Minnesota Prairie Roots

Writing and photography by Audrey Kletscher Helbling

Savoring ice cream season in Minnesota August 12, 2026

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Signage on an ice cream shop in Kerkhoven in west-central Minnesota. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)

SUMMER AND ICE CREAM pair like grilled cheese and tomato soup, pizza and beer, Minnesota and snow. There’s no denying the seasonal craving for ice cream when the heat and humidity crank up.

I find myself reaching more often than I should into the freezer for ice cream. Lately I’ve dished up a creamy blueberry cheesecake flavor. Yum. I almost hesitate to admit that I currently have four cartons of ice cream and one of fro-yo in my freezer after stocking up during a recent sale.

“The Betty,” a mint Oreo-flavored treat, my favorite menu item at The S’Cream in Owatonna. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

Home stash aside, I also enjoy ice cream when I’m out and about. Never mind that it costs far more than a serving at home. But ice cream served from some mom-and-pop shop tastes so much better, like a carefree summer day. Yum.

Signage directs ice cream lovers to The Blast in downtown Northfield. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

Nearby Owatonna is home to The S’Cream and The Blast (also in Northfield). I’ve been to both, which are always summertime busy. Apparently I’m not the only one who can’t bypass a homegrown ice cream shop.

Sweets Ice Cream in Kerkhoven. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)

Recently while on the road to a family celebration in far western Minnesota, my husband, Randy, and I happened upon an ice cream shop in Kerkhoven, population around 800. Sweets Ice Cream sits along U.S. Highway 12 in this Swift County community. It’s an ideal spot for an ice cream shop, drawing passing motorists in.

Key lime pie ice cream from Sweets in Kerkhoven. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)

When I saw Sweets Ice Cream, housed in a former gas station, I immediately wanted to photograph the business. I loved the old building and its repurposed use. So we pulled into town, parked on a side street and I headed toward the ice cream shop to photograph it.

Randy orders from Sweets Ice Cream in Kerkhoven. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)

That was the plan, or at least my plan. Randy had other ideas. He figured it wouldn’t be too nice to simply snap photos and then leave without buying ice cream. He was right. So we each ordered a single scoop dish of ice cream. The portion size was so generous that we should have ordered one bowl to share. Oh, well. As some say, “Ice cream melts in your tummy.”

A generous serving of maple nut ice cream from Sweets in Kerkhoven. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)

Randy got maple nut per the recommendation of another customer who was returning home to Benson after visiting a friend in a Willmar care center. He always treats himself to ice cream, always maple nut, after those visits. I ordered key lime pie ice cream. Yum to both and the engaging conversation we had with our new-found friend.

Dairy Delite in downtown Lakeville. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo March 2026)

Some 130 miles east of Kerkhoven in Lakeville, a south metro suburb, another long-time local ice cream shop has drawn my photographic interest. That’s Dairy Delite in the downtown area.

Ice cream art at Dairy Delite, Lakeville. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo March 2026)

This place has character with its unique building design, blue and pink color, and ice cream art. There’s no mistaking the structure for anything but an ice cream shop.

A portion of the menu at Dairy Delite in Lakeville. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo March 2026)

I’ve not yet ordered ice cream here. But I should.

Sue’s Drive In, located in Pierz. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

Then there’s Sue’s Drive In, located in Pierz in central Minnesota. Two years ago Randy and I stopped for an ice cream treat before attending his 50th Healy High School class reunion. The drive in serves a full menu of fast food, not just ice cream.

A raspberry sundae from The Blast in Northfield. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

Once again the vintage look and the small town Americana appeal of this roadside business drew my photographic interest. And the ice cream, of course. On-the-road ice cream always tastes especially delicious, decidedly better than ice cream pulled from my freezer.

TELL ME: Do you have a favorite homegrown ice cream shop? Let’s hear.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Author tracks the James-Younger Gang’s escape from Northfield May 29, 2026

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An overview of a presentation given by Russ Swanson at the Rice County Historical Society on May 28. The coat lying on the podium is a replica of the inverness capes worn by the James-Younger Gang. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo May 2026)

THEY WERE, HE SAID, masters of deception. And after listening to a well-researched and entertaining presentation about the James-Younger Gang at the Rice County Historical Society in Faribault recently, I agree.

