West metro arts and leisure briefs: Raspberry Festival of Bands is July 16

Raspberry Festival of Bands is July 16The 25th annual Raspberry Festival of Bands will showcase five area community bands on July 16 in Hopkins Downtown Park.

Bands in order of appearance are the Calhoun Isles Community Band, the Plymouth Community Band, the St. Louis Park Community Band, the Eden Prairie Community Band and the Hopkins Westwind Community Band.

Bring a blanket or lawn chair for a free day of music from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. at the park, located a half-block off 9th Avenue and Main Street. Clowns, magic acts and face-painters will also entertain.

The event is sponsored by the Hopkins Westwind Concert Band along with the Raspberry Festival Family Day.

Libraries offer range of summer activitiesThere are plenty of activities for kids this summer at the 41 Hennepin County Library branches. Here's a sampling:

• At the Augsburg Park Library, 7100 Nicollet Av. in Richfield, there's a Teen Girls Only Book Club set for 5:30 p.m. July 11 for girls entering grade 7 and older. A similar Girls Only Book Club is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. July 11 and Aug. 1 for girls entering grades 4-6. Those participating in these discussion groups can pick up a copy of the book at the library information desk three weeks prior to the book club date. For details on either club, call 612-543-6200.

•At the Eden Prairie Library, 565 Prairie Center Drive, a Daughter-Mother Book Club for girls entering grades 4-6 with their mothers or another female will meet at 7 p.m. on three Mondays, July 11-25. Call 612-543-6275 to sign up and arrange to pick up a copy of the first week's book.

• The Ridgedale Library, 12601 Ridgedale Drive in Minnetonka, is offering a Girls Only Jr. Book Club for girls entering grades 2-3 from 10:30-11:15 a.m. or 11:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m. July 12 and 26. Call for more information and to get a copy of the book. Other clubs at Ridgedale include a Girls Only group for grades 4-6; Teen Girls Only groups for grades 7-8 and for grades 9 and up; and a Guys Read Book Club for grades 4-6. Call 612-543-8800 for details on these groups and others.

• At the Southdale Library, 7001 York Av. S. in Edina, there's a Teen Daughter-Mother Book Club scheduled for 7-8 p.m. on July 19 and Aug. 9, for girls entering grades 7-9 and their mothers or other female adults. Sign up at 612-543-5900.

Also, a Hogwarts Movie Marathon is planned for 1-7 p.m. July 12-14 at Southdale Library for students entering grades 6 and up. The entire Harry Potter movie series will be screened during the three-day marathon.