Lanesboro Decked out in Snow

Schedule your two night winter getaway at the Hillcrest Hide-Away B&B or Anna V’s Bed and Breakfast.  We’re ready to help you with your winter getaway.  Cedar Valley Resort rents cross country skis and snow shoes.  Enjoy a horse drawn sleigh rides in the bluff tops. Savor a couples massage at the Prana Healing Center.  Chef Brett from the Pastry Shoppe has his smoker going on weekends at the “Smoky River Barbeque”.  It is a quaint joint near the river that has received rave reviews. You can check trail conditions at: http://www.lanesboro.com/lanesboro-rootrivertrail.php

In February Lanesboro begins to wake up from its winter hibernation.

Feb 4: 20th Annual Whalen Candle Light Ski - The Root River Trail is lit with candles for a mile with bonfires at both ends.

Feb 4: Flamenco, Pure and Strong at the St. Mane Theatre, with dancer Deborah Elias and guest singer Vicente Griego - feature raw, soul-baring solos, lustrous and spirited company dances and driving guitar rhythms.

Feb 4: Dinner on the Bluff Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center hosts dinner and and a presentation by Gene Merriam, of the Freshwater Society sharing the status of the protection, enhancement and restoration of our freshwater resources.  Dinner menu include: strawberry-orange salad, roasted red pepper & tomato soup, trout, wild rice stuffing, roasted asparagus and cheesecake with assorted fruit topping.

Feb 10 7PM. Over the Back Fence - locals call this Lanesboro’s version of A Prairie Home Companion, An hour and a half of fun entertainment plus 30 minutes of pre-show live music.

Feb 10, 11, 14, 17, 18 The Old Village Hall features a special four course dinner with optional wine pairings to share with your special Valentine.

Feb 27, 28: Lanesboro Community Theatre presents: “Moon Over Buffalo”-upIt’s 1953 and a washed up acting duo, George & Charlotte Hay, are touring New York.. BUFFALO, New York.  They just one shot at leading roles in a film by THE Frank Capra, and he’s coming to see today’s matinee!  Everything goes wrong – with hilarious results!  This plan is nothing less than a love letter to live theatre.

Lanesboro is a quiet destination for your winter getaway.  Comfortable inns, great food, and beautiful scenery all await your visit.

The popular Lanesboro Holiday Inn Tour is coming soon, and this year it comes with a special twist.  The Tour welcomes people to visit the Bed & Breakfasts and inns that have made Lanesboro the Bed and Breakfast Capital of Minnesota.

Bed & Breakfast Decorated for the Holidays

This year the Tour will happen over two days: November 19th and 20th.  Six inns will be open on Saturday November 19ths and six more on Sunday the 20th.  Each inn will be decorated for the holidays and will offer a warm welcome to their special homes.   The Old Village Hall Restaurant and Pub will also be serving Amuse Bouche (bite-sized appetizers) to all ticket holders as part of the tour.  Visit the inn tour web site to purchase tickests and see the inns participating in the tour.  The times of the tour each day are 2-6 p.m.

Tickets purchased in advance are $20 for a one-day visit, $35 for two days.

Guests who are staying at any of the sponsoring inns that weekend will receive half-price inn tour tickets.

Enjoy the charm of Lanesboro and the beauty of the decorated B&Bs as a way to begin your holiday festivities.   For more  information, call 800-944-2670 or 507-467-2696.  Tickets—which are limited—can be purchased online at or in-person at the Lanesboro Visitor Center in downtown Lanesboro.  Advanced ticket purchase is recommended.  Tickets purchased on the day of the tour are $30 for one day and $45 for two days.

Make your visit to Lanesboro complete by dining downtown and attending the holiday play “Parfumerie” at the Commonweal Theatre.  See you at the 3^rd Lanesboro Holiday Inn Tour!

Fall colors in the Root River Valley

During the week is a great time to visit.  The Root River bike trail is quieter.  All you can hear is the wind rustling in the trees and the crunch of new fallen leaves under your bike tires.  MBBA member inns are ready to welcome you to our pretty corner of the state.  Hillcrest Hide-Away B&B, Habberstad House, Anna Vs, Scandinavian Inn, and Berwood Hill Inn each offer unique lodging, bountiful breakfasts and welcoming innkeepers.  

Lanesboro offers more that bike touring.  You can visit the Amish community nearby.  The Amish will soon be harvesting corn for winter storage.  You can see the corn shocks drying in the fields.  The Amish bakery is one of my favorite stops.  Fresh, glazed donuts, cashew crunch, home made bread, and apple turnovers are just a sampling of what you will find.

