MN Wild

The Minnesota Wild is a professional ice hockey team based in St. Paul, Minnesota. They are members of the National Hockey League (NHL).

After 7 seasons of not having a NHL franchise in Minnesota, the team was founded in 2000.  The unveiling occurred at Aldrich Arena in Maplewood, MN in 1998. The new name was introduced to everyone with the song "Born to be wild" by Steppenwolf playing over the arena's speaker system. The team plays at the Xcel Energy Center with the colors of Forest Green, Iron Range Red, Harvest gold, Minnesota wheat and white.  Though no Stanley Cups yet, they were in the division championships in the 07-08 season.

Preseason games start in late September and the Minnesota Wild opens its regular season at 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 13 against the Colorado Avalanche at Xcel Energy Center.

Looking for more info on the Wild?  Visit their homepage or follow them @mnwild.

The Fitz

The Fitzgerald Theater, St. Paul's oldest, is home to Minnesota Public Radio's live programming.

Stay a day after the conference and take in A Prairie Home Companion live on October 6th with special guests Kustbandet and Molly Dean.

Kerri Miller's popular Talking Volumes series "will be an epic celebration of writers and their work, ranging from the best of new fiction and explosive best sellers" this season. Plan a trip back to St. Paul to hear one of these celebrated authors!

The week before Election Day, partake in the Final Senate Debate, as well as two debates on the constitutional amendment proposals facing Minnesotans. Tuesday, Oct. 30th at 7:00 p.m. – Voter ID Amendment Debate, hosted by Tom Crann. Thursday, Nov. 1st at 7:00 p.m. – Marriage Amendment Debate, hosted by Kerri Miller. Sunday, Nov. 4th at 7:00 p.m. – Final Senate Debate with Sen. Amy Klobuchar (DFL) and State Rep. Kurt Bills (R), hosted by Cathy Wurzer.

Visit their website for information on these events and more!

St. Paul Classic

This last weekend was a great one for a bike ride.  The 18^th annual St Paul Classic was held in Saint Paul on September 9, 2012.  The Saint Paul Classic Bike Tour is an annual cycling event and fundraiser for the Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota. Cyclists enjoyed 15 to 40 miles of traffic-free routes featuring great rest stops, ride support, delicious food and beverages, live music, and much more!

The Classic has beautiful views, great live music and refreshments. For the ride in 2012, the Lilydale area is under construction, so the ride will featured a new ten-mile "BIG RIVER LOOP.” The ride starts and ends at the University of St. Thomas. The ride is a great way to see parks and parkways of the city. Riders went over the Wabasha Bridge, through the Latino District del Sol and biked along a levee overlooking the Mighty Mississippi. Want to do the full route on your own? You can see the full route on the course information page, you’ll just have watch out for traffic!

Missed out on the St. Paul Classic but still want to bike?  Check out the Mankato River Ramble on October 7^th.

Visit St. Paul on Pinterest

Thanks to LeAnn Suchy for passing along this comprehensive Pinterest guide to St. Paul.  And speaking of Pinterest, don't forget to check out "Getting Their Pinterest: Using Pinterest to Market Your Library" at the conference on Wednesday at 4pm.

Como Park Zoo and Conservatory

Lilies in bloom at Como Park

The Como Park Zoo and Conservatory is a great place to visit any time of year! Where else can you get a glimpse of a polar bear after seeing an orchid in full bloom, then go for a ride at Como Town or stroll around picturesque Como Park? 

In the Conservatory's Sunken Garden, the Fall Flower begins October 6th, featuring chrysanthemums in shades of purple, pink and yellow. The annual kid-friendly ZooBoo takes over Como Zoo the two weekends before Halloween (Oct 20, 21, 26, 27, & 28). 

Winter hours (October-March) are 10am-4pm. Admission is free but a $2/person donation is encouraged.

Historic Fort Snelling

Fort Snelling State Park is a historic, beautiful exploratorium located in the heart of the Twin Cities, just off of Highway 5 and Post Road. The colors along the mighty Mississippi River are ever changing from late September into mid-October, and provide for a stunning backdrop for walkers, hikers, bicyclists and paddlers.

With history dating back to the 1600s, there's a never ending supply of information to read and learn about the people who called this land home where the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers meet. By the 1820s, historic Fort Snelling was built on the bluff above the two historic rivers to control the exploration, trade, and settlement on these waterways.

Despite this park being mere miles from the international airport, there's a plethora of wildlife that call Fort Snelling home, including bald eagles, deer, fox, woodchucks, wood ducks, and painted turtles.

Getting outside is a fabulous breath of fresh air, not only for the body but also for the mind and soul. A short drive from downtown St Paul, a visit to Fort Snelling's day-use only facilities can be a welcome respite from a full day of learning inside an energetic convention center.

For more information, visit http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/fort_snelling/index.html

Minnesota RollerGirls

Minnesota RollerGirls (MNRG) is an all-women amateur flat-track roller derby league based in Saint Paul. Founded in August 2004, it is the first flat-track roller derby league in the state's history and since 2005, the league has played and practiced at the Roy Wilkins Auditorium in St. Paul. The Minnesota RollerGirls are made up of four “home teams” comprised of up to twenty active skaters each. These are the Atomic Bombshells, Dagger Dolls, Garda Belts, and Rockits. Home season play means that each of these teams plays against each other in two matchups per night. The Minnesota RollerGirls also has an all-star interleague team composed of skaters from the four home teams. This team competes against other WFTDA and non-WFTDA leagues across the United States

What is Roller Derby?

Roller derby is a contact sport played by two teams of five members roller skating in the same direction around a track. Game play consists of a series of short matchups ("jams") in which both teams designate a scoring player (the "jammer") who scores points by lapping members of the opposing team. The teams attempt to assist their own jammer while hindering the opposing jammer — in effect, playing both offense and defense simultaneously.  Modern roller derby is an international sport dominated by all-female amateur teams.

If you are staying in St. Paul the weekend after the conference and would like to see a bout, you are in luck.  Saturday, October 6, there is ahome bout at the Roy Wilkins Auditorium.