Sacred Water Shared Future

Rafting on the River
2026-08-05 13:30 - 16:30, 2026-08-06 09:00 - 12:00 (America/Chicago) | Mississippi Gateway Regional Park, 10360 W River Rd, Brooklyn Park, MN, 55444, United States
Float down the Mississippi and explore the natural shoreline. Discover birds, minnows, mussels and more! Beginners are welcome. Participants will paddle and do some lifting with the team while guided by experienced naturalists. Safety equipment and shuttle provided. $35/person.

Dates and Times:

Thursday July 2, 9am-12pm
Friday July 10, 1:30-4:30pm
Saturday July 11, 9am-12pm
Thursday July 16, 9am-12pm
Thursday July 16, 1:30-4:30pm
Friday July 17, 5-8pm
Thursday July 23, 5-8pm
Saturday July 25, 1:30-4:30pm
Saturday August 1, 9am-12pm
Saturday August 1, 1:30-4:30pm
Wednesday August 5, 9am-12pm
Wednesday August 5, 1:30-4:30pm
Thursday August 6, 9am-12pm

River Fest
2026-08-08 10:00 - 15:00 | Mississippi Gateway Regional Park, 10360 W River Rd, Brooklyn Park, MN, 55444, United States
Experience River Fest on the banks of the Mississippi River! Enjoy a day full of hands-on adventures, live entertainment and river-inspired fun for all ages. From Splashy river play and hands-on creativity to science, art and outdoor exploration there’s something new to discover around every bend.

Roots of Resilience: Healthy Forests, Healthy Communities
2026-08-11 17:00 - 18:00 | Crosby Farm Regional Park, 2595 Crosby Farm Rd, Saint Paul, MN, 55116, United States
Join us in the floodplain forest to learn about trees and how they impact community health! Mississippi Park Connection will be giving FREE hour-long guided tours at Crosby Farm Regional Park this summer.
Have you ever wondered what trees do for you besides providing oxygen? How they trees adapting to an urban setting? This tour is for you! For one hour, relax into the beauty of the world of trees and find out what we’re doing to help our trees become more resilient to a changing world.
Please note: we will be walking on uneven terrain throughout this tour. If you have differing accessibility needs, please reach out to us in advance at programs@parkconnection.org.
This tour is for individual or groups. These dates (July 14 & 21, August 4 & 11) are intended for individuals to sign up to tour the floodplain forest. If you’d like to schedule a tour for a group, please contact us directly at programs@parkconnection.org with subject “ASCC plot tour request.”
This is a BIPOC-centered event but all are welcome.
Funding for this project is provided by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service. This organization is an equal opportunity provider.

How Do We Move Through This? — A Movement Workshop Series on Water, Grief, and Collective Repair
2026-08-15 11:00 - 13:00, 2026-08-29 11:00 - 13:00 | MWMO Stormwater Park and Learning Center, 2522 Marshall Street NE, Minneapolis, MN, 55418, United States
How Do We Move Through This? is a participatory movement workshop inviting youth and adults to explore their relationship to water, community, and change through embodied learning. Developed by interdisciplinary artist and choreographer Victoria Bradford Styrbicki, the workshop draws from her semaphore-inspired choreographic framework, in which coded gestures communicate messages that cannot always be spoken aloud.
The workshop introduces students to the idea that water holds memory — of storms, pollution, healing, migration, and care — and that our own bodies also carry stories shaped by our environments. Using simple movement scores, flag-based signaling, and creative improvisation, participants translate feelings such as grief, resilience, fear, and hope into physical form.
Session One | Youth
Saturday, August 15 | 11am – 1pm
Session Two | Adults
Saturday, August 29 | 11am – 1pm
Workshop Phases
1. Listening to Place
Participants begin with sensory observation and short reflections on their own water stories — lakes they swim in, rivers they cross, flooding they have witnessed, or places where water feels unsafe or protected. This stage centers stillness, noticing, and “whole-body listening.”
2. Encoding Feeling into Movement
Drawing on semaphore and Morse-like principles, participants devise personal movement codes that represent feelings such as longing, distress, grief, hope, and resilience. Resulting codes — such as “I will keep going ahead (QD 2)” or “I cannot maintain my present course (PJ)” — are translated into gesture, allowing students to express complex or difficult emotions without needing perfect language.
3. Collective Signaling
Small groups weave their individual codes into shared movement phrases that become living messages. These sequences are performed for one another, creating a physical conversation about water, loss, care, and repair.
The workshop concludes with a facilitated dialogue connecting the movement work to local watershed concerns supported by MWMO and the Capital Region Watershed District. Youth reflect on how environmental change mirrors the emotional and social changes in their own lives — and how collective action, like collective movement, can shape healthier futures for both water and community.
This workshop aligns with Sacred Waters, Shared Future by cultivating ecological awareness, youth voice, and creative stewardship, inviting participants not only to learn about water, but to feel their role in protecting it.

