EVENT LINK: https://lrac4.org/exhibit-schedule

FEE: Free & open to the public

Lake Region Arts Council presents:

ART of Toys in the Main Gallery
& Solo Exhibition by John Shaw in the Office Gallery

Exhibition Dates: Monday, September 22 – Tuesday, December 16, 2025
Artist Reception: Tuesday, October 7, 2025 | 5:00–6:30 pm | Artist Talks at 5:30 pm
Location: LRAC Main Gallery, 133 South Mill Street, Fergus Falls, MN

Fergus Falls, MN – The Lake Region Arts Council (LRAC) is thrilled to announce two exciting new exhibitions opening this fall! Starting Monday, September 22, visitors can explore ART of Toys in the Main Gallery and a Solo Exhibition by John Shaw in the Office Gallery. Both exhibitions will be celebrated at a joint Artist Reception on Tuesday, October 7 from 5:00–6:30 pm, with artist talks beginning at 5:30 pm. The event is FREE and open to the public, with refreshments and light food provided.

ART of Toys brings together the playful, imaginative, and nostalgic power of toys through the eyes of regional artists. From building blocks to storytelling figures, toys have shaped our creativity since childhood. This exhibition invites audiences to rediscover the joy, inspiration, and wonder that toys bring into our lives.

Exhibiting artists include:
Rhea Northington, Sharon Fleischauer, Diane Ayers, Phena Keil, TJ Pendegast, Desiree Sky Logan, Christine Becker, Maren Kostrzewski, John Magnuson, Erinn Webb, Weyburn Wasson, Miranda Lape, and Carl Zachmann.

Alongside this exhibition, LRAC is proud to present a Solo Exhibition by John Shaw in the Office Gallery. After 35 years of practicing architecture, Shaw turned his creative energy to clay, drawing inspiration from the lakes, land, and creatures surrounding his home in North Central Minnesota. His work reflects a deep connection to place and the rhythms of nature.

Gallery Hours:
Monday – Thursday | 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Closed Friday – Sunday
(Please call or email in advance to ensure the gallery is open on the day of your visit.)

These exhibitions are free to attend and open to all. Don’t miss this chance to experience art that sparks imagination and celebrates the creative spirit!

For more information, visit lrac4.org.

About the Lake Region Arts Council (LRAC):
The Lake Region Arts Council is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting and encouraging the vitality of the arts in west central Minnesota. LRAC provides grant opportunities, workshops, technical assistance, and publishes a monthly ArtsNews newsletter for artists and arts organizations in the counties of Becker, Clay, Douglas, Grant, Otter Tail, Pope, Stevens, Traverse, and Wilkin.

“This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through grants from the Lake Region Arts Council, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund, with additional support from the McKnight Foundation.”

EVENT LINK: https://ffpubliclibrary.org/events/

FEE: Free

Free Movie Nights @ Fergus Falls Public Library

Movie: Fly Me to the Moon

September 23 @ 6:00 pm - 8:15 pm

Watch the recently released film “Fly Me to the Moon,” rated PG-13. Staring Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum, this is comedy-drama is set against the backdrop of NASA’s historic Apollo 11 moon landing. Brought in to fix NASA’s public image, sparks fly in all directions as marketing maven Kelly Jones (Johansson) wreaks havoc on launch director Cole Davis’s (Tatum) already difficult task. When the White House deems the mission too important to fail, the countdown truly begins.

Movie: My Octopus Teacher

October 28 @ 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm

Watch the documentary “My Octopus Teacher” rated TV-PG. A filmmaker forges an unusual friendship with an octopus living in a South African kelp forest, learning as the animal shares the mysteries of her world.

Movie: Small Things Like These

November 25 @ 6:00 pm - 7:40 pm

Watch the recently released film “Small Things Like These,” rated PG-13. In 1985, devoted father Bill Furlong (played by Cillian Murphy) discovers disturbing secrets kept by the local convent and uncovers shocking truths of his own.

