Briefs: Burnsville to light up downtown

Burnsville's Heart of the City is to be lit up again this season, beginning on Wednesday.

The display features more than 200,000 mini lights, 230 streetlight snowflakes and a 30-foot tree:

The lighting event is on Wednesday evening from 6 to 6:45 p.m.

Nicollet Commons Park is located on Nicollet Avenue and 126th Street, near the city's performing arts center, the Ames Center.

The lighting ceremony is sponsored and paid for by the Burnsville Community Foundation, through donations from businesses and residents.

For more information on the ceremony, visit www.burnsville.org/winterlighting.

For information on how to donate, visit www.burnsvillefoundation.org.

It's scheduled for July 11 from 3 to 9 p.m. at Nicollet Commons Park.

The goal is an event that celebrates the community's many cultures, with ethnic displays, food, and performances by dancers, musicians and other entertainers. There is no admission fee.

The committee needs new members to work on entertainment, marketing, publicity, sponsorships and other tasks. Meetings are typically once every other month, and once a month as the festival date grows closer.

Folks willing to volunteer are asked to contact Margo Swanson at 612-308-9038 or margosvolunteers@gmail.com. Visit online at www.intlfestburnville.org.

Burnsville Community Television (BCTV) will offer academic and intellectual competition when it covers Minnesota High School Quiz Bowl's 44th season this winter.

Matches feature a blend of individual competition and team collaboration.

This will be the fifth year of BCTV coverage of Quiz Bowl competitions, and the second year of live broadcasts.

Upcoming live coverage dates:

• Jan. 8, starting at 6 p.m.

• Feb. 5, starting at 6 p.m.

Each night of regular coverage will include up to four matches. Quiz Bowl finals will include up to eight matches.

To learn more about BCTV's coverage, contact Tina Wilson at 952-641-1354 or tina.wilson@ci.burnsville.mn.us.

To learn more about Minnesota High School Quiz Bowl visit www.natq.com.

Thanks to excellent snow-making conditions, cross-country skiing is open in the Three Rivers Park District.

The Park District makes snow for cross-country skiing at two sites, the nearest to Dakota County being Hyland Lake Park Reserve in Bloomington.

A few other trails are open that rely on Mother Nature for snow. These have been groomed but are in fair to poor condition due to lack of natural snow.

For the latest on ski trail conditions, visit http://www.threeriversparks.org/news/news/ski-trail-conditions.aspx.

Season passes for cross-country skiing are available at http://www.threeriversparks.org/activities/passes/cross-country-skiing.aspx.