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Roundabout: Out & About
Tuesday, April 21, 2026
Theo Franz
April 21, 2026 • Estimated Reading Time: 3 minutes
Good morning!
Earth Day is tomorrow, and this week’s edition of Out & About offers a few easy ways to get outside and celebrate, from guided hikes to informational nature programs.
We also highlight the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival and Woodbury Days’ Button Design Contest (I’m hoping it’s as chaotic as some of the submissions seen from the state flag contest).
Enjoy!
Editor: Theo Franz
[email protected]
Top Story
The Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival (MSPIFF) runs April 08-19. (Logo provided by the festival.)
Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival Brings Global Cinema To The Bold North
By: Hunter Friesen
April showers bring May flowers. But what April also brings is the annual Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival (MSPIFF, pronounced “EM-spiff”), which is celebrating its 45th year of showcasing an eclectic range of films to Minnesota moviegoers.
In my brief time attending the festival, the programming has only gotten stronger, and so has the festival’s attendance and its place within the great cinema landscape.
Of course, the majority of the 200 films within the lineup will be screened at The Main Cinema, which was recently renovated with new seating in a few of its theaters. Other venues for select screenings include the Edina Theatre, Pop’s Art Theater, Capri Theater, Landmark Center and FilmNorth.
Highlighted Event
 | Woodbury Days Button Design ContestAnytime before May 1All Woodbury residents are invited to submit a design for August’s community celebration and compete for a $100 prize. |
Events Calendar
Coffee with a Cop
Tuesday, April 21, 9:30-11 a.m. | 8505 Valley Creek Road
Connect with Woodbury police officers for a friendly chat.
Shredding Day
Wednesday, April 22, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. | 4039 Cottage Grove Drive
With proof of Washington County residence shredding up to six 30-pound boxes of paper is free.
Take a Hike on Earth Day
Wednesday, April 22, 4-6 p.m. | 8946 70th Street, Cottage Grove
Celebrate our Earth with your family on a hike through the woods to reconnect with nature. Free but registration requested.
Let’s Go For a Walk
Wednesday, April 22, 4:30-6 p.m. | Glacial Valley Road and Pine Island Road
Walk with folks from the South Washington Watershed District. Put on your hiking boots and stroll through restored prairie and savannah grasses.
Plant Sale Volunteers in Correction
Thursday, April 23 (open Thursdays through Sundays while supplies last) | 297 Century Ave. S.
On-site greenhouses yield beautiful, healthy plants for gardens, patios and containers at below commercial prices. Benefits programs that help folks turn their lives around after incarceration.
Johnson Jewelers 50th Anniversary Celebration
Thursday, April 23, 4 p.m. | 783 Radio Drive
Help celebrate the golden anniversary of this local jeweler with treats and prizes. Free.
Red Rock Elementary Carnival
Friday, April 24, 6-8 p.m. | 3311 Commonwealth Avenue
Games, bounce houses, food trucks and more.
Women’s RefresHER Event
Saturday, April 25, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. | 1583 Radio Drive, Woodbury
Invite your mom, sisters and friends for breakfast, keynote and a variety of breakout groups — all designed to help you feel refreshed and connected.
Held in Hope: Carrying the Grief of Child Loss Together
Saturday, April 25, 9 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. | 7676 80th Street, Cottage Grove
This special event will include inspiring guest speakers, shared stories, intentional moments of reflection and opportunities for families to connect in a compassionate and supportive environment. Free, including lunch, but registration required.
Brookview Carnival
Saturday, April 25, noon-3 p.m. | 11099 Brookview Drive
Inflatables, games, food trucks and a silent auction.
Down on the Farm
Saturday, April 25, 1-2 p.m. | 8946 70th Street, Cottage Grove
Join a Dodge naturalist for a tour. Meet farm animals as you explore the historic barn, poultry pens and wide pastures. Register online for $10.
Fun & Games
Fun Fact
Woodbury was originally known as Red Rock Township. The rock that bore the name is a huge granite boulder that is still in Newport.
The rock was found among limestone along the banks of the Mississippi River and is described as a glacial erratic, a rock moved to the site by an ancient glacier that stands out from the other rocks in the area.
It was an important symbol to the native people who lived in and near the area. The Dakota words Eyah-Shaw and In-Yan Sa name the rock. The east side of the rock was painted with red stripes using vermilion (mercury sulfide). Its riverside location was near a summer camp of the Dakota people and a burial ground. As it was sacred ground, people often stopped to give thanks and make offerings.
This red rock was not an obscure marker only noticeable by the Dakota familiar with the area. It was noted by early European explorers Lt. Zebulon Pike in 1805 and Stephen Long in 1823 in their journals and reports.
In the 1840s, Methodist ministers were sent as missionaries to the Indians. They built near the rock and adopted its name for their settlement. Over time, the church built a summer camp where thousands of people came to Red Rock in Newport. Eventually, the camp moved elsewhere in Minnesota, and in 1969 the rock was moved to the site of the Newport Methodist Church.
Conversations have begun to return Eyah-Shaw to the Dakota people, but as seen in this photo, Red Rock remains on the lawn of the church.
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