The Free Press
Poor Farm Studios will have an open studios event 6-10 p.m. Saturday, June 27.
It is at 56749 192nd Lane, just off of Blue Earth County Road 16.
Brian Frink will share new collage-based paintings and assemblage works developed through his Minnesota State Arts Board project. The evening will offer a look at work in progress, recent experiments, and the evolving conversation between painting, photography, found materials and constructed form.
Farm-to-Fun Day on tap
New Ulm Farmers Market is hosting Farm-to-Fun Day Saturday, June 20.
Running from 9 a.m. to noon in the parking lot of River Bend Education District, 1315 South Broadway, the event will feature free activities and live entertainment, including New Ulm Parks and Recreation Rec on the Go and Bounce House from 9-11 a.m.; a caricaturist and Totally Twisted Balloons from 10 a.m. to noon; live music by Chris Bertrand from 10:30 a.m. to noon. In addition there will be printmaking with Styrofoam plates hosted by the Grand Center for Arts & Culture, kids’ games hosted by the Wanda Gág House and Fynnicle the Clown for the length of the market.
In addition to the special activities, the usual variety of local market vendors will be on site offering fresh produce, baked goods, meats, eggs, handmade items, and other locally produced products.
The remaining Farm-to-Fun Days will be July 11, Aug. 22 and Sept. 12. Details for each event will be announced throughout the season at newulm.com/farmersmarket.
Energy conservation programs in spotlight
South Central Minnesota Clean Energy Council and Climate Smart St. James invite the public to an evening of learning and conversation about energy conservation efforts.
A case study presentation on the Convivencia Hispana Energy Navigators and the West Central Initiative’s Municipal Solar Cohort is planned 6-7:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 30, at the Watonwan County Library in St. James. (Those who want to join the presentation remotely can do so online at minnstate.zoom.us/j/93918731018.)
The presentation will feature speakers from the Region Nine Development Commission and West Central Initiative. Each group will share about their respective projects and highlight how rural citizens and municipalities are moving clean energy forward in rural Minnesota.
Region Nine’s project is the Convivencia Hispana Energy Navigators, which has partnered with community members in St. James to complete 143 free energy audits and make efficient upgrades in 50 homes.
West Central Initiative will share about its Municipal Solar Cohort, which has helped 18 small communities put solar on public buildings through utility rebates, federal tax incentives and local financing.
(Case study link: resourcerural.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Powering-Our-Communities-Case-Study.pdf.)
Fix-It Clinic offered June 20
Have a broken toaster, torn jacket or glitchy lamp? A Fix-It Clinic will be hosted 1-4 p.m. Saturday, June 20, at Mankato Makerspace, 1700 3rd Ave.
The clinic offers free skilled help from volunteers who can assist with repairs and teach hands-on DIY skills. Residents are welcome to bring up to two items from home that need repair.
The goal is to reduce the number of items sent to the landfill, help change our mindset about disposing of items that can actually be brought back to life and empower people to be fixers.
No pre-registration required.