Fillmore County Rolling Farmland

As you visit the Amish, tour many of the ridge roads that offer mile after mile of beautiful fall foliage throughout Fillmore county.

The Commonweal Theatre is performing two plays this month: “Little Shop of Horrors” and “To Kill a Mockingbird”  Both plays have been lauded as outstanding performances.    Plan your fall leaf color tour to Lanesboro: “a quirky combination of the outdoors and the arts.”

To Kill a Mockingbird

“To Kill a Mockingbird” is one of the plays running in repertory this fall at the Commonweal Theatre in Lanesboro, MN.  This play is based on the Pulitzer Prize winning novel of the same name by Harper Lee.  There is little debate that Harper Lee based “To Kill a Mockingbird” on factual events during the civil rights movement of the 1960s.  Many believe the Tom Robinson trial in the novel was inspired by the infamous Scottsboro Boys trials – a case where nine black men were accused and convicted of raping two white women, despite overwhelming evidence to their innocence.

The novel is adapted for the theatre by Christopher Sergel and brought to the stage by the Commonweal Theatre Company.  The play is presented on Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays through October.  The play runs in repertory with “Little Shop of Horrors”.

Plan a fall getaway to SouthEast Minnesota, enjoy the fall colors, breathe in the crisp fall air, and take in the theatre.   Lanesboro’s innkeepers have the welcome mat ready for your visit.  There are five MBBA member inns located in Lanesboro:  Anna V’s, Hillcrest Hide-Away B&B, Berwood Hill Inn, Habberstad House, and Scandinavian Inn.

Lanesboro's Commonweal Theatre

Sylvia is an outrageous comedy that challenges everything we know about love, sex, relationships and the meaning of life. A financial trader facing career burn-out adopts a stray dog who turns his home, life and marriage upside-down. Commonweal’s Sylvia includes a woman playing a dog and a man playing two women. That makes the play sound merely silly, but it turns out to be a fresh, entertaining and ultimately rewarding production (read the full review).  Sylvia runs through August 19.

Playing opposite Sylvia is Little Shop of Horrors.  Seymour is a lonely flower shop clerk living on Skid Row when an unusual talking plant – with a very unusual appetite – promises him fortune and fame…at a price. Don’t miss this smash hit musical comedy! Little Shop of Horrors was a Broadway and Hollywood hit, and with good reason.  The music is an irrisistible combination of girl group-pop and ’60s R&B, given a showtune polish.  The comedy is twisted, but is not threatening (read the full review).  Little Shop runs through October 28.

Starting August 26th is “To Kill a Mocking Bird” based on a novel by Harper Lee and adapted by Christopher Sergel.  The warmth of childhood and the bitter loss of innocence surround one woman’s recollections of growing up in the South during the Depression and the summer her father risked everything to defend a black man falsely accused of a horrible crime.  To Kill a Mockingbird plays through November 13th.

Make your visit to Lanesboro complete by staying in an MBBA member inn.   Lanesboro’s innkeepers have their welcome mat ready and waiting for your arrival.   When you stay at the Hillcrest Hide-Away Bed and Breakfast your stay includes a just-baked loaf of home-made bread delivered to your room each morning, plus a hearty breakfast.  Hillcrest guests may redeem a voucher for a $5 discount to the Commonweal Theatre.

Melting the iron in the "furnace"

Pouring the iron into the molds

Then, throughout the afternoon, the hot molten iron will be poured into the molds and allowed to cool overnight.  The next morning at 10 a.m. will be the unveiling of molds, clean-up, and patina/surface work.  As soon as the crew turns the furnace blower off, at the last tap, the live music will start (around 6 or 7 p.m. on Saturday, July 9).  Molly Maher and Paul Bergen and their band will perform.

There are two free opportunities during the week of July 4 where folks can find out more about the iron sculpture process.  First, the public is welcome to come and watch “Open Studio” as lead artist Karl Unnasch works on the community medallions.  People can stop by the shelter at Sylvan Park anytime Monday, July 4 – Friday, July 8 between 12 – 4 p.m.  Also, in another free public event, theCommonweal Theatre Company will host Karl Unnasch in an Artist Talk on Thursday, July 7 at 6:30 p.m. in their events hall.  This precedes the Commonweal’s performance of the “Little Shop of Horrors” performance at 7:30 p.m.; for tickets to the play, call 800-657-7025.

