MINNESOTA COMMUNITY PRIDE SHOWCASE

Each day in Minnesota, courageous communities and their members work collaboratively to improve their towns and neighborhoods. On Saturday, Sept. 3, at the Minnesota State Fair, 30 such communitiesand their members will be honored in the 2011 Minnesota Community Pride Showcase at Carousel Park, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Carousel Park will transform into a Minnesota Community Pride Showcase to celebrate the collaborative community projects, with the winning entrants’ work on display at the Community Pride Showcase tent. Join newsmakers and entertainers featured on the Carousel Park stage throughout the day to celebrate the strength and resilience of Minnesota’s communities, from small town to big city neighborhoods across Minnesota.

The Minnesota Community Pride with InCommons challenge kicked off in June when it asked individuals and groups statewide to share “the story of a way that your community is coming together to improve Minnesota towns and neighborhoods.” The Showcase at the State Fair is sponsored by the Minnesota State Fair, MinnPost.com, and InCommons, which hosted the challenge as part of its overall mission to connect and support individuals and groups statewide to solve tough community problems.

In July, a group of judges selected the top 30 entries from the 67 submitted that demonstrated collaboration with the highest combined amount of Partnership, Innovation and Progress. The Minnesota State Fair is providing $15,000 – or $500 each – to the winners to help continue their efforts.

An awards ceremony will take place around 12:30 p.m. on the Carousel Park stage and entertainment on stage throughout the day will be provided by:

 

·       J.D. Steele and the MacPhail Community Youth Choir

·       Willy Murphy Band

·       Charlie Maguire

·       Ragamala’s Advanced Students

·       Desdamona

·       Brave New Workshop

·       Tom Hunter Band

“Time and again we are shown that cooperation among community members is the essential ingredient in solving problems and creating opportunities,” said Jane Leonard, Senior Manager at Bush Foundation and a coordinator for the Showcase. Leonard helped found the original Minnesota Community Pride program 27 years ago and helped revive it for the State Fair as an annual event in 2009. “We’re delighted to honor these communities and their members, and to bring them together to the State Fair not only to showcase their work, but to hopefully inspire attendees with new ideas to improve their own towns and neighborhoods. The State Fair has always been a place and time for Minnesotans to showcase, recognize and share creative ideas and innovations. It’s the perfect venue to spotlight communities that are helping our state be the best we can be.”

 

 

DOWNLOADABLES

For more information about the Showcase communities, go to www.incommons.org/MCPS.

For a schedule of activities for the Minnesota Community Pride Showcase at Carousel Park on September 3, go to the Fun Finder.