Hello members, local residents and friends, 

Good morning from the Depot - A day late!

Have you ever had one of those weeks where the time went by so quickly and you lost track of what day it was? I apologize for the late delivery of the newsletter this week and I apologize to Jonathan who had all the news and calendar events ready for me to format and create the email on time. I just dropped the ball.

Have you enjoyed the nice December weather we’ve been having? This 50-degree weather seems contrary to the holiday season, but I’m grateful for the lack of snow and am glad to delay the cold for a bit longer. I do love seeing the lights adorning our streets and the beautiful Christmas displays in our downtown windows. I know the addition of snow only elevates the view, but I love being able to walk on dry sidewalks and drive without the fear of snow delays.

A few new memories were made during Experience the Magic recently, which was a wonderful celebration of family Christmas activities. I also heard the addition of the craft and vendor show was well received and many were able to check off some Christmas gifts from their list!

There are still many upcoming events in Lanesboro that are sure to get even the grinchiest of Grinches into the holiday spirit. I hope you surround yourself with music and attend many joyful gatherings to make this holiday the best you’ve ever had.

As always, I hope you have a wonderful day,

Melissa

Root River Inn & Suites owners create spot for Christmas cheer!

If you haven’t been to Lanesboro since early this year, you may not have had a chance to hit up Paddle on Coffee and Makers Emporium. That’s a shame because it’s an awesome space. On paper, its beautifully designed interior creates a warm and inviting atmosphere. Owners, Ryan and Allie Palmer are a couple of “bean-heads” and they source really high quality coffee, from growth to roast to extraction; the food is provided by the Driftless Trading Post so it’s all farm-to-table within 50 miles of Lanesboro. It’s got great coffee, great food and the space is great. Tick, tick, tick.

But Ryan and Allie want to do more than just make great coffee and great food. Their goal is to create a space for the community to gather. That is at the heart of their mission to be a place for the community and that shows in how they conduct their business. They host regular gatherings of community groups based on interests. Poets meet the second Thursday of the month, fiber artists meet every Wednesday. Parents of young kids can’t get enough of Toddler Tuesdays,and transplants like your humble, neighborhood author, can meet Saturday mornings. This commitment to the community goes even further - If you would like to reserve and rent their amazingly redesigned backroom for a private party, that’s available!

And if that wasn’t enough, Paddle On is unofficially the spot for Christmas Cheer! The Palmers are pulling out all the stops to make sure you and your whole family have a place to feel the Christmas spirit. Live music is being planned on both the 9th and 16th of December (details below). In a colab to end all collabs, they teamed up with Leafy Legacy farms for a Tea Party on the 30th, (Reservations required). If you have kiddos, be sure to swing by Paddle On on New Years Eve as they celebrate not once, but thrice in conjunction with New Year celebrations across the globe. Ring in the New Year with Cape Verde (at 7 PM), Iceland (at 8 PM) or Brazil (at 9 PM) and then the kiddos can still get to bed at a reasonable hour.

Juniper's celebrates

two years in business

Juniper's Restaurant recently celebrated being open for its second year. Juniper's, an elevated fast casual restaurant, specializes in comfort food stepped up a notch. For two years the establishment has been serving everything from foie gras to beef stroganoff. With two weeks left in their season, they served well over 10,000 visitors this year! Nearly 4,000 burgers (this year) later, the Juniper's crew is looking forward to many more years serving locals and visitors here in Lanesboro!

Calling all Local Musicians: We want to celebrate you! We are going to do a photo shoot with any and all local musicians who can join us on Saturday, December 16, at 10 AM by the art mural on Parkway, located on the side of O'Koren Law Office.  Join us for an epic photo that will be the feature and cover photo for the 2024 Visitors Guide.  

Board of Directors Elections: Have you ever wanted to give back to the business community? Now is your chance. Elections for the Lanesboro Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors will take place at the annual meeting on January 23. Please email office@lanesboro.com or call our office if you are interested in becoming a candidate. 

Library Board Vacancy: The Lanesboro Public Library Board has two openings for terms beginning January 2024. Applications to serve on the Lanesboro Public Library Board can be picked up at the Lanesboro City Office at 202 Parkway Ave S or found online at https://lanesboro-mn.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/committee-application.pdf. Applications are due Friday, December 22, by noon and should be returned to the City of Lanesboro Office, or emailed to Mitchell Walbridge at mwalbridge@lanesboro-mn.gov

Use Our Calendar: Be sure to use the calendar of events on lanesboro.com. From January 1 through December 5 there were 127,624 searches on our website. Those numbers represent people actively entering in criteria to find specific things. People come to our website and they go to the calendar to plan their trips. You should put your stuff on our calendar! Got an event? Something you want to promote? Live music? Special occasion? Deals or samples? Put it on the calendar. People will see it. Do you have questions? Call Jonathan - He’s happy to help.