The public will have a chance to make their own 6” round Iron Plaque

Workshop participants making their own mold

in a workshop.  Workshop participants can choose from one of two sessions:  Thursday, July 7 from 5-7 p.m., or Saturday, July 9 from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.  The workshop will be held at Sylvan Park in Lanesboro and is open to all ages.  Participants will carve a reverse relief design into a pre-made sand mold to prepare it for the iron pour (any imagery or text is possible, and tools & professional assistance will be available).  Finished works can be taken home on Sunday, July 10 at 10 a.m. — that will be the unveiling of molds, clean-up, and surface prep/patina finishing on the plaques (otherwise, participants may pick up their plaque at a later date at the Lanesboro Arts Center).  The workshop is $25 per mold, with registration in advance or day of each workshop.  Scholarships are available; call 507-467-2446 for more information or to register for the workshop.

The Lanesboro Arts Center serves as a regional catalyst for artistic excellence and educational development in providing diverse art experiences for people of all ages.  For more information: 507-467-2446 / info@lanesboroarts.org/www.lanesboroarts.org.

While visiting Lanesboro, stay in one of the MBBA member inns.  A stay at the Hillcrest Hide-Away Bed and Breakfast includes a just-baked loaf of bread delivered to your room followed by a hearty breakfast.  Our gardens are in full bloom with day lilies, honeysuckle, calla lilies, mullein, and many more.

Lanesboro offers plenty to do for a multi-day visit.  During the week is a great time to ride the Root River State Trail where you can enjoy the serenade of many birds that surround us.  Eagles cruise overhead riding the updraft of the currents that rise from the bluffs along the trail.  Kayaking and canoeing is available on the Root River every day.

Over the Back Fence Radio Show

For the past 15 years “Over the Back Fence” has entertained us with local humor, outstanding music and just a good time.  We locals like to refer to it as the “poor man’s  Prairie Home Companion”.

On September 5th, 1010 Over the Back Fence took its’ curtain call as a live radio show.

Over the winter, a dedicated group of volunteers has been planning for the next generation of “Over the Back Fence”.   “Over the Back Fence” is moving next door to the St. Mane Theatre and play on the 2nd Friday of the month from February through November.  Plans include retaining much of the original character of the show and surely introducing new features for all to enjoy.

Plan a winter weekend getaway and join us for the inaugural version of the new and improved “Over the Back Fence” on February 11th.  Make it a complete Valentines weekend getaway by staying at one of Lanesboro’s lovely Bed and Breakfasts, enjoying fine dining at the Old Village Hall, cross country skiing on the Root River State Trail, or dashing through the winter wonderland on a horse drawn sleigh ride.

Should you want to emulate Minnesota innkeepers’ cooking for breakfast or dinner,  a fine book for “grazing” is The Minnesota Homegrown Cookbook published and organized by the creative inspriring nonprofit Renewing the Countryside. They have specialized in promoting small sustainable operations way before it became popular.     

Local food, local restaruants, local inns, local recipes

Try to imagine a meal (AM or PM ) more comforting than Featherbed Eggs, maple syrup glazed ham and rhubarb muffins and then finished off with Minnesota Chocolate Cake. Why is it called Minnesota Chocolate cake? Because one of the ingredients is a cup of good strong Minnesota roasted coffee (leftover from breakfast perhaps)  This menu from Ellery House in Duluth uses nearby Joel Rosen’s Park Lake Farm products.

Then imagine Maple Pecan French Toast slathered with local berries and syrup from the maple tree just outside the window of the Loghouse and Homestead in Vergas Minnesota. Sausages might be a potato sausage or a smoked country sausage also made and obtained locally or Suzanne Tweton’s own wild rice sausage. Hungry for another culinary adventure , try the seclections from Dancing Winds Farmstay (Asparagus with goat cheese and morels on fettuccine and yes the morels are from nearby forests and the the goat cheese from of course the goats at Dancing Winds); or how about an entree from Scandinavian Inn in Lanesboro (vegetarian quiche) ; or Classic Rosewood Inn in Hastings (wild rice zucchini pancakes with roasted green beans with sun dried tomatoes, goat cheese and olives on the side).      

Hungry yet? You have a few options: Buy the book and get cooking OR buy the book and simply enjoy a good read. Another couple options: tour the MBBA website for your next getaway. You might search for the inns with the Green Journey labels who at very least have a Green policy in place and visit their individual sites to see what that means to them and for you. Know that all the MBBA inns serve a wonderful breakfast and many innkeepers would share their “secrets” so you can emulate for breakfast or dinner at home. Another nice option and a really fun cookbook is the one produced by the Minnesota B & B Association and avaialable from this website. It is More Minnesota Mornings and Beyond.

Purchase online from this website