How Rivers Shape Lands
2026-08-15 13:00 - 15:00 | Mississippi Gateway Regional Park, 10360 W River Rd, Brooklyn Park, MN, 55444, United States
Rivers literally shape the world around us. They cut through soil and rock, they build islands, and they move across landscapes. Explore the Mississippi River looking for landforms, and experiment with a stream table to see what kinds of landforms you can create. $6/person.

River Concert: Vasili Kasatkin
2026-08-15 13:00 - 15:00 | Mississippi Gateway Regional Park, 10360 W River Rd, Brooklyn Park, MN, 55444, United States
As the sun sets over the Mississippi River, the park comes alive with music, food and community. Inspired by the international sound of Vasili Kasatkin, this summer event blends cinematic violin, electronic rhythms, and live performance into a vibrant outdoor festival atmosphere. Guests can relax on the lawn, enjoy sunset views, and experience great local food from favorites like Griddle on the Go. With immersive sound and the scenic riverfront as its backdrop, the evening offers an unforgettable experience for families, friends, couples and music lovers alike. More than a concert, it’s a celebration of music, culture and connection by the river. All ages welcome. Free.

Biking Through History: The Mighty Mississippi
2026-08-15 13:00 - 17:00 | Mississippi Gateway Regional Park, 10360 W River Rd, Brooklyn Park, MN, 55444, United States
Ride along the Mississippi River and explore how the power of the river shaped the many cultures who called what is now Minnesota home. Enjoy the scenic and historic river and the layers of stories while enjoying the ride. Discover the vital role the Mississippi played in creating the “Mill City”. Stops include a brew pub to celebrate the clean water and brewing traditions along the river. Beer samples available for purchase. Participants must bring their own bike and helmet and be able to ride a 15-mile loop at a leisurely pace with stops. $15/person.

Drop-In Discoveries: River Rocks
2026-08-16 13:00 - 15:00 | Mississippi Gateway Regional Park, 10360 W River Rd, Brooklyn Park, MN, 55444, United States
Drop in any time to look for rocks along the banks of the Mississippi. Learn how to identify your finds and bring your best rock related questions to see if you can stump the naturalist! All ages welcome. Free.

Friends & Family Log Rolling
2026-08-16 14:00 - 15:30 | French Regional Park, 12605 Rockford Rd., Plymouth, MN, 55441, United States
Rooted in the history of the logging era on the Mississippi, and other Minnesota rivers, log rolling is both safe and fun. Join the Outdoor Recreation School instructors to learn this exciting sport! Test your new skills while “competing” against other participants! No previous experience is needed. $6/person.

Mississippi Muse: Mussels & Printmaking
2026-08-18 17:00 - 20:00 | Mississippi Gateway Regional Park, 10360 W River Rd, Brooklyn Park, MN, 55444, United States
The Mississippi Muse series explores different aspects of the Mississippi River through a scientific and creative lens. In August, it’s all about mussels. Explore different river species, their habitat and their significance in the ecosystem, plus interact with real mussels. Then, get creative with gelli plate printing, making textured prints with mussel shells and other objects found by the river. $20/person.

Picnic for the Park Annual Fundraiser: An Evening that Soars
2026-08-20 17:30 - 20:00 | Harriet Island Regional Park, 200 Doctor Justus Ohage Boulevard, Saint Paul, MN, 55107, United States
Come and see the only national park dedicated to the Mississippi River!
We invite you to join us on Thursday, August 20 from 5:30 – 8:00 p.m. at Harriet Island’s Clarence W. Wigington Pavilion for a memorable evening on the Mississippi River featuring sunset views, cuisine from the area’s most exciting chefs, a silent auction, and drinks with friends—all to benefit the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area.
This year’s theme, An Evening that Soars, takes inspiration from the birds of the Mississippi River. Guests are encouraged to have fun with the theme and incorporate bird-inspired touches to their resort casual attire.