This assessment of the outlaws who attempted to rob the First National Bank of Northfield on September 7, 1876, comes from Russ Swanson of Canton, South Dakota. The ag teacher, farmer, author and researcher shared a wealth of information on the gang, focusing on the outlaws’ efforts to escape capture after the failed robbery.

(Book cover sourced online)

But Swanson, author of A Chase to the Death: The Detailed Pursuit of the James-Younger Gang Following the Northfield Raid, also provided plenty of pre-robbery history that I found especially interesting. The eight-member gang arrived in St. Paul in late August 1876 after a 13-hour train ride from Sioux City, Iowa. I always thought they rode into Minnesota on their horses and headed for Northfield. Not so.

Instead of robbing the bank in Mankato, the gang attempted to rob the Northfield bank, pictured here. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

PLANS TO ROB MANKATO BANK

The gang split upon their arrival in St. Paul with some going to Red Wing, where they stayed at the St. James (National) Hotel. Others went to St. Peter, then to Madelia. By this time, they’d purchased horses. Eventually the eight met in Mankato, intending to rob the First National Bank of Mankato, their original Minnesota target. But they were recognized and ditched the plan.

Swanson threw out a lot of information as he led the audience on the gang’s journey through Minnesota, then back west to Dakota Territory and Iowa. En route to Northfield, they stayed in LeSueur Center (current-day Le Center), Janesville and then Millersburg, imbibing in whiskey purchased there. Swanson spun a detail-rich storyline.

He didn’t spend much time on the actual seven-minute Northfield bank robbery, a point Swanson acknowledged at the beginning of his presentation. The short crime left a bank cashier, a bystander and two of the outlaws dead and others wounded.

This slide created by Russ Swanson shows the eight outlaws with information in red about them and also their horses. To the left are the locals wounded and killed during the attempted robbery.

PURSUIT & ESCAPE

The gang’s efforts to escape capture prompted the largest manhunt in U.S. history with 1,000 men searching for the outlaws. Swanson used maps to show the routes taken by the gang, which eventually split. Frank and Jesse James traveled together while the three Younger brothers and Charlie Pitts stuck together.

The saga is one of stolen horses, the first taken near Dundas. Of gunfights, including south of Shieldsville. Of taking men captive to guide them through the Big Woods near Kilkenny and elsewhere. Of awakening to church bells by Marysburg. Of abandoning horses near German Lake. Of crossing the Cannon, the Blue Earth and other rivers. Of hiding in cornfields.

Russ Swanson points to information specific to Northfield in another slide. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo May 2026)

MASTERS OF DECEPTION & HORSE THIEVES

To hear so many familiar place names took me along the escape route—riding into woods, crossing an unguarded railroad bridge, traversing rivers, stopping at farm sites. Desperate to evade capture, the savvy outlaws pretended to be members of the posse pursuing them. They stayed with farm families under those false pretenses.

That their true identities remained mostly hidden speaks to that “masters of deception” label Swanson tags to the gang. The outlaws stood out in their mannerisms, their talk and even their dress—draping, sleeveless inverness capes concealing their firearms—yet still fooled many.

They stole Percheron draft horses in Garden City. The James brothers stopped for breakfast in Luverne and then were pursued into Dakota Territory, stealing more horses. Blind and partially-blind horses. Eventually, the pair stole a horse at gunpoint north of Canton, South Dakota. Turns out that horse owner, Peter Wahl, homesteaded on land that Russ Swanson now owns. That prompted his 10 years of researching the James-Younger Gang, authoring a book and today presenting on the topic.

“This area is a hotbed of their territory,” Swanson told the audience in Faribault. He backs up that statement with extensive research, tapping into maps, newspaper articles, census records and more from Minnesota into South Dakota and Iowa. He noted the abundance of eyewitness accounts.

