Find Aquatennial Events In Southwest Minneapolis

The city's premier party, celebrating itself, starts this weekend.

The Minneapolis Aquatennial starts this week. Of course, no-one will want to miss the usual fireworks on July 21 and the torchlight parade on July 18. But don't forget to check out these Aquatennial events going on right in Southwest Minneapolis: The 10 Best Days of the Bakken This Linden Hills museum is celebrating the Aquatennial with 10 straight days of unique events and exhibits on everything from food science to green energy art. The Star Tribune Beach Bash On Sunday, July 15, Lake Calhoun's Thomas Beach will be jam-packed with events:   Are you going to any of these events? Share your pictures and video with other Patch readers in the Pics & Clips gallery!

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Invasives Rules Leave Lake Harriet, Calhoun Boaters Cross

New restrictions put in place last month.

Remember that potential invasive species "emergency" that was looming over Lakes Harriet and Calhoun last month? The one which Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board officials tried to head off with new restrictions on when and where you can put boats into the lakes? Well, some of those boaters and anglers are none too keen on those rules, according to the Southwest Journal.  “I understand the need to protect the lakes from aquatic invasive species, but I feel your efforts are greatly misdirected,” wrote Darin Sorenson in an e-mail to the Park Board. Others, reporter Nick Halter said, were upset that canoes and kayaks were exempt, but sailboats and powerboats were not. Starting July 13, every boat ramp at Lakes Calhoun, Harriet, and Nokomis…

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Police Catch Naked Bathers At Lake Calhoun

Group was swimming at 3:00 a.m.

What do you do when you're bored at 3:00 a.m.?  Go skinny-dipping in the lake, of course. Early on Saturday June 30, officers with the Minneapolis Police Department caught four young people swimming au naturale in Lake Calhoun at the 32nd Street Beach during a routine patrol. The four were between the ages of 24 and 26, and hailed from as nearby as the CARAG neighborhood and as far away as Chanhassen. One admitted to police that he had a plastic bottle with him, filled with whiskey. The four were cited for being in a city park after closing time and sent home. Want to stay on top of local news? Sign up for our newsletter, or follow us on Facebook and on Twitter

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Boozing Beachgoers Busted At Lake Calhoun

The lake's Thomas Beach was the scene of several alcohol violations last week.

Minneapolis may be a beer town, both the birthplace of brands like Grain Belt and new microbreweries popping up like crocuses in spring. Don't let that fool you into thinking beer is ok everywhere, though. The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board frowns deeper than a Puritan of old on people bringing beer and other "intoxicating beverages" into its parks. Ordinance PB2-17  didn't stop five groups of beachgoers at Lake Calhoun's Thomas Beach  from BYOBing last week, including a group of 19-year olds nabbed by Minneapolis Police Department officers on June 21.  In another case, red plastic cups and a cooler to hide the Mich Golden bottles weren't enough to keep a pair on June 23 from being caught by officers.  The Park Board ordinance …

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Todd Johnson

2:11 pm on Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Just saw two white girls busted at Lake Nokomis last week. Cops aren't always racist. They're just usually wrong.   more ›

Parks Could Face Invasive Species "Emergency"

Park Board bans uninspected boats and other water equipment from city lakes.

So far, the biggest aquatic invasive species problem the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board has had to deal with is Eurasian Milfoil .  But since it's hard to manage nasty things like Zebra Mussels  and Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia  with a floating, overgrown lawnmower, the Park Board on Thursday decided on a set of "emergency" measures to forestall further invasions. Starting July 13, every boat ramp at Lakes Calhoun, Harriet, and Nokomis will be chained shut, with no boaters allowed onto the water without first being inspected by a Park Board official. “The lakes are the crown jewels of our park system, so protecting them from aquatic invasive species is a very high priority for our Board,” said Park Board president John Erwin, in …

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James Sanna

9:19 am on Friday, June 22, 2012

BTW: MinnPost put together a map of invasives sightings across the state: http://www.minnpost.com/data/2012/06/mapping-invasive-species-minnesota   more ›

Lake Calhoun Beach-Goers Treated to 200 Free Slices of Pizza

Green Mill handed out 50 pizzas Saturday after a graduation party was canceled.

When a graduation party was canceled Saturday afternoon, Green Mill Pizza was left with 50 hot pies sitting in its 40-foot food truck. The pizzas were taken to Lake Calhoun’s Thomas beach and 200 slices were handed out for free. Swamped by beach-goers looking for sustenance in the 90 degree heat and by Green Mill fans who flocked to the free pizza after reading hints on Twitter, the pies didn’t last 20 minutes. Watch a video of the flashmob pizza party above.

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Where Has Minne The Lake Creature Gone?

Help us track down where the sculpture has made its summer debut!

Since her debut, Minne the Lake Creature has developed quite a following. Like a certain other Minneapolis celebrity, she's even started going by an unpronounceable symbol now and again, at least according to the Minneapolis Parks Foundation. They headlined an email announcement about Minne's summer debut "_[ is on the move!" Even if we have to start calling her "the Lake Creature formerly known as Minne," we still don't know where she is. The Parks Foundation may have shared the above tidbit, but they refused to say just where Minne is moving to. The only hint we get is "it’s known that she prefers Minneapolis lakes to all other bodies of water." The Parks Foundation helps take care of Minne, and helped fund her creation by artist Cameron…

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How To Survive the 2012 Minnesota Fishing Opener

Boat? Check. Rod and tackle? Check. Craziness? Check.

Minnesota has seen more than its fair share of cold, wet and windy fishing openers, but it doesn't look like 2012 will be one of them. Forecasts call for clear skies with morning lows in the upper 40s and afternoon highs in the high 70s. The fishing season officially begins at the stroke of midnight, and Minnesota's Department of Natural Resources (DNR) expects anglers to find a good bite throughout the state. Read the metro area fishing outlook here. Minnesota is the nation’s leader in fishing participation (28 percent of residents age 16 or older buy a license). About 500,000 anglers typically hit the water on opening day, and about 1.4 million people buy Minnesota fishing licenses each year. Minnesota's general fishing opener is the …

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Southwest Sights

Risking Their Neck For One Last Taste Of Winter

That's one audacious sailor!

The Hennepin County Sheriff's office may have sent out a thin ice warning on Friday, but that didn't seem to stop these sailors on Saturday morning at Lake Calhoun. Riding a small ice boat, one of them ventured far out into the middle of the lake, even as runners around the work were shedding everything but the skimpiest athletic apparel. When Patch spotted them, they were too far away from shore to interview safely, but one can only assume that they wanted one last taste of winter before the ice completely melts. If you do venture onto the ice today, the Hennepin County Sheriff is urging you to follow these safety guidelines:

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