out & about BY BRIAN G. SCHOMMER What does the word entertainment translate to in your life? Do you gravitate towards plays and films, going out to dinner, listening to live music or maybe you …
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out & about
BY BRIAN G. SCHOMMER
What does the word entertainment translate to in your life? Do you gravitate towards plays and films, going out to dinner, listening to live music or maybe you just enjoy a good book by the fireplace with a glass of wine close at hand. If you, like many, go to Wikipedia for your definitions, then “Entertainment is a form of activity that holds the attention and interest of an audience or gives pleasure and delight. It can be a task but is more likely to be one of the activities or events that have developed over thousands of years specifically for the purpose of keeping an audience’s attention.” In the case of the book, it would be an audience of one, unless of course you belong to a book club.
If you enjoy a good concert, like to save a few pennies and are a fan of a good cup of coffee, then you want to put Tuesday, October 11th at 10:30am on your calendar. The Hastings Arts Center, located at 216 4th Street East (The former Guardian Angels Church) offers FREE Coffee Concerts on Tuesday mornings with the doors opening at 10am. Audience members may enjoy the art gallery before and after each concert. The October 11th concert features Twin Cities-based harpist Amy Nam who has appeared as a soloist with the McGill Contemporary Ensemble, the Vanderbilt University Orchestra, and the Sewannee Summer Festival Orchestra. For everything happening at the HAC, go to their website at hastingsartscenter.org.
Another opportunity on Tuesday, October 11th in Hastings is the annual Fire Department and EMS Open House from 7pm until 9pm. Not only do you have a chance to meet the Fire/EMS staff and crews, but you can also learn about fire safety, explore the fire trucks and other equipment, including the brand-new fire truck and even meet Sparky, the fire mascot. There will be demonstrations, free popcorn, safety booths, and more. This all ages open house certainly has the potential to be quite entertaining.
Hastings High School has become quite popular for their music activities and endeavors. The high school Fall Vocal Concert will take place at the Hastings High School Auditorium from 7pm to 9pm on Monday, October 17th and the Fall Band Concert will be held on Tuesday, October 25th, also at the auditorium from 7pm until 9pm. These events are generally very well attended so you may want to plan on getting there sooner versus later.
It is pumpkin and apple season which can provide various forms of entertainment. Whistling Well Farm has become well known for dialing up a great time for all ages that includes live music, food, and of course, pick your apples and pumpkins. They also offer some great decorating items to help get your “fall look” going. For more information, you can go to www. whistlingwellfarm.com for events and times they are happening at the farm. You can also check them out on Saturdays at the St. Paul Farmers Market.
Speaking of going to a Farmers Market, many find this an entertaining activity at this time of year. The Hastings Farm Market is open from 8 am to 1 pm on TUESDAYS AND SATURDAYS and is located just off Highway 55 and Pleasant Drive, across from the Speedway gas station. The Hastings Farmers Market runs until the end of October. If you are a fan of coffee, there is a vendor there out of Randolph, Minnesota that has some good, fresh roasted and ground offerings that brew up nicely in any type of coffee brewing apparatus. There is usually a street musician or two that adds a little extra hint of entertainment to the mix.
The Marcus Theatre in Hastings is a great spot for the movie buffs who still like to get out and check out new flicks on the big screen. There is nothing like hanging out with a big tub of fresh popcorn, with or without butter flavored topping, a huge, carbonated beverage and maybe even a box of theater style candy (chocolate covered raisins are a must) while trying to answer the trivia questions before the feature presentation. Like so many things in our world, the price of things has gone through the roof and while it is easy to say “you can’t put a price on entertainment…” ummmmm, yes… yes you can. Check out their Tuesday $5 MOVIE specials and for a bit more savings, investigate their rewards offerings. You can find out more at www.marcustheatres.com/ theatre-cinema-hastings.
These are just a few of the many things you can do when you are “Out and About” in the area.