A-Mill Hydro Project

Video from June 27 Public Meeting

Public Meeting - Friday, June 27

Minneapolis Leased Housing Associates IV, Limited Partnership is pursuing a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) license to construct and operate the A-Mill Artist Lofts Hydroelectric Project, located in Minneapolis, Minnesota on the east bank of the Mississippi River at Upper St. Anthony Falls.

To engage with the public and resource agencies, a consultation was held to solicit comments on its proposed license application. This meeting took place at the time and location described below:

Date: Friday, June 27, 2014

Time: 10:00 am

Location: Minneapolis Central Library, Doty Board Room

Download meeting notice & materials...

Detailed Description (from developers website):

The purpose of this project is to restore hydropower to the Pillsbury A‐Mill building. The power will solely be used for the A‐Mill Artist Lofts, which is currently under construction and will provide 251 low‐income apartments. No power will be sold to the grid nor will power in excess of demand be produced. The hydroelectric facility is planned to be installed before the end of 2015 with construction starting as soon as applicable permits are obtained.

The Pillsbury A‐Mill, including the below referenced water infrastructure, was built in 1881. The A‐Mill is one of only 25 National Historic Landmarks in Minnesota. It operated as a flour mill until 2003. Power for the mill was produced by turbines in the building. To power the turbines water was brought in from the Mississippi river via a headrace tunnel. The water flowed down two drop shafts powering two turbines. The water was returned to the river via two tailrace tunnels. The water rights for the power used by A‐Mill have been kept with the property since its establishment. The proposed hydropower project uses approximately two thirds of its water rights or 200 cfs to generate 600 kW of power.

The proposed hydroelectric facility involves two separate sites (Figure 1). The first restores the existing intake structure (Figure 2) sleeves a pipe through the existing tunnel, replaces a turbine and generator in the existing downstream drop shaft, and conveys the turbine discharge through a box culvert placed in the existing outlet channel (Figure 3). Details regarding work outside the building are provided below. The intake structure and outlet structure are on property owned by Xcel Energy and the Minneapolis Park Board, respectively.There is an established legal right for the project owner to maintain these structures.

The intake will involve the reactivation of the former intake into the main headrace tunnel that is located below Main Street.  The intake structure is located on the left bank of the Mississippi River, a short distance upstream of Xcel Energy’s now decommissioned Main Street Hydroelectric facility.  The intake structure is presently partially closed by a concrete bulkhead.  There is two-foot square gated opening that conveys water into the tunnel.  Reactivation of the intake will involve removing the bulkhead, installing a trash rack and sluice gate, and dredging localized silty sediment immediately adjacent to the intake structure.  The new trash rack is designed to limit approach velocities to 0.5-feet-per-second.

The area immediately out from the intake was probed through the ice in mid-February, 2014.  Water depths ranged from 3-feet to over 8-feet below normal water level. The probing clearly identified the presence of relatively deep soft sediments in front of the intake structure.  For the intake to be reactivated and function effectively the area immediately in front of the intake will be dredged to the invert of the existing intake structure (~15-feet below the normal water level) tapering up to the existing bed elevation as shown on the attached plans.  The estimated volume of dredge material is estimated to be 500 cubic yards.

The new outlet structure will consist of a 4-foot high by 6-foot wide concrete box culvert that will be located on the invert of the historic outlet structure channel. The top of the culvert will be nearly submerged under typical river levels.  It will discharge unto the existing submerged apron.  Reactivation of the outlet structure will require the removal of silt that has accumulated since the A-Mill ceased operation.   There is approximately 100 cubic yards of silt to be removed off the submerged apron and another 160 cubic yards to be removed from the upstream existing tailrace.

Week 8 at the 2014 Mill City Farmers Market

This beautiful array at the Seed to Seed Farm stand gave Dave the idea of highlighting a "Display of the Day" for the remainder of the 2014 season.   Honorable mention to Women's Environmental Institute for their creative use of a shopping cart. :)

You will never be disappointed by the cool treats from Sonny's stand.  However, they had an exceptional flavor at the June 28 Market - Goat Cheese Honey with Herbs Gelato.  They incorporate ingredients from Market vendors in some of their creations, and this one featured Singing Hills Goat Dairy and Ames Farm.

Good Lord!  Check out the size of these dandelion greens!

