Free events to be held August 2 in New York Mills

The New York Mills Regional Cultural Center invites the public to its second annual National Night Out community event on Tuesday, Aug. 2, from 4-6 p.m. National Night Out is free to attend and open to the public.

The Cultural Center is working with several community partners again this year, including the NY Mills Public Library, NY Mills Police Department, NY Mills Public Works, Baby’s Bagels Food Truck and Roots & Wings Forest School.

  The public is welcome to join us outdoors in the back parking lot shared with the NY Mills Public Library (weather permitting) and inside the Cultural Center to enjoy a variety of games and activities for all ages.

Attendees will be able to visit with a NY Mills police officer and check out their vehicle, chat with library staff, enjoy activities and buy used books to take home, explore public works equipment, play nature I spy and animal track art with Roots & Wings Forest School, enjoy fresh local food from Baby’s Bagels Food Truck, create art outdoors with the Cultural Center’s Art in Your Park crew, and more.

New this year, the Cultural Center will launch its Positive Community Sign Project at National Night Out. Supplies will be available for attendees to create a sign design during National Night Out, with all designs being entered into a community contest. Sign designs will be posted in our gallery and online, and community members are invited to vote for their favorite designs. The top vote-getters will be printed and distributed to community members to post in yards around NY Mills. Thanks to the NY Mills Civic & Commerce Association for their sponsorship of this project.

The Cultural Center will be open during National Night Out for attendees to visit the gallery and gift shop as well. The current gallery show features nature paintings by Kent Estey and decoys by Bruce Dixon (on display through July 30), and the gift shop is a hidden gem featuring the work of over 100 local/regional artists, local foods, Scandinavian treats, books, and a variety of unique treasures.

National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make our neighborhoods safer, more caring places to live. Millions of neighbors take part in National Night Out across thousands of communities from all fifty states, U.S. territories and military bases worldwide on the first Tuesday in August.  Neighborhoods host block parties, festivals, parades, cookouts and various other community events with safety demonstrations, seminars, youth events, visits from emergency personnel, exhibits and much, much more.  Check out National Night Out online for ideas and to learn more at www.natw.org.

Anyone who would like to be a part of the National Night Out in NY Mills is asked to email info@kulcher.org or call 385-3339.

  This activity is made possible in part by the voters of Minnesota through an operating support grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

  For more information, call the Cultural Center at (218) 385-3339 or visit the Center’s website at www.kulcher.org.