Culture & Community

Three older women smile at the camera while wearing festive Christmas hats and scarves inside a museum-like space, with vintage displays and a large carved figure visible behind them.

Cold Weather Can’t Stop Christmas Cheer at Peterson’s Beloved Holiday Festival

Hardy community members won’t let a cold snap keep them from celebrating Christmas in Peterson! John Weiss reports on this local holiday tradition of Norwegian treats, Santa visits and music that continues to bring the community together.

Illustration: "Going to Conference" in the book The Circuit Rider A Tale of the Heroic Age by Edward Eggleston (left). Portrait of Father John Lewis Dyer (right). (Acquired through Public Domain)

Where Frontier Faith Took Root: Lenora Methodist Church and Its Circuit-Rider Origins

Written by Amy Jo Hahn, this story traces the influence of Methodist pastor John Lewis Dyer, his influence on building the Lenora Methodist Episcopal Church and the frontier faith that shaped a rural Minnesota community.

Black-and-white group portrait of twelve young men in dark suits posed around a wooden table, likely a student organization from the early 1900s. A banner reading “Duodecim” rests beneath the table. All are clean-shaven with neatly combed hair, photographed indoors against a plain studio backdrop.

Poet Richard Eberhart Remembered

John Torgrimson shares the nearly forgotten story and literary legacy of Austin native and U.S. Poet Laureate Richard Eberhart.

Large group of people of all ages standing in line at a church or community-center buffet, filling their plates with Thanksgiving-style food in large roasters. The room is bright and busy, with casseroles, turkey, salads, and desserts laid out on long tables. The scene shows a warm, friendly small-town gathering.

Essay | Bringing Back Takkefest: Rushford Community Rebuilds a Beloved Thanksgiving Tradition

Kristin Burdey shares her story of reviving a beloved community holiday dinner and the healing it’s brought to families who’ve recently closed their Rushford-area restaurant businesses.

Display case featuring Brevet Brigadier General Judson W. Bishop’s Civil War sword, informational placard, and small U.S. flag at the Fillmore County History Center in Fountain, Minnesota.

Civil War Hero Judson W. Bishop, Instrumental in Building Fillmore County’s Future

On the occasion of Veterans Day, Laney Smith uncovers the story of Chatfield’s Judson W. Bishop whose legacy includes Civil War leader, engineer, newspaperman and visionary who helped shape Fillmore County, Minn.

A large Channel One Regional Food Bank truck is parked beside a red brick building with boarded windows. A worker in a gray hoodie unloads boxes on a lift gate, while two people stand near the open door labeled “Food Shelf.”

Local Food Shelves Stepping Up to Meet Record Demand

David Phillips reports on food shelves across southeastern Minnesota facing record demand in 2025 as inflation, high costs and reduced SNAP benefits strain family budgets.

picture of book cover

Returning the Sword: New Book Chronicles Local Man’s Gift to Japanese Family

Minnesota author Caren Stelson’s latest picture book focuses on the story of a Lanesboro man’s efforts to reconnect a World War II souvenir with its rightful owner in Japan.

three actors on state with deep blue curtains in background

In Rural Minnesota, this Resident Ensemble Model Thrives

Robert Hubbard takes us behind the scenes at Lanesboro’s Commonweal Theatre to reveal the secrets of its success as a professional theatre for nearly 40 years!

A group of Minnesota Vikings fans ride a bright yellow open-air bus decorated with large purple signs reading “SKOL VIKINGS” and the team’s horned-Viking logo. The fans, wearing gold Viking helmets with white horns, smile and wave despite the rainy weather. Some wear ponchos or hold umbrellas, and autumn trees with orange and green leaves fill the background.

From Radio Waves to Fan Blogs: How Tony Schultz Built His Vikings Community

Rose Korabek talks Vikings football with lifelong fan Tony Schultz, a local contributor to the all-things-purple-and-gold “Vikings Territory” blog.

photo of sunset across body of water

Paddling the Mississippi River is a Grand Adventure!

Mississippi River expedition will be canoeing past southeastern Minnesota; details from the Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk.

A young man wearing a bike helmet and a green and black one-piece biking uniform splattered in mud stands behind his bike with his hand on the seat and handlebars.

Gravel-Cycling Bikers Crisscross Root River Valley in Competition

Greg Lovell reports on the USA Cycling Gravel National Championships held in September 2025 in La Crescent, Minn.

Model A cars and people at shelter

Enjoying the Driftless in Century-Old ‘A’

Photographers/videographers capture members of an Iowa Model A Ford club touring through southeastern Minnesota.

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