Arts briefs: St. Croix cleanup turns into art

Hudson's third Riverfest celebration has been expanded to six days and will take place from July 21-26.

The theme is "Riverfest: A Party with a Purpose," meaning it seeks at once to celebrate the St. Croix River and also focus on efforts to preserve and protect its health and beauty.

The event will kick off with a riverfront cleanup followed by a lunch for cleanup participants.

Trash collected will be used to readorn the Riverfest mascot — Scrappy the Splashing Bass. Scrappy is an armature sculpture that was originally created for the 2013 Riverfest.

Activities through the week include bird walks, raptor demonstrations, a bike rodeo, fishing contest, paddle boarding demonstrations, library talks, Native American drumming and dancing, Civil War re-enactment, environmental displays and rain barrel painting.

New this year, and taking place on Friday, July 24, is a Riverfest Boat Cruise, an opportunity to explore the river valley with naturalists and meet some live animal ambassadors from Carpenter Nature Center.

Cost for the cruise is $15, with dinner or the bar involving extra fees. Reservations are required: additional information at www.aftonhouseinn.com or 651-436-8883.

For a listing of events and activities visit www.stcroixriverfest.org. Riverfest is made possible through the support of local and regional sponsors.

Washington County libraries and the city of Newport are moving the Newport Library lockers and book return from Newport City Hall to the Newport Transit Station, 2222 Maxwell Ave.

Officials stress that this was the plan all along, but it's also a nudge to folks to become more aware of the station and use it. It has been only lightly used to date.

The station offers enough space to double the number of lockers from 10 to 20. What the system calls "express lockers" and book return are available 24/7.

When users request titles from the Washington County library catalog, they can be notified by e-mail when the materials are ready for pickup at the secure lockers outside the transit station. Returns can be made to the station's own book return or any public library in the metro area.

Theater camps for young actors are offered Monday through Friday, July 20-24, at the Phipps Center for the Arts in Hudson, Wis.

An "Oh, the Thinks You Can Think!" camp for students entering the first, second and third grades will be offered from 9 a.m. to noon daily. Participants will explore the world of Dr. Seuss through movement and voice exercises.

A "Finding Nemo" camp for students entering the fourth, fifth and sixth grades will be offered from 1-4 p.m.

In both cases, the final class will include a brief presentation for family and friends. The fee for each is $149 and enrollment is limited to 16 students each.

Instructor Charles Fraser has taught a broad range of theater disciplines in elementary schools, high schools, colleges, and universities across the United States as part of the Guthrie on Tour as well as the Guthrie's Schools on Stage, summer conferences, summer camps, Target Play Dates, Guthrie in the Parks, sampler classes, residencies, and corporate workshops.