Not a Market Member yet?  You should be! Every week you can take advantage of deals throughout the Market wherever you see these green and orange flags:

Every Wednesday the MCFM sends out an e-newsletter (the Mill City Beet) outlining what's happening at the next Market (including which vendors will have specials that week).  Sign up and get the most out of the Market!

The goat!

Reminder - Streets Closures for Pride Parade on Sunday, June 29

Minneapolis will close several streets downtown on Sunday, June 29, for the Ashley Rukes GLBT Pride Parade. The following streets will be closed:

Beginning at 8:00am:

◦ Hennepin Avenue will close from 8th Street S. to 9th Street S. for the Pride Block Party.
◦ 3rd St. S. will close for staging of the parade from Hennepin Ave. to Portland Ave. S. Cross traffic will be allowed at all times.
◦ Hennepin Avenue will close from 3rd Street South to Spruce Place. Cross traffic will be allowed as normal until 10:30 a.m.
◦ Some cross traffic will be restricted from crossing Hennepin Avenue. Traffic will be allowed to cross Hennepin at 4th, 5th, 7th, 10th, and 11th streets.
◦ Spruce Place will close from Hennepin Avenue to Yale Place.
◦ Yale Place will close from Spruce Place to Loring Park.

These streets will reopen following the parade at about 3:00pm.

Tomorrow: Grand Opening of the Sheridan Veterans Memorial at Sheridan Memorial Park

Via a June 24 email from the Minneapolis Park and Rec Board:

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) and Park Board Commissioner Liz Wielinski will celebrate the grand opening of the Sheridan Veterans Memorial at Sheridan Memorial Park, 1300 Water Street NE, on Saturday, June 28, 2014 at 10:00 a.m. (See official invitation.)

Citizens of northeast Minneapolis, including many veterans, have worked tirelessly to make this memorial along the Mississippi River a reality. “The Veterans Memorial is in honor of all veterans. It is a thank you to those who stepped forward to serve, a tribute to those whose lives were lost or forever altered, and a living reminder of our hope for a world with lasting peace.” said State Representative, Diane Loeffler. Representative Loeffler was responsible for shepherding the project through the legislature for the state funding that was needed to plan and construct the project.

Commissioner Wielinski added, “We especially want to thank the following individuals and groups for their support of this project: the citizens of Minnesota, the Puzak Family (who donated some of the land for the park), Jenny Fortman and the Sheridan Neighborhood Organization, and all of the many veterans who helped create the vision for this space, most especially veterans Ed Karbo who led the initial charge, and Howard Weller who followed it through to the final stages.”

Back in 1995, a group of veterans led by Karbo began looking for a site to commemorate war veterans. They joined forces with the Sheridan Neighborhood Organization (SNO) in 2005 to site the memorial in what was formerly Water Street Park—now renamed Sheridan Memorial Park. SNO and the veterans have raised thousands of dollars in contributions.

The veterans memorial is located at the south end of the Sheridan Memorial Park. Visitors walk past three flags as they enter the site. At the center of the memorial is a 30 foot diameter steel sculpture which is lit from within. The sculpture is surrounded by a circular plaza defined by low walls and slanted panels of lawn. A perimeter walk opens to ten sitting alcoves with benches and vertical markers, each bearing a description of one of the ten conflicts in which Minnesotans have served. The memorial opens out to an overlook cantilevered over the river bank. In this plaza stands an eleventh “empty” marker representing the ever potential threat of war, reminding us to strive for peace. The edge of the memorial is defined by peace gardens and a ring of oak trees.

The sculpture and eleven markers were created by local artist Robert Smart.

The community strongly advocated for a peace emphasis in the design. The circle, a form used repeatedly throughout the memorial, is a protective symbol representing unity, wholeness, and regeneration. The text of the markers catalogs the cost of war. Nine quotes about peace inscribed in granite pavers are a counterpoint to the descriptions of the conflicts.

Construction of the memorial occurred in 2013. The memorial was dedicated on Veteran’s Day November 11, 2013. The central sculpture was installed in late spring of 2014. All are welcome to join in the Grand Opening celebration.

