Event Link: https://www.kulcher.org/art-in-your-park-summer-2025/

FEE: FREE for kids K-6th grades - donations always appreciated.

Art in Your Park Summer 2025

Art for kids in the great outdoors
Join us in your parks this summer!
Dates & locations vary, see below

The Cultural Center’s ‘Art in Your Park’ program returns to YOUR parks in New York Mills, Henning, Perham, and Wadena this summer! Join us in the great outdoors for a variety of fun art projects for kids.

Art in Your Park is designed for children in grades K-6.  Children under the age of 8 must be accompanied by an adult or guardian.  There is no cost to participate and all are welcome!

This program is free to attend & open to all; donations are gratefully accepted to help us continue to offer these community programs to all.

Please check our website and/or follow us on Facebook for the most updated schedule and any weather-related announcements.  Call the Cultural Center at (218) 385-3339 for more information or email Cheryl Bannes, cheryl@kulcher.orgor Lindsay Kennedy, lindsay@kulcher.org, if you have questions or would like to donate or volunteer to assist with this program.

Art in Your Park 2025:

This summer, workshops will focus on art basics. Art in Your Park will take place on the dates & times noted below:

• Wednesday, May 21, 4-6pm: NYM Sculpture Park during Celebrating Cultures(4-7pm)

• Friday, May 28, 12-2pm: NYM Lund Park – CANCELED

• Friday, June 6, 1-3pm: Wadena Library

• Tuesday, June 17, 1-3pm: Henning Landmark Center

• Wednesday, June 18, 12-2pm: NYM Lund Park

• Friday, June 20, 1-3pm: Perham Library Tent at Turtle Fest on Main Street, Perham

• Wednesday, June 25, 12-2pm: NYM Smith Park

• Tuesday, July 1, 1-3pm: Wadena BN Park (Library back-up)

• Wednesday, July 2, 12-2pm: NYM Lund Park

• Tuesday, July 8, 1-3pm: Perham Library

• Friday, July 11, 12-2pm: NYM Fish House Festival @ Cultural Center

• Wednesday, July 16, 12-2pm: NYM Southside Park/Hidden Trails

• Thursday, July 17, 1-3pm: Henning Landmark Center

• Wednesday, July 23, 12-2pm: NYM Central Park

• Wednesday, August 6, 12-2pm: NYM Cultural Center

Children interested in participating are welcome to simply stop by and join in the fun!  If you would like to receive Art in Your Park updates via email, please contact info@kulcher.org and we will add you to our participant list.

Art in Your Park (AIYP) is free for kids, but not without cost. These art activities are available thanks to the generous support of our donors, members, and grant-making organizations. This year, a grant from Lake Region Arts Council is helping to support Art in Your Park, and other summer programs. Thanks, LRAC! Donations are always needed to keep Art in Your Park free and available to all. Thank you! Please join us in YOUR parks this summer!

Event Link: https://www.kulcher.org/2025-kalevala-puppet-pageant/
FEE: $5/adult gate donation (children under 16 free) to get into Finn Creek Festival. Freewill donations will be collected at both performances to help cover the costs of this enriching community experience.

2025 Kalevala Puppet Pageant

16th Annual Community Theater for All Ages
Workshops begin Mon, Aug 4, 2025!
TWO Public Performances:
Friday 8/15/25 @ NYM Corn Feed
Saturday 8/16/25 @ Finn Creek Fest

The Puppet Pageant is an original large-scale street theater play based on stories from the Finnish national epic poem, the Kalevala, written and narrated by Creative Director Anne Sawyer, and performed by youth and community members from the New York Mills region.

This annual community theater program brings people together to learn a wide variety of artistic skills including acting and stilt-walking, plus learn about Finnish culture and heritage, and make connections with fellow community members and artists.

Daily workshops for participants begin on Monday, August 4, 2025; details below.  In 2025, there will be two public performances of the Kalevala Puppet Pageant:

• Friday, August 15 @ 7pm @ NYM VFW Post 3289 during NYM Civic & Commerce Corn Feed

• Saturday, August 16 @ 12pm @ Finn Creek Open Air Museum during Finn Creek Festival

Performances are open to all! Friday’s performance at VFW is free to attend. For the Saturday performance, there is a $5/adult gate donation (children under 16 free) to get into Finn Creek Festival. Freewill donations will be collected at both performances to help cover the costs of this enriching community experience.

Be Part of the Show!

Adults and youth ages 5 & up (children under the age of 7 must be accompanied by an adult or older sibling) are invited to participate. There are two weeks of workshops beginning August 4, 2025, leading up to the culminating performances on Friday & Saturday, August 15 & 16, 2025.

Dance, music, acting, costume design, performance skills, and stilt walking are all taught by Anne Sawyer, Creative Director, along with Assistant Director Lisa Winter of Wadena, and Tara Fahey of Minneapolis.

During the two weeks of workshops, participants will create and build puppets and props of all sizes in addition to learning the story and performance of the narrated play. Stilt walking will be included again this year as an added element to the performance (optional for youth ages 8 & older and adult participants).

The cost to participate in these two weeks of workshops and two performances is $50/child with a $100 max per family. Scholarships are available; no one will be turned away based on inability to pay. Parent volunteerism is always appreciated! Teens and adults participate for FREE! Grants, donors, and sponsorship support make this possible.

Click below to register (and pay) online, or complete the registration link below and stop by the Cultural Center to pay in person if you prefer. If meeting the family max ($100) or for scholarship participants, complete the form online and stop by to pay. Open House: Wednesdays & Thursdays 10am-7pm, Fridays 10am-5pm, Saturdays 10am-3pm. Contact us to make other arrangements or with questions at 218-385-3339 or info@kulcher.org.