Author: Juliana Allen

Enjoying drinks and a meal outside is one of the best perks of Minnesota’s long summer days and nights. Many of Eden Prairie’s cafés and restaurants offer appealing family-friendly (and dog-friendly!) outdoor dining options. We’ve highlighted a sampling here. Feel free to message us in the comments with your favorites! Smith Coffee & Cafe, 8107 Eden Prairie Road Step back into Eden Prairie’s history by dining at the historic red brick Smith-Douglas-More House. Smith offers an outdoor garden and patio seating for 60 people, in addition to seating in its quaint farmhouse interior. Reservable tables are available on the picket-fenced…

Two Eden Prairie High School (EPHS) students are sharing their passion for science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) by hosting a free four-day summer camp for girls. Girls in grades 1-4 are invited to register for “Girlboss: Girls in STEM Summer Camp” through Eden Prairie Community Education. The four-day camp will run Aug. 1-4 at Eden Lake Elementary and offers both morning (9 a.m. to noon) and afternoon (1 to 4 p.m.) sessions. The program features hands-on STEM-based challenges that introduce campers to physics, chemistry, biology, and environmental science. Campers will do fun activities, including centripetal force and tornadoes in a bottle,…

A young Elvis Presley played his first two Twin Cities shows on May 13, 1956. The small but extremely appreciative audiences reportedly screamed so loud that nobody could hear Elvis perform. Although “The King” is longer with us, he was here in spirit as tribute act Echoes of Elvis rocked the crowd at Staring Lake Amphitheatre on Sunday evening, July 10. St. Paul-based Elvis impersonator Eddie Hughes and his energetic backing band Rich & The Resistors entertained the audience with a wide selection of Elvis’ hits. Hughes belted out songs from “Suspicious Minds” and “Hound Dog” to “Love Me Tender”…

South Minneapolis-based dance troupe Kalpulli KetzalCoatlicue shared the tradition of Nahuatl/Aztec dance with an Eden Prairie audience at Staring Lake Amphitheatre on Thursday evening, July 7. The group gave a spirited performance backed by music created by rhythmic drums, conch shells, and other natural instruments. The dancers wore traditional headdresses, colorful beaded costumes, and ankle rattles made of seed pods. “The Kalpulli KetzalCoatlicue (‘Precious Mother Earth’) is a Kalpulli (‘learning community’) of Indigenous people joined by the desire to learn, share and live the tradition of Aztec dance,” according to the group’s website. “The dancers are rooted in cultural understandings…

Joining a national trend, the Eden Prairie Starbucks at Highway 169 and Anderson Lakes Parkway has become one of the Twin Cities’ first suburban locations to file for unionization. Workers are pursuing union protection to gain better pay, benefits, and staffing. About 25 baristas (known as “partners” at Starbucks) are currently voting until June 30 on whether to unionize. Votes will be counted, and the result announced on July 1. Starbucks, a global coffeehouse chain with almost 34,000 locations valued at over $100 billion in 2021, has refused to voluntarily allow workers to form unions. Instead, it has required them…

Minnesota summers may be short, but Eden Prairie residents can make the most of lake life right here in town. City beaches officially opened on June 11, and several local families lost no time in hitting the sand. At midday the water was warm, clear, and fresh, and the beaches were clean and uncrowded. Plenty of lifeguards were on duty, ready to protect swimmers, ensure lake safety, and keep the beach areas tidy. At Round Lake, Lindsey Meyer enjoyed the sun, sand, and water with her daughters Hannah, 4, and Marion, 8. “We live in St. Louis Park, but we…

A 100-year-old field of gorgeous peonies is blooming now at Eden Prairie’s Cummins-Phipps-Grill House. The flowers, in colors ranging from flaming fuschia to pale pink to delicate white, have been enjoyed every June by generations of Eden Prairie residents. The garden was originally planted by former resident Harriet Phiipps around 1920 on the east side of this historic property, which was home to several Eden Prairie families. In a 1980 interview, former house resident Mildred Grill remembered, “The peony bed has been there for over 60 years. Mother put in over 500 plants. There wasn’t another bed like it in…

To recognize their achievements over the past school year, several Central Middle School eighth graders received special awards during a ceremony at the CMS Performing Arts Center on June 2. Students were recognized for excellence in leadership, language studies, speech, theatre, music, history, academics, and more. CMS Principal Nate Swenson, Associate Principal Rich Larsen, and teachers spoke about how proud they were of how much these students had achieved in what, for many, has been an extremely challenging year. Patti Cwodzinski, CMS social studies teacher, said, “I’m very pleased to be able to recognize these incredible students.” Larsen added, “The…

Between September 2021 and mid-February, an estimated 74,000 Afghan evacuees fleeing the Taliban arrived to resettle in the United States. Eden Prairie residents are among those working hard to welcome over 700 of them to the Twin Cities. Their resettlement is being supported by the Minnesota Department of Human Services Resettlement Program, Hennepin County, Arrive Ministries, Lutheran Social Services, Minnesota Council of Churches, and the International Institute of Minnesota, plus multiple charities and donors. These organizations help meet the immediate needs of the families with food, clothing, care, advice, and housing. Eden Prairie resident Dawn Martin has been volunteering for…

Each December, students worldwide celebrate Computer Science Education Week by learning how to code. As part of this tradition, several Eden Prairie High School (EPHS) students visited Prairie View Elementary on Dec. 16 to teach fifth graders the basics of coding. The visit was part of EPHS’ Computer Science Honor Society’s (CSHS) longstanding outreach initiative in Eden Prairie’s elementary schools. CSHS is a national organization that encourages student involvement in computer science, academic excellence, and volunteer service. Its mission is to make computer science accessible and relatable and inspire the next generation of creative, well-rounded thinkers, says Lucas Wagner, EPHS junior…