The First National Bank is now a museum with tours available. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

DETAIL-RICH STORIES

I found the entire presentation intensely fascinating, rich in details. A lost hat. Nights of impenetrable darkness. Stolen chickens. Too much whiskey. Eleven bullet holes in Cole Younger, whose toenails fell off when he removed his boots after days of riding. A bullet that wounded a pursuer’s horse still in possession of his family generations later.

As Swanson concluded his talk, he shared a quote from Cole Younger, captured in a September 21 shoot-out in Hanska Slough near Madelia that took the life of outlaw Charlie Pitts. “Be true to your friends if the Heavens fall,” Younger said, refusing to give up any information to authorities. The Younger brothers went to prison while the James brothers escaped to Missouri.

Swanson shared more, much more, in his lengthy talk and Q & A. In the all of it, I was surprised to learn of so many locations in this region connected to the failed Northfield bank raid. Had the eight gang members remained incognito while in Mankato, this story would have followed a different plot line, a different path into history.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Raising our voices with poetry May 14, 2026

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Poets D.E. Green, left to right, Becky Boling, Rob Hardy, Audrey Kletscher Helbling and Dougie Padilla with publications including their poetry. Missing, Larry Gavin. (Photo credit: Content Bookstore)

UNITED WE READ at Content Bookstore in Northfield. Earlier this evening six Rice County poets, including me, shared our poetry. Not just any poetry, but poems we’ve penned mostly themed to what’s unfolded in America with immigration enforcement, the war in Iran, threats to our democracy…

Anger. Frustration. Hope. Truth. Passion. Those topics threaded through poems by Northfield poets Becky Boling. D.E. (Doug) Green, Rob Hardy and Dougie Padilla and Faribault poets Larry Gavin and me. I read two poems on-topic and two off.

It was an honor to be in the presence of such fine creatives who use the power of their words to raise their voices. I encourage you to listen to a recording of the event on the Content Bookstore Facebook page by clicking here.

I am grateful to this independent bookstore for supporting writers not only through the sale of books, but also through readings. Listening to a poet read adds a depth to a poem that you don’t get simply by reading it in print. Emotion, word emphasis, volume and more factor into that.

To the attentive and appreciative audience, thank you for coming out on a Thursday evening to listen, to encourage the six of us in our poetry and to support your local independent bookstore.

United we write. United we read. United we raise our voices.

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FYI: Many of the poems read this evening were published by Shipwreckt Books in Lost Lake Folk Opera, Volume 10, Winter of ICE with the subtitle of A Literary Struggle to Preserve Our Democratic Republic. Other poems published in Content Bookstore’s chapbook, Words to Meet the Moment: Poetry Against Fascism. Both are available for purchase at the bookstore.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

United We Write, a May 14 poetry reading in Northfield May 11, 2026

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A protester stands at the intersection of Minnesota State highways 3 and 19 in Northfield last Friday afternoon. The inflatable frog costume traces to protests in Portland, Oregon, and signifies a humorous, nonviolent form of creative resistance. The dog’s sign reads, “Love & Kindness for a better world.” (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo May 2026)

SIX POETS, me included, will read our poetry beginning at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 14, at Content Bookstore in Northfield.

I am honored to be in the company of prolific and talented poets Becky Boling, D.E. (Doug) Green, Rob Hardy and Dougie Padilla all of Northfield and Larry Gavin of Faribault. I’ve previously read with everyone except Padilla and consider them friends.

Poets will read from this publication on Thursday evening in Northfield. (Cover sourced online)

All have work published in Lost Lake Folk Opera, Volume 10, WINTER OF ICE. The publication is subtitled UNITED WE WRITE—A LITERARY STRUGGLE TO PRESERVE OUR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC. The five poets will read their poems published in Lost Lake at the bookstore event titled “Winter of ICE: United We Write.”

I will read two poems from this collection published by Content Bookstore. (Cover sourced online)

Two of the poems I plan to read—“Death of a Poet” and “Fiery Resistance”—are also anti-ICE. They published in Content Bookstore’s chapbook, Words to Meet the Moment: Poetry Against Fascism.

The years 2025 and 2026 have, indeed, been a time for us to use our words to resist, to rise up, to make a difference. Minnesotans did during Operation Metro Surge and continue to do so. I continue to write. I continue to protest. I continue to speak up, refusing to remain silent.