New Saturday Morning Option: Yoga Rocks the Park

I learned about Yoga Rocks the Park from Renee Peters of Zula Juice, a vendor at the Mill City Farmers Market, as well as a Yoga Rocks the Park sponsor (she was chosen to be a local ambassador for YRP).  The group meets Saturday mornings at Father Hennepin Bluffs Park at 10:30a, and class begins at 11:00am. (Occasionally the group will meet at Marquette Plaza, and there is one Sunday in the 2014 schedule - see the full schedule below in the green box.)

These weekly all-levels 75-minute yoga classes (beginners welcome!) feature the most inspiring Twin Cites yoga teachers and are accompanied by live music, including talent such as ECID, K.Raydio and Alma Andina; and a DJ playing some of the top and emerging musicians in the country.

Bring your little yogis along, as there will also be Camp YRP - Kid's Yoga, led each week by 1000-Petals Yoga, Adventures of Super Stretch or Lil' Breathers, the premiere yoga programs for kids in the Twin Cities.

Yoga Rocks the Park is sponsored largely in part by Athleta and KFAI. Ten percent of what YRP accomplishes this summer will be donated to their National non-profit, The Give Back Yoga Foundation, and local non-profit, Open Arms of Minnesota.

Purchase tickets online.

You can follow Yoga Rocks the Park on Facebook (Yoga Rocks The Park - Minneapolis), as well as Twitter and Instagram @yogarocksmpls.

THE 2014 LINE UP

Take in the Twin Cities Jazz Festival with a Free Ride on the Green Line

In case you haven't yet traveled the new Green Line all the way to the end, here's a reason to.

The 2014 Twin Cities Jazz Festival is this weekend in Lowertown St. Paul, with a lineup of top-notch musicians.  The performances are free attend, and you can also get to Mears Park and nearby restaurants for free on both June 27 and 28.

Simply download and print a pass by clicking on the blue "Free rides to the Twin Cities Jazz Festival!" box on the front page of the website.  Show the pass to your bus driver or Transit Police officer for a free ride.  Remember to keep your pass for your ride home! Hop on for free during these days and times:

• Friday, June 27, 3pm to 11pm
• Saturday, June 28, 11am to 10pm

The free ride offer is not available on Northstar.

If you need help planning your trip, call a transit expert at 612-373-3333 or use the interactive Trip Planner.

Minneapolis Parks and Rec Board Offers Free Photography Classes

Via a June 23 e-newsletter from the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board:

Minneapolis Parks Offers Free Photography Classes
First class is this Saturday, June 28 at Kenwood Recreation Center

Grab your cameras and clean of those lenses! We are offering free indoor and outdoor photography classes through the summer in conjunction with our 2014 Picture a Park Photo Contest – more details about how to submit your work to the photo contest will be available soon!

If you want to learn more about controlling the key elements of your camera to achieve consistently good photos, you should attend this class. Whether you use a SLR, point and shoot or cell phone camera, you’ll learn how to take better digital images by understanding exposure, color, picture options, flash and composition. Be sure to bring your camera – DSLR, point and shoot or cell phone! 

• Sat., June 28, 5 Key Elements to Improve Your Photography, 10 a.m. – noon, Kenwood
• Sat, July 12, Outdoors Photography: Photo Safari, 8 – 10 a.m., Minnehaha Falls
• Sat. July 26, 5 Key Elements to Improve Your Photography, 10 a.m. – noon, Lynnhurst
• Sat. Aug. 2, Close Up Photography, 8 – 10 .m., Lyndale Park Rose Garden

Learn how to take better photographs using your SLR, point and shoot or cell phone camera. Admission is free but pre-registration required. Register online today!

Coming Soon to St. Anthony Main Theatre: New Comfy Seats!

Via a brief June 21 e-newsletter from The Film Society of Minneapolis St. Paul:

"The St. Anthony Main Theatre will be closed Monday, June 23 - Tuesday, June 24, for renovations. The theatre will reopen on Wednesday, June 25, with all new, super comfy seats installed!"

Me: "Yay!" :)

Week 7 at the 2014 Mill City Farmers Market

June 21 was Brain Health Day at the Market, featuring the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) bike helmet give away, American Brain Foundation "Buy a Brain", and Restart at the Community Booth.

New produce this week included garlic scapes, green beans and fennel.

This was also the first Market of the season during which the Chicago side of AAN was fully utilized with vendors.  There was a traffic cop on duty to assure shoppers could safely cross the the street.

