West arts & leisure

Two photo exhibits opening at arts center The Hopkins Center for the Arts is presenting two photo exhibits that open Thursday and continue through Oct. 17.

•"On Water's Edge: Riverfronts" is a collection of photographs by Brian Sjoquist of the waterfronts of Minneapolis, St. Paul and Chicago. The photos explore the architectural styles, colors and textures, as well as the people, of the three cities' waterfronts. The exhibit is on the second floor lobby gallery of the arts center.

•"Pillsbury and James J. Hill" is a collection of photographs by Robert Meier that focuses on two Twin Cities landmarks -- the Pillsbury "A" Mill in Minneapolis and James J. Hill's Great Northern Railway Office Building in St. Paul. The exhibit is in the arts center's first-floor lobby gallery.

An opening reception for both exhibits is scheduled for 6-8 p.m. Thursday. Admission to both the exhibits and the reception is free.

Gallery hours are 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday and noon-5 p.m. Sunday. The Hopkins Center for the Arts is at 1111 Mainstreet in Hopkins.

Discover Scott County's farms The 12th annual drive-it-yourself City to Country Tour, meant to introduce Scott County's farm families to their more urban counterparts, is scheduled for Sept. 25.

A $10-per-car fee allows you to wander the properties of three farms anytime from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. This year's farms are all fairly close, north and west of New Prague. They include:

•Prairie Haven Sheep Farm, 6525 270th St. W., specializing in Polypay sheep, but with demonstrations involving horses, poultry and alpacas in addition to sheep shearing, wool spinning and knitting. Cooked lamb to sample and frozen lamb products to buy.

•Glisczinski Dairy, 1385 245th St. W., 140 Holstein cows, each producing more than eight gallons of milk a day. Milking at noon and 3 p.m. The 350-acre farm grows corn, alfalfa and grass hay, oats and soybeans. Free milkshakes.

For more information, call Scott County Extension at 952-492-5410.

Guitar Quartet at Music by the Lake Music By The Lake begins its sixth season with a concert by the Tantalus Guitar Quartet at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 25 at Faith Lutheran Church, 800 Waconia Pkwy., Waconia.

The group will perform classics from Mozart as well contemporary composers.

Scandia Lodge plans dinner and concert The Scandia Lodge, Sons of Norway, will present "Happiness Emporium," a vocal quartet whose music is sprinkled with Scandinavian humor, on Tuesday.

Dinner will begin at 6 p.m. followed by the show at 7 p.m. at the Island View Golf Club, 7795 County Road 30 in Waconia.

Dinner will be $12 and the show $10.

For reservations, call 952-442-4030 or e-mail waconia scandialodge@gmail.com.