Milwaukee, Green Bay, St. Paul and Duluth, but also in smaller towns like Montevideo and Mankato in southern Minnesota. That Mankato performance was January 25 at the Kato Ballroom. Following the February 2 gig in Clear Lake, Holly decided to charter a small plane rather than endure the 364-mile bus ride to Moorhead for the next stop on the tour. That decision proved fatal.
The marquee advertises upcoming events on the day I visited in May 2015. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo May 2015)
The Winter Dance Party continues to this day at the Surf Ballroom as a way to honor the rock ‘n roll legends. This year’s celebration is January 30 – February 1. Closer to home, the Paradise Center for the Arts in Faribault is hosting “Buddy Holly: Oh Boy!” at 7:30 p.m. Friday, January 31. The next day, Saturday, February 1, the show will be at the State Street Theater in New Ulm at 7 p.m. This is a re-staging of Holly’s Winter Dance Party.
This sign inside the front entry summarizes the importance of the Surf. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo May 2015)
Whether you’re a fan of Buddy Holly or not, I think it’s important to recognize the significance he held in American rock ‘n roll culture. Music, in many ways, is like an historical account of life. It carries messages, entertains, connects us to memories and events, and touches us emotionally. And when the music died on February 3, 1959, the nation cried.
This stacked album sculpture in Three Stars Plaza honors Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo May 2015)
In July 2014, Songs of Hope performers presented selections from Jamaica, including “Linstead Market” and “Stand Up For Your Rights.” (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo July 2014)
TEN YEARS AGO, Songs of Hope danced and sang their way into my heart at River Bend Nature Center in Faribault. Now this group of young musicians and performers from around the world will be back in town, this time at 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 16, at the historic Cathedral of Our Merciful Saviour.
Song and dance from Vietnam. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo July 2014)
I encourage you, if you live in the area, to attend this free 90-minute concert in the Cathedral, which boasts incredible acoustics in a remarkable setting. The concert is part of the Cathedral’s Merner Concert series offering free music to the community.
In nearly constant motion during this 2014 performance in Faribault. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo July 2014)
Young people from Finland, Italy, Germany, Vietnam, Costa Rica, Mexico, Jamaica, Turkey, Madagascar and the USA will present a program that features singing, dancing and cultural dress in a high energy show. I can vouch for that. When I attended the Songs of Hope performance at River Bend in 2014, I felt, heard and saw their energy. I left feeling uplifted and incredibly hopeful about the future of this world.
The message on this singer’s t-shirt is as relevant today as it was during this performance 10 years ago. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo July 2014)
In a time when there’s so much conflict, so much discontent, so much unease, this coming together of international youth infuses hope into communities. And who doesn’t want to feel hope?
Ready to perform in traditional Chinese attire in 2014. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo July 2014)
These youth are sharing their cultures via their performance art and dress. When we begin to learn about other cultures, we begin to recognize the commonalities among us, rather than that which we think divides us. We all share basic human needs of food, shelter and love.
Songs from Guatemala. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo July 2014)
The name, Songs of Hope, fits this group, which is part of St. Paul-based Sounds of Hope. Youth ages ten and older from around the world attend a six-week overnight performing arts summer camp before heading out on a three-week concert tour. Those concerts are performed in the Twin Cities metro and in communities outside the Cities, primarily in southeastern Minnesota.
Songs of Hope performers present a selection from India. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo July 2014)
To have Songs of Hope back in Faribault, a decidedly diverse, but not always united, community, is a gift to all of us.
Deer at River Bend Nature Center, Faribault. Photo used for illustration only. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo April 2024)
OH, DEER, I thought to myself Thursday evening. And then about an hour later, I thought, oh, dear.
What prompted this deer/dear thinking? First, an actual deer running through my neighborhood. And then an attempt to try a new art form at a community event.
First the deer. Shortly after 5 p.m., I noticed a rather long-legged dog running down the middle of the side street alongside my house. I live on a corner lot. I quickly realized this was not a canine, but rather a deer. This neighborhood deer spotting was a first in 40 years of living at this location.
The large deer cut across the corner of my neighbor’s yard before dashing into busy Willow Street during rush hour. And, yes, there is rush hour traffic in the early morning and then when folks are on their way home from work. Go ahead and laugh if you live in a metro area.
Thankfully, drivers were alert enough to slow down and give the deer some space. It continued northbound, right along the center line, until I lost sight of the animal. It apparently escaped unscathed (perhaps to the nearby woods along the river) as I did not see roadkill while en route to my “oh, dear” moment. I can only imagine how thankful that deer was to return to his natural habitat.
Grand Rapids-based Adessa & The Beat performs Thursday evening in the Cathedral of Our Merciful Saviour. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2024)
An hour later I arrived at the Cathedral of Our Merciful Saviour for free hands-on art activities offered by the Paradise Center for the Arts as part of the weekly summertime Concerts in the Park series. Due to endless rain, the arts event and concert were moved from the park across the street to the Cathedral.
Rhonda Norgaard’s book art previously displayed at the Paradise Center for the Arts, Faribault. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo April 2024)
Once there, I had art choices: drawing, felting, working on a collaborative project or “making a book.” I heard the word “book” and I was in. Except it wasn’t creating a book, but rather learning basics of design for a mini-book. After watching for a moment, I grabbed a red folding chair and settled onto a corner of the crowded table. Teaching artist Rhonda Norgaard handed me a thick black Sharpie and scraps of colorful paper. At that moment, I didn’t quite grasp the concept of what I should be doing.
I should pause here to admit that my confidence level was about zero. My friend Paula drew a lovely free-hand bird and tree on a colorful bookmark-size paper scrap. Kids were bent over their papers, too, happily creating. Me? This was not my wheelhouse. I create art with words and my camera, not with scraps from expired calendars, Sharpies and gel pens.
But, by then I was semi-committed to giving this unfamiliar art form a try. I began outlining flowers in black, attempting to make this my own. It looked OK. Then I added words, because, well, it needed words and I am a writer. I added plant, hope, bloom. I would later learn that, like me, hope is Rhonda’s favorite word.
I was hearing encouraging words from Rhonda and from others. When I had done all I could with the black Sharpie, I stepped away to check on my husband’s progress. He was drawing with charcoal pencils. Definitely not my wheelhouse.
The art I created from a scrap calendar page, a black Sharpie and a white gel pen. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2024)
Back at Rhonda’s station, a white gel pen was finally available for my use. As white flowed from the fine tip of the pen, I began feeling more confident. I liked what I saw, how the white added to the design. Rhonda admitted that she wanted to suggest I outline in white, but thought I might be offended. Nope, not offended. I was here to learn.
As I worked, I commented how soothing this was. Relaxing, added Rhonda. I’d done it—stepped outside of my creative comfort zone. Already, I’m imagining picking up gel pens and Sharpies and creating greeting cards using recycled paper. Now I just need some expired paper calendars…
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