Thank you for joining us at Music in the Prairie!
The first Our River event, Music in the Prairie featuring The Cactus Blossoms, was a great success! Get tickets for the remaining event in the series here. (Photo by Anna Botz for FMR)
On a hot Saturday afternoon on May 31, 200 attendees celebrated at Music in the Prairie with Friends of the Mississippi River.
Critically acclaimed Minneapolis band The Cactus Blossoms played two sets at North 20 Brewing in Rosemount, and FMR's Land Conservation team gave tours of the neighboring prairie restoration at Rosemount Wildlife Preserve.
This event was the first in a new four-part event series to raise funds for the Our River Campaign. At the heart of this campaign is the vision of a healthy Mississippi River. The impact will be transformational and enduring in Minnesota and all downstream communities along the 2,350-mile river.
Our goal is to raise $5 million by the end of 2025, and we have already secured $4.4 million. Find more information, watch the campaign video and donate here.
Program highlights
The prairie was stunning, and so was The Cactus Blossoms' music. Their harmonies filled the air, providing a relaxing way to start the summer. Attendees lounged on the brewery's grassy hillside and took respite from the sun on the large patio.
Conservation Director Alex Roth discussed the importance of every restored parcel of prairie in the metro. Small acreages like the Rosemount Wildlife Preserve create habitat corridors so pollinators, birds and other animals can move across the landscape. He also shared that McMenomy Woods, which borders North 20 Brewing and the Rosemount Wildlife Preserve, will now be preserved by the City of Rosemount and Dakota County, adding 80 newly protected acres that will open to the public.
Journalists and authors of the new book "Sea of Grass," Dave Hage and Josephine Marcotty, shared about the prairies they've visited throughout the Midwest, noting that each person has a responsibility to work towards restoration.
Many attendees also joined our Land Conservation team on tours, getting a unique, in-depth look at how FMR restores prairies, creates corridors for pollinators and birds, and enhances the Mississippi Watershed. If you missed out on a tour, you can join our restoration efforts through one of our volunteer events. Sign up soon, since they can fill quickly.
Thanks to all who participated
Friends of the Mississippi River is grateful for our community's overwhelming support in making this event an incredible success! It wouldn't have been possible without everyone who joined us to celebrate the river and prairies. A special thanks to North 20 Brewing for their fantastic hospitality and The Cactus Blossoms for sharing their talent with us.
Thanks to our generous sponsors
Individual sponsors
Corporate sponsors
Music sponsors
With heartfelt thanks to all who made The Cactus Blossoms performance possible through their generosity and support: Dan Gjelten & Lisa Burke (Featured Sponsor) • Tom Hiendlmayr & Jan Ormasa • Rosann Cahill • Corazon • David Hage & Therese Sexe • Enid Weichselbaum • Bernard & Deborah Weiss
Our River fall event: Meander on the Mississippi
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