🔁 Eagan Wins Sustainable City + Taste of Lakeville

This is your reminder that Taste of Lakeville is this Thursday, August 20th, and if you have been meaning to grab tickets, now is the time.

For one night, 35 of Lakeville's best local restaurants come together under one roof, from Lucky's 13 to the Bourbon Butcher to the Tavern Grill. Add in wine, beer, and liquor tastings, live music from Coyote Wild, cornhole, and prize drawings all night, and it becomes the kind of evening the whole town shows up for.

It runs from 5 to 9 pm at the Lakeville Area Arts Center, and it is 21 and up. Best of all, every ticket goes right back into important community programs and youth here in Lakeville.

Just a reminder that tickets are $50 online and $60 at the door, so it pays to buy early. We hope to see you out there Thursday night.

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Rosemount's Fire Station 2 Is Getting Dorm Rooms

The city approved a remodel that adds offices, a fitness area, bigger truck bays, and dorm rooms so crews can sleep at the station, which shaves several minutes off response times when you call 911.

Eagan Just Won Minnesota's Sustainable City of the Year

Only one city in the state wins it each year, and Eagan took the 2026 award for its rebuilt Art House, its first fossil-fuel-free building, packed with 40 geothermal wells, 128 solar panels, and wood beams instead of steel.

In the middle of the night, they took apart the carousel.

They hid the horses across the Twin Cities. Anywhere Excelsior couldn't find them.

Then they rebuilt the whole thing in Shakopee.

THE PARK ON THE LAKE

For nearly five decades, Excelsior Amusement Park was where the Twin Cities went to play.

Fred W. Pearce built it in 1925 on the shores of Lake Minnetonka, at the end of the streetcar line from Minneapolis. The Cyclone roller coaster stood 65 feet tall. The dance pavilion hosted Lawrence Welk and the Beach Boys.

And at the heart of it all, the carousel. Philadelphia Toboggan Company #76. Forty-two hand-carved horses and two chariots. A band organ playing Sousa marches.

THE CLOSING

By the early 1970s, the math had changed. No room for more rides. No room for parking. Rising taxes and land values made the lakefront too valuable.

Park owners made the call. The final season ended September 16, 1973. The following summer, they held an auction. The Cyclone was later demolished.

But the carousel was different.

THE OVERNIGHT MOVE

People in Excelsior didn't want to lose it. The carousel had been part of the park since its 1925 opening.

Valleyfair's operators had acquired the ride. But with local resistance building, it was reportedly dismantled overnight. The horses were hidden at locations around the Twin Cities, out of reach of people who might have tried to keep them in Excelsior.

When Valleyfair opened on May 25, 1976, the historic carousel was waiting near the front gate.

Contrary to local legend, Valleyfair's High Roller was not the Excelsior coaster under a new name. High Roller was a new ride; the Cyclone was demolished after Excelsior closed.

The carousel, though — that's the real thing.

STILL SPINNING

Philadelphia Toboggan Company #76 is now more than a century old. It still stands near Valleyfair's entrance.

Condos went up where the park used to be. But the historic carousel escaped — hidden across the metro in the middle of the night, still carrying riders in circles after all these years.

4690 165th St W, Lakeville, MN 55044

➡️ 5 bed, 4.5 bath, overlooks an 8-acre community park
➡️ Cook's kitchen with rear prep kitchen, beverage center & large pantry
➡️ Owner's suite with huge walk-in closet & walk-in shower
➡️ Main level deck overlooking green space + new lower patio & flat yard

Price: $950,000

MLS #7120903

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Wes Walz MN Wild Hockey School, Eagan 2 (Eagan)
Young players get more than 12 hours of on-ice training, power skating, stickhandling, goalie instruction, and pro coaching during this specialized hockey camp. Hit the ice.

2026 Vikings VIP Training Camp Experience (Eagan)
Go behind the scenes at TCO Performance Center and watch the Vikings practice during this free VIP experience, registration required. See the Vikings.

CDT Fundraising Event at Threads & Co (Lakeville)
Shop local at Threads & Co from 5 p.m. on, and 10 percent of sales will support the Cougars Dance Team. Shop for a cause.

Custom Trucker Hat Bar at Threads & Co (Lakeville)
Design your own game-day, gift-worthy, or totally unique trucker hat with patches, chains, pins, and more from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., $30. Design your hat.

Dog Days of Summer (Apple Valley)
Bring your best furry friend to Bachman’s for free pup cups, treats, Polaroid photo ops, and plenty of paw-some activities starting at 9 a.m. Bring your pup.

Loops and Lavender (Farmington)
Bring your knitting or crochet project to the Lavender Barnyard for a cozy 4 p.m. evening among the yarn, lavender, and good company, $5. Craft in the fields.

Restful Yoga at The Lavender Barnyard (Farmington)
Unwind with gentle Yin Yoga and a Tibetan singing bowl sound bath from 6 to 7 p.m. among the lavender fields, $15. Find your calm.

Inaugural Volleyball Leagues (Apple Valley)
Break in Skyline’s nine new sand courts during this debut adult co-ed league season, $50. Serve it up.

Inaugural Cornhole Leagues (Apple Valley)
Toss bags on 12 courts with custom scoreboards, drink holders, and an outdoor bar during Skyline’s new adult league, $10. Toss a bag.