Movie: Knives Out

December 30 @ 6:00 pm - 8:10 pm

Watch the recently released film “Knives Out,” rated PG-13. When renowned crime novelist Harlan Thrombey is found dead at his estate just after his 85th birthday, the inquisitive and debonair Detective Benoit Blanc, played by Daniel Craig, is mysteriously enlisted to investigate.

These programs are sponsored by Fergus Falls Public Library and Viking Library System. This project was funded in part or in whole with monies from Minnesota’s Arts and Cultural Heritage fund.

EVENT LINK: https://ffpubliclibrary.org/events/

FEE: Free

Book Club @ Fergus Falls Public Library

The Cartographers by Peng Shepherd

October 13 & 14

We will discuss “The Cartographers” by Peng Shepherd. A highly imaginative thriller about a young woman who discovers a strange map in her deceased father’s belongings.

The Demon of Unrest by Erik Larson

November 17 & 18

We will discuss “The Demon of Unrest.” Erik Larson brings to life the pivotal five months between the election of Abraham Lincoln and the start of the Civil War in this “riveting reexamination of a nation in tumult” (Los Angeles Times).

Note that November’s meeting dates are one week later than usual due to Veterans’ Day.

The Women by Kristin Hannah

December 8 & 9

We will discuss “The Women” by Kristin Hannah. An intimate portrait of coming of age in a dangerous time and an epic tale of a nation divided set during the Vietnam War.

True Biz by Sara Nović

January 12 & 13, 2026

We will discuss “True Biz” by Sara Nović. This novel plunges readers into the halls of a residential school for the deaf, where they’ll meet Charlie, a rebellious transfer student who’s never met another deaf person before; Austin, the school’s golden boy, whose world is rocked when his baby sister is born hearing; and February, the headmistress, who is fighting to keep her school open and her marriage intact, but might not be able to do both at the same time.

EVENT LINK: https://fergusarts.org

FEE: $5

Cinema Sundays—A Center for the Arts

$5 tickets @ 2pm on select Sundays each month

CLICK ON MOVIE TITLE BELOW FOR ADVANCED TICKETS

Nightmare Before Christmas:  Oct 19

Paddington in Peru: Nov. 9

Best Christmas Pageant Ever: Dec 14

Mufasa – the Lion King: Jan 11

Soul: Feb 8

How to Train Your Dragon: Mar 8

Encanto: Apr 19

EVENT LINK: https://ffpubliclibrary.org/events/

FEE: Free

Social Justice Book Club

About Us: Essays from the Disability Series of the New York Times.

October 22 @ 6:30 pm - 7:45 pm

We will discuss “About Us: Essays from the Disability Series of the New York Times.” This landmark collection gathers the most powerful essays from The New York Times Disability Series.

Out of the Sierra: a Story of Rarámuri Resistance by Victoria Blanco

December 17 @ 6:30 pm - 7:45 pm

We will discuss “Out of the Sierra: a Story of Rarámuri Resistance” by Victoria Blanco. The Rarámuri people of Chihuahua, Mexico, make up one of the largest Indigenous tribes of North America. Renowned for maintaining their language and cultural traditions in the face of colonization, they have weathered numerous hardships—climate disaster, poverty, cultural erasure—that have only worsened during the twenty-first century.

Based on more than a decade of oral history and participatory field work, Out of the Sierra paints a vivid and vital portrait of Rarámuri displacement. When drought leaves the Gutiérrez family with nothing to eat, they are faced with the choice many Rarámuris must make: remain and hope for rain and aid, or leave their sacred homeland behind. Luis, Martina, and their children choose to journey from their home in the Sierra Madre mountains toward a new and uncertain future in a government-funded Indigenous settlement.

To Dye For: How Toxic Fashion is Making us Sick–and How We Can Fight Back by Alden Wicker.

February 25, 2026 @ 6:30 pm - 7:45 pm

We will discuss “To Dye For: How Toxic Fashion is Making us Sick–and How We Can Fight Back” by Alden Wicker.

