Posted August 19, 2008 8:47 pm
Hutchinson Is A-plus: Art, Apples & Antiques
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The Coyote Clay Gallery north of Hutchinson has a great array of hand-crafted items, perfect for special gifts.
The attractive city of Hutchinson is a fun weekend getaway for those who enjoy hand-crafted art and antiques. Located in central Minnesota, it’s also an easy day trip from the St. Cloud, Mankato and Twin Cities areas.
It’s worth the trip just to visit the Coyote Clay Gallery, in the country four miles north of town. This impressive gallery at the edge of a prairie is a perfect place to select special, high-quality, one-of-a-kind gifts. Tom Wirt and Betsy Price make a wonderful array of beautiful but functional tableware, bakeware and serving pieces. Feel free to visit with them if you find them at work in their pottery, which is connected to the shop.
The gallery carries not only their pottery, but also an eclectic assortment of hand-crafted work from artists across the country: jewelry, glass pieces, wonderful fabric and leather purses, woodwork, and journals covered in hand-tooled leather. Stop at the Apple Shack right across Hwy. 15 for some fresh Minnesota apples.
There’s more to enjoy back in town. This city of 13,000 promotes itself as “Minnesota’s Hometown,” and its quaint downtown has a friendly, small town feel. Library Square along Main Street is the site of a farmers’ market on Saturday mornings and Wednesday afternoons, and the Sept. 12-13 arts and crafts fair will be held here.
There are several Main Street shops to check out. The Little Country Store displays woven rag rugs, quilted pillows and other handcrafts, and the Village Shop has a variety of gifts, cards, cookbooks and more. Purse-a-nalities features unique, hand-made purses.
The Main Street Cotton Shop is home to the Thimbleberries studio of well-known quilt designer Lynette Jensen. Her distinctive fabrics and patterns are carried by more than 2,000 quilt shops across the country. Even if you don’t quilt, stop in to see the colorful quilts and fabrics. If you’re into scrap booking, don’t miss the Picture the Pages shop, with an amazing selection of supplies to create your own scrapbooks, cards and invitations.
Visit another hometown artist, Joyce Young, in her Twin Birch Gallery, fashioned from an old horse barn; watercolors of historic buildings, flowers, and lake and country scenes now hang on the walls surrounding the former horse stalls. The McLeod County History Museum has a gallery dedicated to the work of Les Kouba, a nationally known wildlife artist from Hutchinson.
Antique collectors will find several shops to check out, starting with Main Street Antiques right downtown. Southeast of downtown is Wagon Wheel Antiques, housed in a 1915 dairy barn, with a variety of country items, dishware and small furniture. The Treasure Shed east of town on Hwy. 7 has a large assortment of furniture, toys, crocks, glassware, and Antiques To Go is on Hwy. 15 right in town.
Note: Highway 7 is closed for road construction between St. Bonifacius and Silver Lake, so visitors to Hutchinson from the Twin Cities area should take Highway 212 or Highway 12. Hutchinson is about 60 miles west of Minneapolis.
For more info:
Hutchinson Chamber of Commerce
800-572-6689
www.explorehutchinson.com
7 Responses to “ Hutchinson Is A-plus: Art, Apples & Antiques ”
August 22nd, 2008 at 9:28 pm Sandi
I found your post while searching for quilted pillows. This town sounds delightful. I’ll have to mention it to my daughter – who lives in Fargo, and often visits the twin cities. I’m sure she’d love to browse along Main Street. Thanks for the info.
December 21st, 2008 at 9:09 am Annelle
Great tips, thanks!
October 14th, 2009 at 3:21 pm Julie
I live 18 miles from Hutchinson and it is a neat town. About the hwy. 7
construction…this is now open. There is no more construction. I
drive on this hwy through St. Boni every 2 weeks and it is open.
Come out to a neat area west of the suburbs where you will find
peace and serenity.
October 14th, 2009 at 4:29 pm kathy steele
I have lived here going on 44 years and have never heard
of the Little Country Store on Main St. Where is it??
Also, the Main Street Cotton Shop you mentioned is having a going out
of business sale. And yes, Hwy. 7 has been open to
traffic for several months now. The Glass Apple is also
going out of business. Lots of empty stores here!!!
October 15th, 2009 at 9:51 am Richard
Highway 7 between St. Boni and Silver Lake
is not closed and is fully finished and open
for travel.- October, 2009
October 19th, 2009 at 10:52 am Chris
Thanks Richard – you are absolutely correct. Construction on Hwy. 7 is complete and the highway is now open!
October 19th, 2009 at 11:24 am Chris
Hi Kathy,
The Little Country Store is located at 27 Main Street N, just south of 1st Avenue NW on Main Street in Hutchinson. I was recently told that the name has been expanded to The Vacuum Gallery and Little Country Store, which may be why it is not familiar – I understand that it is a fun place to shop with lots of repeat customers! And, thanks for taking the time to let us know that Hwy. 7 is now open, and about the status of two of the businesses mentioned – that is a shame.
Thanks again,
Chris