Twin Cities north metro town briefs: Home and garden show is coming

Admission is free for the 16th annual North Metro Home and Garden Show, set for 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 25, at the National Sports Center, 1740 105th Av. NE, Blaine.

Several dozen vendors will answer questions and provide ideas for home and lawn improvement projects. Door prizes will be awarded. The cities of Blaine, Fridley and Mounds View will host the event.

For more information, go to www.northmetrohomeandgarden.com.

Several community organizations are teaming up to pre­sent a community forum called "It's Time to Talk About Race" on Saturday in Brooklyn Park.

Community members are invited to attend a day of guided conversations about the impact of race in the northwest suburban metro area.

The forum will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Brooklyn Park Community Activity Center, 5600 85th Av. N.. Lunch will be provided.

The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required and is limited to 300 participants.

Conversations will include discussions on how to improve interracial relations and committing to action in creating an inclusive community for all.

The event will feature keynote speaker Bo Powell and students from Osseo Area Schools performing the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech. Additional music and entertainment will be provided by a Hmong dance group and American Indian drummers and dancers.

The city of Coon Rapids has warming houses and skating rinks at four city parks. Warming houses are open at Riverview, Sand Creek, Thorpe and Wintercrest parks through Feb. 18. Rinks will be open from 5-8:30 p.m. Monday-Friday and 1-8:30 p.m. weekends and non-school days.

The skating rinks and warming houses will close if the temperature is below zero. Thorpe and Wintercrest parks also include sledding hills during park hours. Riverview Park is at 2420 105th Av. and Sand Creek Park is at 1008 Northdale Blvd. Thorpe Park is at 2691 Carlson Drive. Wintercrest Park is at 10300 Woodcrest Drive.

Fridley will host its 2014 Winter Festival on Saturday, Jan. 25, at Commons Park, 555 61st Av. The event runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m..

All activities are free. Food and refreshments will be available for purchase. For further information contact Fridley Parks and Recreation at 763-572-3570.

Two development groups will present preliminary concepts for a portion of New Hope's City Center at a City Council meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 22. The area involved is the 15-acre site at 4200-4300 Xylon Av. N. that formerly housed a Kmart and a Wells Fargo drive-through facility. The city bought it in 2012 and demolished the buildings.

Making presentations at the council meeting will be Anderson Companies/Beard Group and Amcon. The meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. at New Hope City Hall, 4401 Xylon Av. N. The meeting also will be broadcast live on Comcast Ch. 16 in New Hope.

The annual Winter White-Out Dance for fifth-, sixth- and seventh-graders will take place from 7 to 9:30 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 24, at the Crystal Community Center. The event will include music and prizes, and kids are encouraged to "wear as much white as they can to help create a cool atmosphere."

The Community Center is located at 4800 Douglas Dr. Admission is $5 for those who register by Jan. 23, or $8 at the door. The event is co-hosted by the cities of Crystal, New Hope, Robbinsdale and Golden Valley. To buy tickets, go to their websites or call their parks and recreation departments (Crystal: 763-531-0052; New Hope: 763-531-5151; Robbinsdale: 763-531-1278; Golden Valley: 763-512-2345}.

The event will start at the Anoka County Fairgrounds with rider registration at 10 a.m. After that, Ramsey Police Chief Jim Way will direct the group for the ride. The excursion will wrap up with a get-together at McDuff's Eatery and Pub in Ramsey at 3 p.m.

The cost is $10 per person if you preregister and $20 on the day of the event.

For further information, go to http://tinyurl.com/ka9gnu8 or call the Anoka Area Chamber of Commerce at 763-421-7130.

Springbrook Nature Center is presenting a Discovery Dinner series for adult nature lovers. The Saturday events will start at 5:30 p.m. and feature an educational presentation followed by a casual catered meal. The programs are:

• "Raptors in Minnesota, with the Minnesota Raptor Center," Jan. 25;

• "Moths and Butterflies of Minnesota," on March 29.

Tickets are $25 each; multiple tickets are $22.50 each. Preregistration is required. . Call 763-572-3588.

The Midwest Youth Dance Theater of Roseville will pre­sent an original jazz and ballet performance set to the music of Queen this weekend at Hamline University in St. Paul. "Somebody to Love" will be performed at 7 p.m. Friday and 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday at the Drew Fine Arts Center, 1530 Taylor Av. Tickets are $12 for adults and $8 for children. They can be bought at the door or by calling 651-644-2438.