out & about

Posted 2/1/23

The temperature outside are double digits below zero and to be honest, the thought of going “Out and About” is probably on the mind of anyone right now. Of course, if you work outside of your …

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out & about

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The temperature outside are double digits below zero and to be honest, the thought of going “Out and About” is probably on the mind of anyone right now. Of course, if you work outside of your home, there is a necessity to do so and it most likely includes the ritual of allowing the car to warm up a bit, possibly bundling up a little more than normal and putting on some footwear that keeps your toesies all nice and toasty during your commute. Even stopping for a cup of coffee at the drive through is not appealing as opening the car window seems slightly absurd. If you are a true coffee drinker, you can make your own at home before you leave. It is even rumored that some folks have a complete coffee bar in their home. Talk about diehards.

Today, instead of sharing various places to go and such while out and about in the here and now, our focus will be on potential future opportunities during some warmer months ahead. Maybe this will provide some hope for those of you suffering from a bit of the “Deep Freeze Blues.” If you have a fireplace, be it gas or wood, grab a cup of coffee or for those uncivilized people who do not drink coffee, a cup of hot chocolate might suffice, and read today’s feature in its warmth and glow. The ambiance, beverage, and content is sure to be the wonderful “pick me up” that you have been craving for the past few months. Are you all settled in now? If so, commence reading and if you do not have a fireplace, you are most likely a few paragraphs ahead already.

The boys of summer start earlier in these parts. No, this is not a reference to the Don Henley tune, in this case, it is a baseball reference. Our area is blessed with many options to take in a game or two every summer with teams like the Hastings Hawks and Miesville Mudhens of the Classic Cannon Valley League playing on a regular basis and the East Metro Mammoth have emerged as one of the premier 35+ teams winning back-to-back Federal League AAA and the 35+ Minnesota State Championships in 2021 and 2022. There is also a ton of youth baseball played at all levels and even if you are not a baseball fan, watching a group of 10-year olds tearing up the turf for the love of the game can be a blast. Wait, you do not like baseball at all? That’s okay… you probably don’t drink coffee either. We’re kidding, just laugh.

Do you like music? Better yet, do you enjoy live music? Did you know that Hastings Parks and Recreation offer not only Music in the Park, but several other types of enjoyable activities all summer long at the Hastings Rotary Pavilion? These events are generally free and will be posted in April on the City of Hastings website on the Parks and Recreation page. If you do like live music, mark your calendar for Wednesday, June 21st for Make Music Day. There will be live music of all kinds throughout Hastings at various venues with numerous genres represented. If you are part of a music group and would like to be considered to perform for Make Music Day 2023, you should go to the City of Hastings website now and apply. The website address is www.hastingsmn. gov and follow the links to the Parks and Recreation programs and events page for Levee Park.

If you are into local festivals, the Cottage Grove Strawberry Fest is scheduled for June 15th through the 18th with various activities all over including live entertainment, a bean bag tourney, a carnival and much more. If you are more interested in a wide range of live music, Rivertown Days in Hastings is a must do. While plenty of folks have expressed their displeasure in some of the changes the event has made, we realize just how much work and effort goes into such an event. The amount of volunteers, time, energy, and blood, sweat, and tears that goes into planning and pulling off any large scale event such as these community festivals is incredible. Here is a thought… the two communities are so close to each other, participate in both. Get Out and About… have some fun!!!

Hopefully this look forward to future fun has warmed you up a bit. If you had the fireplace and coffee, even better. When the temperature starts to go up in the future, Get Out and About.