The table of contents for Words to Meet the Moment. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo 2026)

Words hold power. When we stand united on issues, like preserving our democracy, supporting our immigrant neighbors, protecting voting rights, opposing an unnecessary war, calling out wrongs and much more, we can collectively make a difference. At some point those who hear, but disagree, may finally begin to understand what’s at stake.

Poetry matters. To step up to the mic in an independent bookstore in a small Minnesota college town to read the passionate anti-ICE poems I crafted may not seem like much. But when I am joined by five other poets who also fired poems that could melt ICE, we become part of a movement, a force. We care about our neighbors, about Minnesota, about our country, about the world enough to pen powerful poetry.

Join us from 7-8:30 p.m. Thursday to hear our poetry. United we write. United we read. United we rise.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Earth Day: Stories, roots & local events April 21, 2026

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Garbage I recently picked up from my yard. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo April 2026)

DECADES AGO, when I worked a summer job with the Redwood County Highway Department through a government program for low income families, our crew of several teens was tasked one day with walking the ditches along a county road. That proved an eye-opening experience as we gathered litter. Most memorable among our finds were a dirty disposal diaper and a torn love letter. We spent our lunch break piecing together that heartbreaking love note.

Today I’m still picking up litter, now in my Faribault yard. Living on a corner lot along a high traffic street, my lawn gets plenty of garbage tossed by passing motorists. Every time I grab another beverage container, a fast food bag or box, a whatever that should have gone in the garbage or recycling, I wonder why people are too lazy to properly dispose of waste.

Photographed several years ago on a public recycling dumpster in Northfield. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

EARTH DAY BEGINS IN 1970

With those personal backstories, I’m grateful for ongoing efforts to educate all of us about taking care of our planet during annual Earth Day events. This marks 56 years since that celebration began on April 22, 1970.

I remember the early 1970s, when America was in the thick of an energy crisis. Prices rose at the pump. Fuel was in short supply. In some ways, all of this fueled an awareness that we need to conserve our natural resources, choose alternative energy sources, and respect and care for our planet.

(Black Beach book cover sourced online)

BLACK BEACH

Because I like to learn, I popped into the Faribault library recently with the intention of checking out children’s picture books about Earth Day. Others apparently had the same idea. I found only one book, Black Beach—A Community, an Oil Spill, and the Origin of Earth Day, written by Shaunna and John Stith and illustrated by Maribel Lechuga. But it was the only book I needed to root out the origin of Earth Day.

A large oil spill from drilling off the coast of Santa Barbara, California, on January 28, 1969, prompted outrage, action and the eventual establishment of Earth Day the following year. I high-recommend this book as an invaluable resource with an interesting, factual-based story, a timeline of events, additional information on Earth Day and actions we can take to advocate for and protect our environment.

A banner flies at a past Earth Day Celebration at Bridge Square in Northfield. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

NORTHFIELD EARTH DAY EVENTS

Libraries are always an excellent resource. At the Northfield Public Library, Earth Day Game Day will be held from 10-11 a.m. Saturday, April 25. Led by Science in World and Word class students from St. Olaf College, the event celebrates planet Earth with educational games and activities geared for 6-11-year-olds. Game Day is part of Northfield’s larger Earth Day Celebration.

I’ve previously attended the Northfield celebration, now in its 17th year. Activities are centered at Armory Square from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, April 25, with workshops, eco exhibitors, crafts, a climate information session, farmers’ market, and more. Visit northfieldearthday.com for a full schedule of activities.

Other Earth Day Celebration weekend events in Northfield include clean-up of Riverside Park, a tour of regenerative Salvatierra Farms (from 1-3 p.m. Sunday), an Earth Day Contra Dance (from 7-10 p.m. Friday) and tree planting at the Carleton College arboretum.