I love this picture - four generations sitting together on the steps:

Tonight - Solstice River XVIII at Stone Arch Bridge

Tonight at 8:00pm, Global Site Performance and Hamline University’s Center for Global Environmental Education present Marylee Hardenbergh’s Solstice River XVIII -- the eighteenth annual site-specific performance at the Stone Arch Bridge in downtown Minneapolis. The performance honors the Mississippi River on the longest day of the year. Created by Marylee Hardenbergh, with music by J. David Moore simulcast over KBEM FM 88.5.

Global Water Dances is a series of dances performed on the same day through out the world, bringing local and global attention to water quality issues.

In partnership with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Anthony Falls Laboratory, Guthrie Theater, A Minneapolis Milfoil Project, Mill City Museum, the Twin Cities T’ai-Chi Ch’uan Studio and Jeff Grundtner.

This activity is funded, in part, by an appropriation from the Minnesota State Legislature with money from the State’s general fund. Thanks also to the Marbrook Foundation, the Hayes Fund of the HRK Foundationand Onan Family Foundation.

Free and open to the public, the event will be held rain or shine. Click here for more information on the Minneapolis Global Water Dances event.

Click here for scenes from a previous Solstice River event.

West River Parkway Closure Due to Mudslide - Plan an Alternate Route!

Via a late night June 19 notification from the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board:

West River Parkway is currently closed between Franklin Ave. and 13th Ave S. due to a mudslide caused by recent heavy rains.

4-Day 'Books, Baking and Beyond Day Camp' at Mill City Museum for Kids Aged 9-11

While talking with a staff member earlier this week, I was surprised to learn there are still a few spots available for this year's 4-day 'Books, Baking and Beyond Day Camp' at Mill City Museum, scheduled for June 30 - July 3 (9:00am to 3:30pm daily). 

If Dave and I had kids, nieces, nephews or grandkids in the 9-11 age bracket, we would for sure enroll them in this camp.  Here's a description of the program:

Discover Minneapolis' past and present in a fun-filled week at Mill City Museum and Minnesota Center for Book Arts. Campers ages 9-11 will spend each morning at Mill City Museum exploring a different museum theme through a variety of activities. Campers will create a photographic history of the area, bake bread, tour St. Anthony Falls lock and dam, create recipes in the Baking Lab, hike the Minneapolis riverfront and participate in several hands-on projects. After lunch, campers will walk to Minnesota Center for Book Arts for related book projects. These include making a journal to record memories throughout the week, operating the printing press to produce illustrations for a recipe book, making paper and constructing other book projects.

The fee is $250 ($225 for MNHS members), and reservations are required - call 612-341-7556 or register online.

Minneapolis Parks Begins Eight-year Effort to Mark, Remove and Replace Public Ash Trees

Via a June 18 Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board e-newsletter:

Seeing green? Here's what it means.

Approximately 30,000 ash trees lining Minneapolis boulevards and nearly ten thousand ash trees located in park properties are destined for infestation by Emerald Ash Borer (EAB). To lessen the effects of a sudden large-scale, city-wide canopy loss, Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) foresters will begin marking non-symptomatic public ash trees on Monday, June 23 as part of an eight-year effort to mark, remove and replace public ash trees on boulevards and in parks throughout the city.

The pre-emptive removal is part of the MPRB’s ash canopy replacement plan, which reduces the impact of tree losses by removing a small percentage of ash trees at a time and replacing them with a diverse range of tree species along each city block and within each park.

Forestry crews anticipate replacing 5,000 ash trees each year for eight years, with removal of ash trees during 2014-2021 and planting of replacement trees during 2015-2022. MPRB Director of Forestry Ralph Sievert said foresters will decide which non-symptomatic ash trees to replace on a neighborhood / block-by-block basis.

“Our goal is to replace approximately two to four ash trees on each block per season,” said Sievert. “Foresters will choose trees for replacement throughout an entire block so that properties are affected as evenly as possible.”

Maps of boulevard ash trees by neighborhood are available on the MPRB’s website www.minneapolisparks.org/eab. Maps of Minnesota EAB infestations are available from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture website.

Green Means EAB
Non-symptomatic ash trees identified for removal will be marked with a green painted “X,” and the MPRB will begin removing those ash trees and stumps throughout 2014. Replacement trees will be planted in spring and fall of 2015.