The Chill-Inn Committee has completed its work and is excited to share findings and data with the community! Please save the date for the Capstone Presentation & Brainstorm Session on Wednesday, Dec. 20, from 8:30 am to 10:30 am, at the City Council Chambers (social media post attached below - please spread the word).

The brainstorm session is to help enhance the winter trip itineraries.We understand not everyone may be able to attend, but we will have this presentation available via Zoom and plan to record the session.  

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84213387523?pwd=UHgrSDMwMFNUZS9LdWlWUVJHNFdzZz09

Meeting ID: 842 1338 7523

Also, while we’re talking about Chill Inn, we have rack cards and they are at the visitor center! Come and get these promotional itineraries that focus on winter fun in Lanesboro.

Thank you to the Chill-inn Group! We have itineraries! Swing by the visitors center and pick some up for your business today! A great way to answer questions, these rack-cards help guide our visitors to find fun and fantastic times in Lanesboro at any time of year. We’ll have them at the capstone event as well!

Chill-inn itineraries are also on the website! While we're talking winter itineraries, have you checked out the Chill-inn page on our website? It’s pretty cool and it has great ideas for the whole family on how to have great time in Lanesboro every day of the year.

The Blog is up and running: Have you checked out our blog? We will be regularly updating our blog and using the space on the website more regularly. If you have something that you would like to celebrate let us know and we’ll throw it up on the blog!

Please make sure information in visitor

guide represents your business accurately

Update your information for the guide and map! We’re still working on the final steps of putting the guide together, and it’s important that you log into your member account (reach out to Jonathan if you have questions about doing that) and check the language you have that will go in the guide.

Log into your account and on the side bar, click “Company Information” and then “Website Information” and scroll down to the “Search Results Description” that’s what we use for the blurbs in the guide. 

Make sure you are advertising your business the way you want to advertise.

Inspire(d)! Magazine is featuring one of our LACC board members and community leaders in its winter issue. Alison Bunge Leathers is a definite community builder throughout Bluff Country. She is the manager of Lanesboro's Cottage House Inn and leads the Lanesboro Business Promotion Group and the Chill Inn Winter Tourism Initiative. Check out the article by Clicking Here!

The Rochester Post Bulletin recently featured the gardens and home of Joan and Wayne Finnegan of rural Lanesboro. Exploring their 95 acres and highlighting design elements of their farm house, the store reflects on the aesthetics the Finnegans strived to incorporate into their home. Read the story by Clicking Here! You may need a digital subscription to read the article.

Paddle On is your home for family friendly holiday events!  Live Music this Saturday with Matt and Brenda Steir and Next week Ann and Andy Lowe, we will play at Paddle On from 12-2 PM. 

There will be a Tea Party co-hosted by Paddle On and Leafy Legacy Herb Farm will be hosting a Tea Party with delicious teas and treats! This is on Saturday, December 30 check their website for reservations to go live. 

"She Loves Me" is now showing at the Commonweal! This effervescent musical comedy was eventually adapted into the movie “You’ve Got Mail,” and is the perfect winter escape. Two combative clerks in an elegant parfumerie are constantly butting heads at work. As each begins developing a written romance thanks to answering a “lonely hearts” newspaper ad, what happens when they find out who has been writing these love letters? Quippy one-liners, holiday themes, extravagant dance numbers, and a beautiful score make this show the perfect holiday event for the whole family!

Lanesboro Arts is hosting the fourth online Fall Fine Art Auction, which is running through Saturday, Dec. 9. The auction will feature one-of-a-kind art pieces from talented regional artists, unique experiences from local businesses, and more! This collection has something for everyone, whether you are looking for the perfect gift or looking to add to your personal art collection. Proceeds go to support the year-round arts programming (some of which is listed below). Check out their website for details on how to participate by Clicking Here!

Be sure to join Lanesboro Arts at Sylvan Brewing on Saturday, Dec. 9, from 5 to 7 pm for a fundraising happy hour! This get-together celebrates the Online Auction and launches the annual Reach for the Arts fundraising campaign. There will be local music, light hors d’oeuvres, live painting from gallery artist Alan Wiltgen, exclusive auction items and reflection on the work at Lanesboro Arts and where it is going in the future.

On Saturday, Dec. 9, Lanesboro Arts welcomes you into the gallery to find unique, handmade gifts for everyone on your list. The team will offer complimentary gift wrapping. While you shop, chat with local artists about their work, and enjoy artist demonstrations from oil painter Joan Finnegan (Dec. 9), enjoy cocoa and cookies to satisfy your sweet tooth.