Sky and trees in spring at Falls Creek County Park, rural Faribault. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

TREE PLANTINGS & MORE

Tree plantings are happening in other area communities during Earth Day week and on Arbor Day, April 24. At River Bend Nature Center in Faribault, staff will lead volunteers in planting trees to replace diseased ash. That’s set for 1-3 p.m. Wednesday, April 22, and from 10 a.m.-noon Saturday, April 25. The City of Faribault, a designated Tree City USA, hosts an Arbor Day tree planting ceremony at 9 a.m. at Batchelder Park. The same day, the Rice County Master Gardeners will give away tree seedlings from 3-5 p.m. at the Rice County Fairgrounds.

In Owatonna, trees will be planted at several city parks, beginning in Mineral Springs Park, at noon, Friday, April 24. This activity honors retiring city employees.

Additionally in Owatonna, the holistic wellness boutique Daisy Blue Naturals, 121 West Main Street, is hosting an Earth Day Storytime from 3:30-5 p.m. Wednesday, April 22, with Miss Midwest 2026, May Diddy. This includes a puppet show, book reading, activities and snacks.

This banner flew at the 2022 Northfield Earth Day Celebration. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

CARING FOR PLANET EARTH

Fifty-six years ago, Earth Day began in this country. To see how it’s grown and evolved is heartening. It takes each of us, individually and collectively, to do our part for this planet we call home. Whether that’s recycling, repurposing, composting, hanging laundry on the line, thrifting, planting trees and rain gardens, conserving water, and much more, we are responsible for taking care of Earth. That includes disposing of litter properly—not in a road ditch. And not in my yard.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Local Latinos voice concerns in “Dear Northfield” project March 18, 2026

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Panels created by Rocky Casillas Aguirre are written in both Spanish and English, on display recently at the Northfield Public Library. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo February 2026)

I APPRECIATE WHEN LEADERS think outside the box, using creative ways to gather and share information.

Take a project in the southern Minnesota riverside college town of Northfield, home to more than 2,000 Latinos, representing some 10 percent of the city’s population. A 2023 city-inspired effort led by a collective of local Latino artists and activists was tasked with developing a connective public art project focused on Latino voices.

Getting the conversation going… (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo February 2026)

Among the results was a poster campaign, “Dear Northfield,” by Latino artist Rocky Casillas Aguirre. He interviewed 100 Latino residents, asking this question: “If you could write a letter to the people who govern our city, what would you tell them?”

The results are colorful, eye-catching panels that reveal invaluable insights from Northfield’s Latino population. I recently saw six of Aguirre’s art posters displayed in the atrium of the Northfield Public Library, a community gathering spot.

At first glance, the artwork reminds me of illustrations in a children’s picture book or drawings in a cartoon. That’s a signature style of Aguirre, born in Mexico, raised in Northfield and a resident for more than 20 years. His art grabs attention in vivid cultural colors.

But it is the comments on those posters which especially deserve a close look as they address topics like housing, transportation, food, culture, communication and connection.

On the topic of local businesses… (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo February 2026)

In their own words, Latino residents of Northfield share their thoughts, their concerns, their hopes, their dreams. They wish for Latino businesses downtown, shops where they can buy Mexican-made products, foods familiar and comforting to them.

On the topic of housing… (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo February 2026)

They want affordable housing, options other than living in trailer houses and apartments.

On the topic of culture and entertainment… (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo February 2026)

They want local Latino-based cultural choices in music, entertainment and art, specifically naming murals. That seems doable in Northfield, which has always embraced public art and has multiple murals.

They want more options for youth, like a Latino youth center.

On the topic of representation in local government… (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo February 2026)

They want more representation in city government and increased connections and engagement between white people and Latinos.

None of these seem like particularly big asks, although some certainly take time and money to implement. It’s good to get the conversation going.

The panels as viewed from outside the Northfield Public Library. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo February 2026)

I hope other communities follow Northfield’s example and use art as a way to share information that will help build a stronger, better and more culturally-aware and diverse city. A place where everyone can thrive, no matter their color, no matter their language, no matter their culture.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Art swap to benefit Northfield Supporting Neighbors March 13, 2026

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(Promo sourced from the Northfield Arts Guild Facebook page.)

Update: Due to the forecast winter storm/blizzard in Minnesota beginning Saturday, March 14, through Monday, March 16, this event could be subject to cancellation on Sunday. However, hours have already been added from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday, March 21.

