ArtFest coming to University Park this weekend and more upcoming area events
Jun. 8—GRAND FORKS — University Park will be filled with artists and artisans, food vendors and entertainers when ArtFest takes over the landscape Saturday and Sunday, June 11 and 12.
The 21st annual event, sponsored by the Public Arts Commission, will feature more than 100 artists who will display and sell their artwork and handmade crafts.
Hours are: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.
The free event will also feature family activities and youth art projects, organizers say.
The unique, juried ArtFest has attracted artists from the Dakotas, Minnesota, Texas, Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin. Organizers, who estimate that 30,000 visitors have attended past ArtFests, expect up to 20 food vendors to participate this year.
Musicians who are scheduled to perform are, on Saturday — Project Constellation, 11 a.m.; The Heatseekers, noon; Penumbra, 1 p.m.; O'Neil Family Band, 2 p.m.; Mark Ryan, 4 p.m.; and Caleb Shelton, 5 p.m.; and on Sunday — Popejoy Jazztet, 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.; Mudbucket, noon; and Maura Ferguson, 2 p.m.
University Park is located on University Avenue and 25th Street.
For more information, visit
, call (701) 738-4921, or email
.
The Town Square Farmers Market will open June 18, featuring produce from area farmers, live music, bakery goods, specialty food products, jams and canned goods, and arts and crafts.
The market, which is returning to the Town Square at DeMers and Third Street, will be open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., rain or shine, every Saturday through Sept. 24.
The TSFM board is also seeking funds to repair the engine of the Forks Mobile Farmers Market, a repurposed trolley that brings local, fresh produce to locations around the city. Anyone who would like to contribute to this project is welcome to visit the website,
, and click on the "Donate" button.
For more information, call Rognerud, (218) 791-3950 or email:
.
The Grand Forks Park District is hosting a family event, "Hooked on Fishing," from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 14 at Ryan Lake, just south of South Middle School.
The lake will be stocked with more than 400 fish "ready to catch," according to a Park District announcement. "You catch it, you keep it."
The free event, sponsored by the North Dakota Game and Fish Department and Scheels, is intended for children ages 6-13. Kids will learn the basics of lures, casting, cleaning, regulations and other responsible angler information.
For more information, call the Park District at (701) 746-2750.
The Thompson Theater Arts Program will present the musical "Footloose" at 7 p.m., June 16 and 17 at the Empire Arts Center in Grand Forks.
The story revolves around a high school kid, Ren, who moves with his mom from Chicago to a small farming town. As the new kid, he's prepared for the inevitable adjustment period at school, but not the strict ban on dancing instituted by the local preacher, who is determined to exercise control over the town's youth.
When the reverend's rebellious daughter sets her sights on Ren, her roughneck boyfriend tries to sabotage Ren's reputation, with many of the locals eager to believe the worst about the new kid. The heartfelt saga that emerges pits a father longing for the son he lost against a young man aching for the father who walked out on him.
Reserved seating tickets are $18 for adults and $16 for students. Seating for wheelchairs is also available.
For more information, visit
or call (701) 746-5500.
The 61st Annual Turkey Barbecue and Summer Celebration is set for June 16-19 at the Aneta (N.D.) City Park. The centerpiece of the event, the barbecue runs from 4:30-7:30 p.m. June 18.
"We end up with over 2,500 people most years," Debbie Johnson, member of the Aneta Booster Club, said in an email. "And there's nothing like the sight of the 312 turkeys cooking and turning over the coals."
Also on the menu: 1,000 pounds of potato salad, 900 pounds of beans, and 100 pounds of potato chips. Throughout the mealtime, guests will be entertained by the Down Town Horns.
Tickets for the barbecue are: $15 for adults, $12 for ages 6-12, and free for preschool students.
Kicking off the four-day event is a basketball game at 7 p.m. June 16 at the Aneta Auditorium. Other activities include a rib buffet and talent show Friday; pancake breakfast, classic car show, a crafts and vendors show, parade and an old-time tractor pull Saturday, and an all-faith worship service and softball game Sunday.
There will also be a quilt raffle and lots of activities for kids.
Thief River Falls Area Community Theater is performing "Nunsensations! The Nunsense Vegas Revue" at 7 p.m., June 14-17 at the Northland Community and Technical College theater.
When a parishioner offers to donate $10,000 to the sisters' school if they will perform in a Las Vegas club, Mother Superior is hesitant. But after she's assured that "what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas," she agrees. The result is a feather-filled, sequin-studded, fan-dancing show that reviewers have described as zany, witty, unusually poignant and still family-friendly.
Directed by Jane Anderson, the show features Ginger Kirkeby, Leah Wattenphul, Rene Mooney, Lisa Swanson and Kristal Kozicki. Brianna Geer is the pianist.
General admission tickets, $12, may be purchased in advance at
, or at Hope Pediatrics, 219 Brooks Ave. N., Thief River Falls. Tickets will be sold at the door before the performance; the box office opens at 6 p.m.
Other TRFACT summer performances are: "Annie" on June 28-30 and "Beauty and the Beast Jr.," July 27-29.
