Coming events for Thursday, June 26 - Monday, June 30

THURSDAY, JUNE 26

• Widowed Friends Fellowship will meet at noon Thursday, June 26 at Compañeros for lunch. Dominoes to follow. For more information call Sharon 732-4255 or Karla 732-0424.
• Charlie Parr will bring his roots music to 2nd Street Stage Thursday, June 26, sponsored by the Park Rapids Downtown Business Association and Itascatur.

Many people play roots music, but few modern musicians live those roots like Minnesota’s Charlie Parr.
At his September concert at Armory Square, Parr played several tunes from his album, “Barnswallow.” In January, he released a new album, “Hollandale” with new songs inspired by Minnesota’s fields, swamps and woods.

Recording since the earliest days of the 21st century, Parr’s heartfelt and plaintive original folk blues and traditional spirituals don’t strive for authenticity: They are authentic. It’s the music of a self-taught guitarist and banjo player who grew up in Austin, Minn., without a TV, but with his dad’s recordings of America’s musical founding fathers, including Charley Patton, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Woody Guthrie and Leadbelly. Parr plays an 1890 banjo and vintage guitars and uses his own stomping foot to create a timeless sound. These days he draws sustenance from the large, thriving and mutually supportive music scene of Duluth.

2nd Street Stage continues from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursdays through Aug. 21 with free live bands, a beer garden and family activities on 2nd Street between Main Avenue and Highway 71. Please bring your own chair.

For more information, go to www.parkrapidsdowntown.com .

FRIDAY, JUNE 27

• The Sounds of Spirit Lake 2014 concert series opens at 7 p.m. Friday, June 27 on the shore of Spirit Lake in Menahga. Rain venue is the auditorium of the Menahga School.

The Park Rapids Area Community Band will be performing several pieces, including Armed Forces Salute to honor our Veterans. If you served our country in the military, please come and be recognized as your branch of the military’s song will be played.
Also on the concert list is a Finnish composition, Majakkasaari (Lighthouse Island). It is a moving piece featuring a baritone solo.

The Park Rapids Area Community Band is conducted by Dr. Russell Pesola, Concordia emeritus professor of music. He led the Concordia College Band to national prominence during his 29-year career at the college.

• Bring a lawn chair and enjoy an evening of music as the sun sets over Spirit Lake! Refreshments will be on site. For more information on the 2014 concert series, visit www.soundsofspiritlake.com .

This concert series is partially funded by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Five Wings Arts Council, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.

• The Hubbard County Historical Society is holding a Beef Dinner and Silent Auction from 4-7 p.m. Friday, June 27 at the Park Rapids American Legion.

Tickets are still available and can be purchased at the door or by calling the Hubbard County Historical Museum at 732-5237.
The Lake George Senior Center will have bingo at 7 p.m. Friday, June 27 at 37260 Highway 71, Lake George.

SATURDAY, JUNE 28

• Dorset’s annual Festival of Authors and Artists will return to Sister Wolf Books is from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, June 28. There will be a juried art show outdoors featuring photography, pottery, jewelry, weaving and much more. Live music will be performed on the boardwalk.

Indoors at Sister Wolf Books, 35 Minnesota authors will be signing their books and chatting with all who come to the event. Brian Freeman (The Cold Nowhere) will give a reading on the bookstore porch at 1:30 p.m. Julie Kramer (Delivering Death) will give a reading in the same location at 3:45 p.m.
Shops and restaurants in the Restaurant Capitol of the World will be open as well. Come to Dorset for a day of celebrating Minnesota creativity.

For more information go to www.sisterwolfbooks.com or call 732-7565.

• Calvary Lutheran women have invited motivational speaker Kim Wagner, of Fargo, N.D., to Park Rapids for a community-wide women’s event Saturday morning, June 28.

Kim, a speaker and storyteller extraordinaire, engages her audiences with crazy, nitty-gritty sense of humor that leaves people wanting more. She enlightens, challenges and motivates people to look at their imperfections and see themselves as fabulous children – no matter their age. She has inspired people to look at life as a series of celebrations, encouraging with spontaneity and humor.  She is a breast cancer survivor, a pastor’s wife and mother to four adult children, singer/songwriter, fabric hoarder and proud grandma!  
This is a community-wide women’s event and all are welcome. The event starts at 9:17 a.m. Saturday, June 28 at Calvary Lutheran with coffee and treats. The program starts at 10 a.m.

Tickets are available at the church office, Beagle Books or at door.

More information about Kim Wagner can be found on her web page at www.KimWag nerSpeaks.com.

SUNDAY, JUNE 29

• The Guild and Knights of Columbus of St. Theodore’s Catholic Church in Laporte will serve a ham dinner from noon to 2 p.m. Sunday, June 29 at the church.

Proceeds from the dinner will buy audio-visual equipment for Faith Formation. All are welcome.

MONDAY, JUNE 30

• The Region 2 Arts Council is hosting a casual arts gathering with picnic foods and delicious homemade pie in Heartland Park in Park Rapids from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Monday, June 30. Everyone is welcome. This will be a time for collaboration and relaxed conversation. Come to hear what’s happening in the arts in our region and to share arts projects you have in mind.

This event is free and open to the public, but contact the Region 2 Arts Council at 218-751-5447 or email staff@r2arts.org to let them know you are going to attend.

• The Hubbard County Historical Society will have a meeting at 5:30 p.m. Monday, June 30 at Northwoods Bank of Minnesota with a talk from local author, Deane Johnson, about Itasca State Park following the meeting at 7 p.m. There is no fee to attend this presentation.