THE COMMUNITY OF NORTHFIELD is stepping up once again, as it has multiple times in recent months, to help immigrants in need following Operation Metro Surge.

From 1-5 p.m. this Sunday, March 15, the Northfield Arts Guild is hosting a Fine Art Fundraiser for Northfield Supporting Neighbors. Art created during February swap art sessions will be sold at the Guild’s Water Street Studios, 411 Water St. S. in downtown Northfield. One hundred percent of sale proceeds will go to Northfield Supporting Neighbors.

So what exactly is an art swap? It’s a group of artists gathering, creating and passing around artwork, all contributing at the same time. Basically, an artist builds on or adds to an original work of art that’s circulating around the room.

Local artists met for four two-hour sessions in February to create watercolor and acrylic art themed to Banksy’s “Flower Thrower” painting. That piece by the graffiti artist shows a masked man throwing flowers in a form of nonviolent resistance. This seems an appropriate choice given federal immigration enforcement agents wore masks and threw tear gas and other chemical irritants at protesters and resisters in Minnesota. Art has always been a tool of expression.

Now, as nearly all 3,000 federal agents have left the state (about 100 remain), recovery begins. The need is great for monies to fund legal aid, rental assistance, food and other basics among those impacted by ICE. This sale of collaborative art on Sunday is just one more way to help individuals and families who are struggling.

Northfield continues to show, via multiple fundraisers, that it cares deeply about those who call this southern Minnesota community home. They take the directive, “Love thy neighbor as thyself,” and put those words into action, this time with paint and paintbrushes.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Authors for Minnesota Day raises $50K for nonprofits helping immigrants March 5, 2026

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The pre-event promo. (Graphic sourced online)

MINNESOTANS ARE KNOWN for their generosity. And once again they showed up big time to support those affected by federal immigration enforcement in our state.

During a February 28 Authors for Minnesota Day event held at 26 independent bookstores throughout our state, $50,249 was raised (with 22 stores reporting) for the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota and for the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota Immigration Rapid Response Fund, according to co-organizer, writer Jess Lourey. That happened in just four hours.

Amazing.

I photographed this sandwich board outside Content Bookstore in mid-February. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo February 2026)

At Content Bookstore in nearby Northfield, around $3,000 was donated to the two organizations. I was among the donors and among the many Content shoppers who visited with Allen Eskens, a writer of thrillers and mysteries from St. Peter, and Mary Bleckwehl, a Northfield children’s book author.

I got a free copy of this book for donating to one of the selected nonprofits. (Book cover sourced online)

Nearly 60 writers participated statewide in Authors for Minnesota Day, giving of their time and also giving away selected books to those who gave to the two recipient nonprofits. I snagged a soft-cover copy of Bleckwehl’s Arrrgh! Me Hate to Wait! Eskens had already given away his supply of free books by the time I arrived in mid-afternoon.

This event was about more than helping two deserving nonprofits focused on helping immigrants in Minnesota. This was also about supporting independent bookstores and Minnesota writers. Content Bookstore buzzed with shoppers browsing shelves, buying books and even standing in line to chat with Eskens and Bleckwehl.

To see this level of interest and support was encouraging, but not surprising. Minnesota has repeatedly proven, in the past few months especially, that it cares about and looks out for its neighbors.

Lourey, co-organizer with author Kristi Belcamino, posted on Facebook: “I was in tears several times throughout the day seeing how many people in our community want to support small businesses and immigrant rights. Thank you to all the bookstores and authors who participated, and to everyone who showed up—we got to see the best of Minnesota today.”

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Mutual aid marathon in Northfield aims to support those impacted by ICE March 4, 2026

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(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.

FYI: You can also donate online (click here) through a GoFundMe launched by Raices in Action Mutual Aid.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Art installation highlights Northfield authors, screens vacant lot March 3, 2026

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College students walk past a public mural fronting a vacant lot in downtown Northfield. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo January 2026)

BETWEEN DIVISION STREET and the Cannon River in downtown Northfield across from the public library, an art installment stretches, hiding a fenced, vacant spot of land.