EVENT LINK: https://ffpubliclibrary.org/events/

FEE: Free

Fergus Falls Writers Group

2nd & 4th Thursdays of each month @ 11:00 am - 1:00 pm

This group shares and critiques their writing. Meets the second and fourth Thursdays of each month. This is a community-member-led group.

EVENT LINK: https://www.kaddatzgalleries.org/current-exhibitions.html

FEE: Free & Open to the Public

Kim Embretson: Holy Ground

On view in the StudioK Gallery
November 4 - December 30, 2025
Opening Reception
5-7PM Thursday, November 6, 2025

An excerpt from the Artists Statement in his own words:

Holy Ground

   “This rock and tree filled space
   was holy a million days before we came.”

This line from my father-in-law’s poem ”Holy Ground” about a family island on Rainy Lake, is the inspiration for my series of paintings. I have tried to answer the question:  How does land become holy? 

EVENT LINK: https://www.kaddatzgalleries.org/current-exhibitions.html

FEE: Free & Open to the Public

Material Mythos: A Duo Exhibition by Kandace Creel Falcón and Ilaamen Pelshaw

On View In Our Charles Beck Gallery
November 4 - December 30, 2025
Opening Reception
5-7PM Thursday, November 6, 2025

​Driven by color, shape, and memory, Kandace Creel Falcón and Ilaamen Pelshaw explore dreams, folktales, and the cultural realities that emerge from their childhoods in a Duo Show bringing paintings, quilts, and sculptures into conversation.

EVENT LINK: https://springboardforthearts.org/event/made-here-showcasing-regional-makers-and-their-stories-in-fergus-falls/

FEE: Free & open to the public

Made Here: Showcasing Regional Makers and their Stories in Fergus Falls

Come connect with the makers shaping our creative region. Each quarter, Springboard for the Arts spotlights a local creative business in downtown Fergus Falls. You’ll get a behind-the-scenes view of their work, hear their stories, and learn about your creative neighbors! November’s gathering will showcase local artist Sam Oberto, maker of Free Soul Candle Co.!

EVENT LINK: https://ffpubliclibrary.org/events/

FEE: Free

Sew Unique

3rd Thursdays @ 9:00 am - 1:00 pm

All types of sewing projects are welcome. Bring your projects, cutting tools and sewing machine. Several irons and boards will be provided. Meets the third Thursday of each month. This is a community-member-led group.

EVENT LINK: https://springboardforthearts.org/events/

FEE: Free

Creative Community Coffee Club

Every 3rd Friday of the month, 11/21, 12/19, and 1/16

10:00am-12:00pm Central Time

In-person, 201 West Lincoln Ave, Fergus Falls, MN 56537

Swing by Springboard for the Arts in downtown Fergus Falls every 3rd Friday for casual

coworking, creative conversation, and community connection. Bring your busy work, a craft

project, or just yourself, and enjoy coffee, snacks, and good company with fellow local creatives.

EVENT LINK: https://www.visitfergusfalls.com/?imgoing-event=festival-of-lights-kick-off-68ef6b81800cc23d5b5287b3

FEE: Free

Otter Cove's Festival of Lights

It’s time for holiday magic!

Join us for Otter Cove’s Festival of Lights, a beloved Fergus Falls tradition that welcomes more than 10,000 visitors each year in support of our nonprofit children’s museum.

Enjoy a cup of cocoa from Otter Cove and be among the first to see the official lighting at 5:00 pm!

From December 3 through December 13, the lights will shine from 5:00–9:00 nightly. Stroll or drive through the glowing displays, admire the creativity of local businesses, and help keep the magic alive with a donation to support Otter Cove Children’s Museum.

EVENT LINK: https://app.arts-people.com/index.php?show=302332

FEE: Tickets: Adult: $22.00, Student: $12.00

Dance & Dessert

Saturday/Sunday, December 6 -7, 2pm

Now in its 30th season, join us for this delightful performance of dance with a special Christmas Treat! Dance & Dessert features auditioned dancers from the Fergus Falls School of Dance. 

Delicious Desserts will be served after the performance across the street at the Senior Center.

Get your tickets today!