Community Blog

Hey Vikings fans are you ready for one of the biggest celebrations of the year? Then it is necessary that you are at the MN State Fair as they present the Metromix Purple Party! It will be a huge viewing of the Minnesota Vikings as the take on the Denver Broncos. So you will be able to enjoy the game with tons of Vikings fans and also enjoy the fair at the same time.

Admission to the party will be free, but it is encouraged that fans dress up or even paint themselves in purple in honor of our mighty Vikings! The game will start promtply at 7PM in KARE 11 Barn inside of the fair. All ages are welcomed to party.

While you are there, be sure to register for a chance to win a tickets to see KISS (with special guests The Envy) on September 4th at 7 p.m. at the Grandstand.

So if you plan heading to the fair tonight, this will be only one of the great festivities you can enjoy at the 2010 Minnesota State Fair!

Hey residents let us know which swimming pool at The Willows you like the most in our new poll.

So this is what all of the residents here at The Willows have been waiting for right? Well, maybe not all of the residents, but I know a few of us are excited! The 2010 Minnesota State Fair will be opened its gates yesterday, and will be open until September 6th. There is a plethora of things to do from free music to beer competitions. You don’t want to miss what the big fair has in-store this year!

So here are a few quick facts about the fair.

*Admission gates open daily at 6 a.m. Ticket sales end at 10 p.m.

Adults (13-64):$11

Seniors (65 & over): $9

Kids (5-12): $8

Children (Under 5) Free

*The fairgrounds are mid-way between the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul just north of Interstate 94.

The will be a range of free performances. Visit the MN State Fair website for the list of performers.

The Skate Park will also have live shows daily as skaters show off their skills.

The will be lot of animal activities from hand milking to sheep shearing.

And we can’t forget all of the exciting rides and food you will be bale to enjoy.

So make sure you visit,and let us know how it goes!.

So has anyone heard of this new cool event “Hops&Horses”?

This one-night-only event is a night that features premiere craft brews and heart pounding horse racing.

So this would pretty much be your chance to enjoy a variety of brews, and see horses! There will be over 40 types of craft brews for you to enjoy.The beers that are included are frothy ones from: Widmer Brothers, Summit, Red Hook, Goose Island Beer Company, Weyerbacher, Abita Beer and Import Craft Specialty Group. And for a reasonable admission price, you can sample these all night long with plenty of seconds.

All of the ‘horsing around’ happens tonight,August 20th from 6:30 to 10PM at Canterbury Park. Admission will be $25 at the door.

I honestly have to say that this has been by far one of the hottest summer’s ever! So if the heat is getting to you, how do think your pets are feeling? Here are few tips that can  help you keep your furry friends around The Willows cool in these hot temperatures.

1) Leave several bowls of cool water around the house. Replenish often.
2) Groom your pets regularly: shaving or brushing.
3) Wipe down your cat’s body with a cool, wet towel.
4) Keep your house well-ventilated, but go easy on the AC and fans.
5) Lick the occasional spoonful of organic, plain yogurt.
6) Ensure there are cool areas for your pets to rest.

Watch this video for a few cool demonstrations.

I hate  to say it, but school will be back in session sooner than later, but how do you prepare for the first day of school? You should probably get a checklist of things especially to help with younger kids who are returning to school around The Willows.

Your checklist should include things like getting new school supplies, groceries, for lunches, and new clothes for students. You can usually get the checklist of things students will need for the classes at the school. If your child’s school if offering an orientation, you should probably take your child to met their new teachers and see the classroom. You also want to figure out what your child will be buying lunch or bringing lunch. Make sure your child will have proper school attire and gym shoes for physical education.

Here is a video that will give you a few more tips on preparing for that big first day of school.

Are you ready to train with our hometown heroes the Minnesota Vikings? Well,

you won’t exactly get to train with them per say, but you can watch them train . Yes, the time has come for football to kick back into play for the 2010-2011 season and you have the opportunity to watch the Vikings train for their upcoming season.

Here is your chance to get autographs from the players, take photos, and even shop at the team store for Vikings memorabilia.

The 2010 Verizon Vikings Training Camp will continue through Thursday, August 12th at Mankato.Make sure you check out the training camp schedule on the official Minnesota Vikings site.

There will also be some fun activities for the little Vikings to enjoy.The Vikings invite boys and girls of all ages to participate in a FREE Gatorade Jr Training Camp at Verizon Vikings Training Camp. Refreshments will be provided to all participants.

Practices are open to the public and absolutely free!

Yes it is back, GLAMOROMA! Minneapolis’ premiere fashion event. This is an annual event that happens all over the country presented by Macy’s. This years theme is fashion, fantasy, music and magic.

The show starts tonight  at 8 p.m. at the Orpheum Theater and topping the list of designers are—Jean Paul Gaultier, Just Cavalli, Marc Jacobs, Philosophy di Alberta Ferretti, Sonia Rykiel, SportMax and Versace for men. Throughout the show, Macy Gray and Eric Hutchinson will be entertaining us with their music stylings.

Here is a quick look at what the event is about.

Hey all of you art lovers it’s your weekend to celebrate! Minneapolis will have a weekend full of things for you to enjoy. There will be several art festivals going on in the city like the annual Uptown Art Fair, Loring Park Art Fest and Powderhorn Art Fair.

The Uptown Art Fair will take place at Calhoun Square on August 6th from noon to 8:30 PM. Uptown is the biggest and oldest art fair and it will be celebrating its 47th year in  Minneapolis.If you do attend, make sure you attend the Minnesota Artwalk.

The Loring Park Festival will be absolutely fabulous! It will be held right off of the lake with urban and sophisticated artwork from artists all over the city.It takes place on August 7th from 10 AM to 6PM.

The Powderhorn Art Festival will be held at 66 acre Powderhorn Park on August 7th from 10AM to 6PM.

You can avoid all of the traffic by riding the Metro Transit Art Hop.  On Saturday and Sunday this free bus will be making the rounds to all three art fairs.

On Tuesday August 3rd, we will be celebrating National Night Out here at The Willows. We will be having a big celebration by the outdoor pool from 5 to 7PM with games,food, and drinks included. We will also be having a Talent Contest!

If you are not really sure about what National Night Out is, here is a quick overview.

It involves more than 14,625 communities from all 50 states, U.S. territories, Canadian cities and military bases around the world. In all, 36.7 million people are expected to participate in “America’s Night Out Against Crime.”National Night is designed to increase crime awareness and strengthen neighborhood spirit.

We hope to see you there!

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