Barricades block entry to the historic Archer House, damaged by a 2020 fire and later demolished. The public art installation covers the length of the hotel. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo November 2020)

Here the historic Archer House River Inn once stood, a sprawling complex of hotel and businesses until a November 2020 fire severely damaged the building. It was later demolished, leaving a gaping hole in the heart of this thriving southern Minnesota college town.

The back view behind the panels shows the foundation of the Archer House. The Northfield Public Library sits in the background across Division Street. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo January 2026)

Flash forward years later and a 170-foot long length of 17 individual mesh fabric murals now hang on fencing surrounding foundation remnants and earth. Until the land is developed, this public art installation hides an eyesore and stands as a tribute to the creatives in the Northfield community.

Northfield library staffers compiled a list of books by Northfielders, past and present, to incorporate into the panels. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo January 2026)

As a lover of both art and books, I appreciate this unique community endeavor to create something artistically beautiful and informative.

College students pass by the mural panels while I photograph the installation. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo January 2026)

The Northfield Public Library worked with local Latino artist Rocky Casillas Aguirre on the project, which features more than 100 books by Northfield authors showcased on bookshelves printed on fabric. Walking along the mural scanning the titles is almost like walking into the library across the street up the hill and searching for a book.

One of Aguirre’s characters reads “Giants in the Earth.” (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo January 2026)

As I followed the installation, photographing and reading book titles, I found books familiar and unfamiliar. Some are widely-known, like Giants in the Earth, a story about Norwegian immigrants homesteading in Dakota Territory during the 19th Century, by Ole E. Rolvaag. Or Minnesota Senator Paul Wellstone’s The Conscience of a Liberal—Reclaiming the Compassionate Agendas. He died in a 2002 plane crash.

Characters created by Rocky Casillas Aguirre mix with books by Northfielders. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo January 2026)

Then there are poetry collections by Northfield poets—Bridge and Division, We Look West… This is a community rich in poets, a city where poems imprint upon concrete in a Sidewalk Poetry project.

Some of the books by Northfield authors are specifically themed to Northfield. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo January 2026)

Other titles also drew my eye like A Field Guide to Northfield by Nancy Soth, Peace for Ukraine Coloring Book, Northfield Cocina: Local Latino Recipes and many more.

Lots of the artist’s cartoon characters are busy reading books. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo January 2026)

Beyond those 100 plus books featured in the art installation are the colorful characters Aguirre creates for his books, cartoons and stand alone art. They are interspersed among the titles—reading, interacting, resting, adding elements of color and interest.

Twitch, a magical campfire created by the artist for his own art, is incorporated into the murals. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo January 2026)

Aguirre, who has dealt with anxiety and depression, focuses his art on raising awareness about mental health, especially among youth. Twitch, a magical campfire, is among the characters he’s created and which can be spotted on the downtown mural.

Another view of the panels, looking south on Division St. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted

This artist, born in Mexico but raised in Northfield and a resident for more than 20 years, also worked with the local Latino community on another city-supported art project, “Dear Northfield.” He interviewed 100 local Latinos, among the 2,000 who live in the city, to get their insights on topics like housing, food, transportation and more. The result is a series of bi-lingual posters that inform, raise awareness and connect. “Dear Northfield” is currently displayed at the Northfield library.

Even the library has its own history book. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo January 2026)

I learned a lot by simply walking along the mural panels attached to fencing at the site of the demolished Archer House. I learned that Northfield has far more authors than I ever imagined. Authors who write in all genres.

Looking at the mural north along Division Street. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo January 2026)

And then, because I was curious, I poked around online and learned that Rocky Casillas Aguirre’s art will be featured soon in my city. His ”Celebrate Life” art will be shown in an April 13-June 13 gallery exhibit at the Paradise Center for the Arts in Faribault.

An overview of the art installation photographed through a second floor library window looking down on the Division Street scene. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo February 2026)

I’m excited to see more and learn more. The visual arts are such a gift, whether hung on a fence screening a vacant lot or hung in a gallery inside an arts center. Art holds the power to move us, inform us, enlighten us and, sometimes, even to change us.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling