Minnesota became the 32nd state in the Union on May 11, 1858. Throughout 2008, communities and historic sites will celebrate the state’s Sesquicentennial. For more information on events related to the Sesquicentennial, go to www.mn150years.org.

Statehood Week

A special ceremony marking the Sesquicentennial will take place at the State Capitol in St. Paul on the evening of Sunday, May 11. A Statehood Festival on the State Capitol grounds is planned for May 17-18 with exhibits, entertainment, a resource fair, and family activities celebrating Minnesota people, places and progress. For updates on these events, go to www.mn150years.org.

Minnesota150 Exhibit

In honor of the Sesquicentennial, the Minnesota History Museum at the edge of downtown St. Paul is featuring the “Minnesota 150″ exhibit, a smorgasbord of Minnesota icons, some famous, some relatively unknown. The long-running exhibit chronicles 150 key people, places, and things that are clues to Minnesota’s character. The 150 were selected from 2,700 nominations submitted by Minnesotans.

It’s an incredibly diverse assortment, ranging from the American Indian Movement to wind turbines. Burma shave signs, immigrants, skyways, the Boundary Waters, the 1980 Olympic Hockey Team, Hubert Humphrey and Prince are all included.

The History Center is open daily in the summer (closed Mondays before Memorial Day). Admission is $8 for adults, $6 for seniors, $4 for youth aged 6-17. For more information, call 800-657-3773, 651-259-3000, or go to mnhs.org.

Wagon Train

The early European settlers who arrived here in the 1800s didn’t have the luxury of travel by SUV. Instead, they loaded whatever possessions and provisions they could fit into a wagon and headed across the prairie to find their homesteads. It was a challenging journey, a difficult road to a new beginning.

The Sesquicentennial Wagon Train, organized by the Anoka County Historical Society, recalls their experience with a 100-mile trek by horse-drawn wagons from Cannon Falls to St. Paul, May 4-11. Up to 20 wagons will take part.

The route is posted on a website, so people can watch for them to pass by and get a glimpse of part of Minnesota’s history. The wagon train leaves from the Cannon Falls fairgrounds Monday morning, travels north of Red Wing on Tuesday, and heads into Hastings on Wednesday. Thursday, they’ll stay at Lake Rebecca Park along the Mississippi River in Hastings for a day of rest, with an evening concert of country and bluegrass music open to the public.

Friday they head north from Hastings to Inver Grove Heights, and Saturday they travel through Dakota County to Fort Snelling. On Sunday, the wagon trails winds through Minnehaha Park in Minneapolis, then crosses into St. Paul, and makes its way along Summit Avenue to the State Capitol for the Sesquicentennial commemoration late afternoon on May 11.
To see day-by-day maps of the exact route, go to www.ac-hs.org and click on the Wagon Train.

Minnesota Song

Wouldn’t you love to have a song that neatly summed up everything you love about your home state, quirks and all? Minnesota Public Radio has asked prolific singer-songwriter and guitarist Ann Reed to undertake the task of writing such a song in honor of the state’s 150th birthday. But she doesn’t have to do it alone. During the winter, she’s toured the state in a series of five concerts, asking the audience for suggestions for the new song.

This isn’t new territory for the singer. In the past, she’s composed several songs about the Minnesota State Fair based on audience participation. The native Minnesotan has recorded 15 albums and has a dedicated gang of fans. (For more information, see www.annreed.com)

Reed will present her new song about Minnesota at a concert at the Fitzgerald Theater in downtown St. Paul on Saturday, May 3. Tickets are $32 and can be reserved by calling the Fitz at 651-290-1221.

Vintage Baseball

The Minnesota Sesquicentennial Vintage Baseball Festival will be held at the Washington County Fairgrounds June 28-29. Teams from all over the country will play baseball as it was played in 1858, when Minnesota became a state. Teams will play one-hour exhibition games and there will be other entertainment from that time period. The fairgrounds are located off Hwy. 5 east of Lake Elmo, south of Hwy. 36. For more information, contact the Washington County Historical Society at 651-439-5956 or go to www.wchsmn.org.

Old Minnesota Musical Production

“Old Minnesota: Song of the North Star” is a touring stage show about Minnesota history, with songs, storytelling, and large-screen vintage images of the state. It was produced by composer/historian Warren Nelson, founder of Lake Superior

Big Top Chautauqua

Several communities are hosting performances of the show in honor of the Minnesota Sesquicentennial. To see if additional shows have been scheduled, go to: www.bigtop.org.

Call the phone numbers below for location and ticket information for the following performances of “Old Minnesota.”

Blue Earth, Apr. 4
507-526-2916

Glenwood, Apr. 25
866-497-0400

Stillwater, May 3
651-439-4001

Elk River, May 13
763-441-4725

Mankato, Sept. 26
507-345-4519

Posted by James Riemermann / Feature Articles and Spring/Summer Articles