Ash trees infested with EAB will be marked with a green painted ring and removed as soon as possible. Infested trees are counted as part of the 5,000 trees to be replaced each year. Note: Any other tree species slated for removal are marked with orange paint.

Unless a tree possess a public hazard, trees remain marked for a minimum of five days before being removed.

Forestry crews will also continue the MRPB's EAB awareness program by wrapping Minneapolis public ash trees with an informational green ribbon. The ribbon alerts residents that, “EAB Kills Ash” trees. Trees are being wrapped with the informational green ribbons to raise awareness about the impact EAB is having on the urban forest.  The ribbon does not denote the tree is currently slated for removal.  It is only trees marked with green paint that will be replaced as part of the ash canopy replacement plan each year.

Minneapolis residents with a boulevard ash tree adjacent to their property may request to have it replaced by contacting the MPRB. There is no direct charge to replace boulevard ash trees.

While the MPRB is not using chemical treatments on ash trees, residents may treat non-symptomatic boulevard ash trees with insecticide at their own expense.  All ash treatments must be applied by a licensed and permitted tree care company. For a list of companies that have been issued a treatment permit visit www.minneapolisparks.org/eab.

The ash canopy replacement plan is funded through an annual $1.2 million levy that was first passed in 2013.  This levy needs to be passed annually to fund the eight year plan.

For more information on the MPRB's ash canopy replacement plan, visit www.minneapolisparks.org/eab. You can also reach the MPRB Forestry Department via email forestry@minneapolisparks.org or phone 612-313-7710.

CONTACT:	Dawn Sommers Communications and Marketing Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board 612-230-6407 dsommers@minneapolisparks.org
	Robin Smothers Communications and Marketing Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board 612-230-6410 rsmothers@minneapolisparks.org

Cynthia Froid Group to Host June 25 Ice Cream Social in Gold Medal Park

They're calling it their Mill District neighbor appreciation event.  We in turn very much appreciate all the work Cynthia and her team have done to help build this neighborhood.  In addition to bringing home buyers here, Cynthia is also a supporter Mill City Farmers Market, MacPhail Center for Music, Mill City Commons, Guthrie Theater, Friends of the Mississippi, Minneapolis Riverfront Partnership, and Preservation Alliance of MN. Whew!

Thanks, Cynthia Froid Group!  :)

Update on Monday, June 30, 2014 at 7:45AM by David Tinjum

Photos from the event:

President Obama Signs Bill to Close St. Anthony Falls Lock

Photo: City of Minneapolis

Via June 16 e-newsletter from Friends of the Mississippi River:

Article by Irene Jones

The Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRDDA) has officially passed into law, with President Obama signing it on June 10, 2014. WRRDA is a hefty bit of legislation with one little provision that will make a big difference for the Mississippi River: “Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall close the Upper St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam.” FMR has been advocating for the lock closure provision in WRRDA in order to prevent the spread of invasive carp for more than two years, with our allies in the Stop Carp Coalition. Thanks to the bill’s chief sponsors Senator Amy Klobuchar, Representative Keith Ellison and their colleagues for accomplishing this very important victory for Minnesota.

“Now that this landmark legislation is officially signed into law, our coalition can put more focus on the bigger and more difficult problem of stopping the carp downstream,” says Whitney Clark, FMR’s executive director.

Lock closure also will create new opportunities for the city of Minneapolis and the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board (MPRB). The Above the Falls Master Plan, which is currently undergoing an update, calls for continuous parks and trails on both sides of the river north of Plymouth Avenue, and lock closure could speed up development of parks, especially on the west side of the river. The city-owned Upper Harbor Terminal is already scheduled to close this year, and be subsequently redeveloped as park and new urban development.

“This is great news for our parks,” said MPRB President Liz Wielinski, “because now we can move forward confidently with implementing our upper river plan. Stopping the invasive carp will bolster our plans to include more access for small boats, canoes and kayaks above the falls.”

For more insights, Chris Steller provides an in-depth piece in MinnPost about lock closure and what changes might be afoot in Minneapolis.

Tonight: 85th Celebrate Northeast Parade

6:30pm - 9:00pm

The parade route in on Central between 27th Ave NE and 18th Ave NE.  Map and detours.