Friends & Family Log Rolling
2026-08-22 14:00 - 15:30 | Baker Park Reserve, 2309 County Road 19, Maple Plain, MN, 55359, United States

Mill District Art Walk: Connecting Art to 100 Years of Mississippi River Restoration
2026-08-23 15:00 - 18:00 | The Legacy Minneapolis, Bridgewater Lofts, Stonebridge Lofts, 1240 S 2nd St, Minneapolis, MN, 55415, United States
You are invited to a three-building art walk showcasing exhibits connected to themes about water and care for the river. All three buildings will be open from 3:00-6:00, and you can start at any of the three you wish. Hosted in conjunction with the Sacred Water Shared Future initiative and in collaboration with the Mississippi Watershed Management Organization and Owámniyomni Okhódayapi, leaders in the movement to protect the Mississippi and reimagine the land on its banks, representatives will be there to share about the cultural and ecological restoration project sites near the Stone Arch Bridge.
All art is for sale and will benefit local artists. Enjoy light refreshments.
Map and Details (PDF)

Eco Experience
2026-08-27 09:00 - 21:00, 2026-08-28 09:00 - 21:00, 2026-08-29 09:00 - 21:00, 2026-08-30 09:00 - 21:00, 2026-08-31 09:00 - 21:00, 2026-09-01 09:00 - 21:00, 2026-09-02 09:00 - 21:00, 2026-09-03 09:00 - 21:00 and 3 more dates | Minnesota State Fairgrounds, 1265 Snelling Ave. N., Saint Paul, MN, 55108, United States
A suite of new, interactive exhibits will mark the 100-year anniversary of the first water quality survey of the Mississippi River in 1926, which found a dead ecosystem. Visitors will learn about the incredible work by MPCA and many others to restore the river, and what residents can do to protect the river now and into the future.
This is a recurring event through 9/7/2026.

Mississippi River Kayak Tour
2026-08-28 13:00 - 17:00 | Mississippi Gateway Regional Park, 10360 W River Rd, Brooklyn Park, MN, 55444, United States
Join us for a guided 7.5-mile kayak adventure from Mississippi Gateway Regional Park to Kroening Nature Center. Paddle past several islands and search for birds along the river. Dress for weather conditions with clothing and shoes that are okay to get wet. Kayak, paddle, life vest and shuttle service provided. Previous kayak experience required.

Event Dates:

Thursday July 9, 4-8pm
Friday July 24, 2pm-6pm
Tuesday July 28, 4-8pm
Friday August 28, 1-5pm

Drop-In Discoveries: Fish of the Mississippi River
2026-08-30 13:00 - 15:00 | Mississippi Gateway Regional Park, 10360 W River Rd, Brooklyn Park, MN, 55444, United States
Smallmouth bass, redhorse, a variety of minnows and even Minnesota’s state fish (the walleye) are all fairly common in this part of the Mississippi River. Learn about the fish of all shapes and sizes that live here and how they play a role in this complex aquatic ecosystem with hands-on experiences and up-close encounters through with live fish. All ages welcome. Free.

Celebrate Water-Water Day at MN State Fair, MN DNR Building
2026-09-02 09:00 - 15:00 | Minnesota State Fairgrounds, 1265 Snelling Ave. N., Saint Paul, MN, 55108, United States
Join Project WET as it makes a splash at the 2026 Minnesota State Fair! Enjoy a fun day at the DNR building celebrating water! Several water groups will be sharing information about water and how their work educates, protects and conserves our Minnesota waters and its wildlife!
Discover Highlights of the Mississippi River and ways you can connect with your water resources in your community!

Third Space Thursday: Dance in Your Park
2026-09-03 17:30 - 19:30 | Bohemian Flats Park, 2150 W River Parkway, Minneapolis, 55454, United States
Third Space Thursday is a free community gathering in our parks to share food, connect with neighbors, get active, and enjoy the river. Whether you are new to our national park or get outside often, these events are an invitation to step away from the screen and be present in nature. Join us for a series of outdoor activities while learning about Mississippi Park Connection programs and the importance of preserving river access. All activities are free and optional.
Join us for the July 30th “Dance in your Park” edition of TST with Duende Dance Studio! Join MPC and Duende in a salsa dancing class at Boom Island Park. Lessons and snacks will be provided for all registered participants, with extras available on a first-come, first-served basis. Check Duende Dance out at https://www.dancewithduende.com/
Future TST Dates and Locations:
July 30 at Boom Island Park
September 3 at Bohemian Flats Park
This is a BIPOC-centered event but all are welcome.
Partners: Hennepin County, MPRB Downtown Parks, Kroening Nature Center, Three Rivers Park District
Funding for this project was provided by Hennepin County through the Green Partners environmental education program.
