Minnesota briefs: Rochester voters get free rides via transit to some polls

Rochester Public Transit (RPT) will let city residents ride free on Election Day to and from certain polling places.

On Tuesday, bus riders are advised to tell their driver they are heading out to vote or returning afterward and no fare will be charged for the trip.

RPT cautions that the bus routes serve many polling places, but not all of them. Those served can be found online at www.rptride.com. Some stops may require a walk of up to a quarter mile.

Polling places and other voter information may be found at the Rochester City Clerk's voter resource webpage, www.rochestermn.gov/vote.

Dan Browning

A new tourism attraction celebrating German culture is in the works for Bayfront Festival Park in 2019.

Kern and Kompany announced Friday that it's planning the Duluth Oktoberfestival, to be held in the park Sept. 13-15.

Kern said the company, which produces Minnesota's largest air show — the Duluth Air & Aviation Expo — has been working on the Octoberfest idea for several years and has plans to gradually expand it.

The company plans to release details about the event next year through the website duluthoktoberfestival.com, on Facebook and Instagram platforms via @duluthoktoberfestival, and on Twitter through the handle @duluthoktober.

Dan Browning

Veterans Day activities will take place in a number of cities across Minnesota this week, including Fergus Falls, Crookston, Luverne, New Ulm, Silver Bay and Winona.

Veterans Day officially is Sunday, Nov. 11, but activities begin Wednesday with a breakfast organized by Minnesota Valley Luther High School in New Ulm and continue through Nov. 12 with the Star of the North U.S. Marine Corps League Honor Guard sharing cookies with students at Nevis Public School, in Nevis.