The 85th Celebrate Northeast Parade is sponsored and facilitated by the Northeast Minneapolis Chamber of Commerce. A committee of 16 volunteers meets monthly, from January through parade day, planning and organizing all the details involved with the celebration. With their intense commitment and efforts, and the additional help of nearly 150 volunteers, this Northeast tradition continues year after year.
 
Over 100 parade entrants, representing neighboring communities, local businesses, Northeast Royalty, elected officials, marching bands, non-profits and schools from across the state will participate. The sidewalks along the Avenue are packed three people deep watching the parade and representing generations of family and community members.

Students Tour the Mill City Museum to Kick Off a 5 Week Bike Trip to New Orleans to Study Industrialization Along the Mississippi

Currently in her fourth year studying architecture at The Cooper Union in New York City, Arta Perezic and her classmate, Nick Pacula, received a grant called the Menschel Fellowship to study industrialization along the Mississippi River. This annual Fellowship culminates with a January exhibition in New York City.

They recently set off on a five week bicycle journey from Minneapolis to New Orleans to study specific sites along the river.

Could there have been a more appropriate starting point for their journey than the Mill City Museum?  Here they were given a private tour and provided with local riverfront history by the Museum's Director, Laura Salveson, and Public Programs Coordinator, David Stevens.

Below, the bikes are loaded with everything they were taking on their travels. A Lewis and Clark expedition for the modern world!   :)

We'll keep in touch with Arta and Nick, and hopefully get to share their presentation from the January 2015 exhibition.

Week 6 at the 2014 Mill City Farmers Market

Strawberries arrived at the June 14 Market, which for me took the edge off the rain. It was Pollinator Day, with special guests University of MN Bee Lab and the Beez Kneez.  Allina Health was also at the Market, and sponsored the Meet Your Vegetables Tasting Booth. 

The intricate beauty of plants...

Treated myself to a little something special from Art Andes:

Loon Organics is selling T-Shirts to help raise money for a new hoophouse:

From Prairie Hollow Farm, Deer Tongue Lettuce:

And the weaver is back!

The goat from Nerstrand with its nasturtium.

FYI - Next Saturday (June 21) is the first day of summer - fingers crossed the sun will shine!

History Crumbling Before Our Eyes

Everything was fine last Sunday morning (June 8).  We were crossing the Stone Arch Bridge on our way to check out the eagles nest perched in a cottonwood tree where Main Street NE terminates just prior to the 35W Bridge. I remember stopping to point out all the greenery growing atop the old 10th Avenue bridge piling, which hasn't noticeably changed in condition for at least the past few years.  And then Thursday night (June 12) when we were out for a walk Dave noticed it fell apart:

Dave took the below pictures in April, 2012:

The Minnesota Historical Society is an excellent resource for locating pictures of Minneapolis in the 1800's.  Here are a few pictures of the 10th Avenue Bridge when it was in use (note Spirit Island in the background):

Steve Brandt of the Star Trib posted an interesting article on the history of the bridge, Peer at this Minneapolis bridge pier while you still can, on June 12.

Tonight's the Night! Northern Spark 2014

Planning Your Night
 
With 125 projects and 505 minutes, there is a lot to see and experience at Northern Spark.

If you're the type of person who likes to show up and see where the night takes you - simply pick up a festival guidebook at one of the Info Hubs when you arrive at the festival. The guidebook describes each project and has a list of timed events, as well as information on where to find the amenities you need, such as bathrooms, first aid, and food.

Or, if you're the type of person who prefers to go with a game plan to maximize all 505 minutes before the Sunday morning pancake feed, check out the My Night feature.  My Night lets you assemble a list of projects that you want to see, including times and locations. Each event and project listing has a My Night button: click it to add to your list. When you’re done, print it, share it, or transfer it to the festival’s mobile app.

Weather Info

Northern Spark happens rain or (moon)shine.  Organizers are working to ensure that every project can be presented, although some project locations may be adjusted to work with the weather.

Volunteers will be ready with the latest information, and you can find weather and other last minute updates on Twitter @Northern_Spark and on the Facebook page.

If it does rain, be sure to wear your rain gear and bring your sense of adventure. Many festival projects already take place in sheltered locations, and after all, what else brings Minnesotans together like a little bit of weather?