Park Rapids showcases cultural and outdoor events during ‘Legacy Weekend’
Park Rapids' clean lakes, historic trails, and unique artists will be on display September 23-25, 2011, for Legacy Destination Weekend to highlight local outdoors, arts, and cultural resources supported by the Clean Water, Land, and Legacy Amendment.
Legacy Weekend is being organized by the Park Rapids Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce, Park Rapids Lakes Area Arts Council (PRLAAC), Itascatur Ski, Bike & Run Club, and the Lake Country Scenic Byway.
Some of the arts, outdoors, and historical sites and events featured have received grants from the Legacy Amendment approved by Minnesota voters in 2008 to dedicate a portion of sales tax revenues to conservation, parks, and cultural programs.
The Legacy Destination Weekends program is a partnership of Minnesota Citizens for the Arts, Conservation Minnesota, and Explore Minnesota Tourism, the state's tourism promotion office.
"Our community offers both cultural and outdoor recreation, and we thought it would be fun to let people sample the variety of great things there are to see and do here," said PRLAAC Chair Paul Dove. "It's a positive thing for our area."
"Legacy Weekend is a terrific opportunity to showcase the amazing quality of life in the Park Rapids Lakes Area," added Chamber director Katie Magozzi. "We are not only a center for outdoor recreation, we are a center for arts and culture in northern Minnesota."
A detailed schedule of events will be available online at http://parkrapids.com/legacyevent.htm and www.prlaac.org.
Among the events on the Legacy weekend schedule are the following:
• Celebration of the Arts from 5:15 to 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 23 at Park Rapids Century School. The celebration, in partnership with Kinship of the Park Rapids Area, will feature performances and highlight the events and projects of arts organizations and others, which have been awarded funding as a result of Minnesota's Clean Water Land & Legacy Amendment.
• The 31st Annual Headwaters 100 bike ride Saturday, Sept. 24. Cyclists depart Century School for 100-mile, 75-mile, and 45-mile rides past Legacy-protected resources, such as Eagle Lake, Big Sand Lake, Lake George, and Itasca State Park. Registration, maps, and information at http://itascatur.org.
• Art Leap 2011 Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 24-25 is a driving tour of artists' studios and other cultural destinations. Most studios will be open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. Live performances are planned Saturday afternoon and Terrapin Station in Nevis is hosting the 2nd Annual Art Leap Music Festival and Open House. Art Leap is funded in part by a Legacy grant from the Region 2 Arts Council.
• 4th Annual Autumn Harvest Festival: Lantern-Lit Hike and Activities 6 to 8:30 p.m. at Itasca State Park. Guides with lanterns will lead you down the kerosene lantern-lit trail to meet characters during this family-friendly evening hike. Group hikes will last about 30 minutes, departing every 10 minutes from the Jacob V. Brower Visitor Center. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
• Visitors on the Art Leap tour or Headwaters bike ride will cross long stretches of the Lake Country Scenic Byway, which has been established as a cultural site by the Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund of the Legacy Amendment.
• Northern Light Opera Company will celebrate its 10th anniversary with highlights from past productions at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 24 at the Park Rapids Area High School auditorium. NLOC has received Legacy grants from the Region 2 Arts Council.
• The Heartland Concert Association is celebrating its 30th anniversary with its first concert of the season at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 25 at the Park Rapids Area High School auditorium with door prizes and special recognitions. The concert will feature The Unexpected Boys - A Tribute to Frankie Valli. The Heartland Concert Association also has received a Legacy grant from the Region 2 Arts Council.
For information on the series of monthly Legacy Destinations weekends taking place throughout the year, see www.exploreminnesota.com/legacy.
For a printable version of these brochures, please click through to the online PDF.
Park Rapids - Legacy Destination
Art Leap 2011