At the time of this writing there were still tickets available to the 17th Annual Old-Fashioned Holiday Sing Along. Dan Chouinard returns to the St. Mane Theatre in downtown Lanesboro, produced by Lanesboro Arts. Honestly I don’t know how long that will remain to be true – so get your tickets while you can! The 2023 Holiday show will feature a collection of songs, poems and stories from familiar faces, as well as the musical talents of Dan and his special guest, Connie Evingson! Tickets are on sale now for this heart-and-hearth warming evening for $28 ($25 Lanesboro Arts Members). This show is likely to sell out, so don’t wait!

Jokes on Tap continues its year-round mission of bringing laughs to Lanesboro. Join hosts Ryan Stock and Andy Holt at an evening of hilarity, a regional comics showcase their talent, try out new material. Watching comedians work in real time is a real treat and this show always delivers. If you want to try your hand at stand-up, arrive a little early to check in with the host to sign up! Otherwise just show up early to get a seat, grab a pint, and get ready for some laughs! No cover charge. The next Jokes on Tap is Friday, Dec 29.  

Sylvan Brewing’s Workshop Series is back. Every Sunday, local artists teach workshops on various things they like to make! The next workshop on Sunday, Dec. 10, is Bottle Cap Art. Choose a flower or a holiday theme, and let loose creating Bottle Cap Art.  Stena is back on Sunday, Dec. 17, with Watercolor Ornaments. Both workshops start at 1:30 pm.

Sylvan Brewing will have live Christmas music with the Arnold Bradley Band on Saturday, Dec. 16, from 3 to 5 pm. Holiday Cheer and Beer is going to be awesome.  Come sing along with your holiday favorites, and join family and friends in the cozy taproom for a beer and your Christmas favorites.  

Open Fly Tying at Sylvan Brewing will be held on Thursdays, Dec. 14 and 28 at 5 pm. Come make some fly ties, while enjoying some das-eis…that rhymes a stretch.  Sorry Everyone. But try the Daisy, it’s a very tasty hazy. 

The Tunage continues at the High Court Pub through the end of the year! (and after that as well–the tunage just don’t stop at the High Court pub)! Martin Devany has been touring for 20 years, and released 7 albums.  Come see him do his thang on Friday Dec 8. Folk Music Troubadour Tim Fast on Dec 9.  Avery Grouws Duo are making their annual appearance at the High Court Pub on Dec 16, you don’t want to miss that one. Roots Rock, R&B, Pop and Country will be a part of the Fool’s Getaway when they perform on Dec 22.  Mankato based Jason Helder returns for some Dylan and Prine covers along with his own, thought-provoking originals.   And we round out 2023 with Tom and Barb Schramm on Dec 29, always a fun-as-hell night when Tom and Barb are on the stage.  And Musical Savant Ryan Howe returns on Dec 30 to play some energetic, multi-instrumental covers and originals.

Of course Tuesday Trivia continues uninterrupted at the High Court Pub. It will continue through ad infinitum, never ending through time or memorial. There are (normally) three rounds of (usually) 10 questions that truly fit that Goldilocks rule - fitting just right in the middle where it’s accessible to everyone, but still feels good when you get it right. Be sure to like and follow the High Court Pub on Facebook for weekly freebie questions of the week! Like and comment on those posts for a chance to win a free drink token. The winning team gets $25 in drink tokens and there are trophies and other prizes as well. Truly, a fun time will be had by all. December topics include: Jurassic Parks and Rec – someone alert the House of Pies; there are dinos in the daiquiris on Dec 12. I would guess your (or-I guess the internets) least favorite Chris will come up in a question. 'Tis the Season is the topic on Dec. 19, so that’s the trivia for all your holiday needs (as long as what you need is to answer holiday themed questions). Finally, on Dec. 26, we’ll look back at the year 2023 and ask…What happened? 

The Lanesboro American Legion has a new line-up!: Monday is Soup du Jour, starting at 3 pm until it’s gone, and bucket beers, five beers for $12. Taco Tuesdays is two tacos with fixings for $6 from 3 to 7 pm. Ladies' night is Wednesdays and men’s nights on Thursdays see $1 off drinks, respectively. Meat Raffles are on Fridays from 6:30 to 8:30. Family Fun Day is Saturday with $1 kiddy cocktails, $1 off a large pizza and a variety of games.

Remember to swing by Granny’s Liquor every Saturday from 12 to 3 p.m. for a Complimentary Tasting

Melissa Vander Plas

Executive Director

Jonathan Levine

Office Administrator

Phone: (507) 467-2696

Web: lanesboro.com

Email: chamber@lanesboro.com

Events: Calendar