Entertainment Briefs — Sept. 21

CROSSLAKE — The annual Crosslake Days Fall Festival is a weekend of family fun with activities for all ages.

Organizers are bringing back favorites, including the arts and craft fairs, Lost Chili Pepper Hunt, Cider & Candlelight Tour, Knights of Columbus Corn-Hole Tournament, Chili Cookoff and Crosslake Ace Hardware Street Dance.

Retail shopping and dining at Crosslake businesses will be at their finest during this festival with deals and discounts, according to organizers.

AITKIN — Ripple River Gallery's 22nd annual fall open house will take place Saturday, Sept. 24, in Aitkin and will support Wild and Free Wildlife Rehabilitation Program in Garrison.

It will celebrate the season with a colorful combination of art, fun and fall color. Create an owl from natural materials, for example, try your hand at weaving, take a walk in the woods, learn about natural dying and enjoy refreshments.

Along with original work by more than 60 outstanding regional artisans, “Wood and Weaving” work by Bob Carls and Amy Sharpe will be featured in the gallery. Carls will give demonstrations of his work on the lathe and Sharpe will offer the chance to try weaving on small card “looms.”

Join Minnesota Master Naturalist Volunteer Elizabeth Carls at noon for a leisurely guided walk in the woods. Participants will learn to identify several species of native trees and plants, and perhaps spot some birds along the way. (Closed-toe shoes and long pants are advised.)

Throughout the day, Carls will also demonstrate dying with native plants. A dye pot will be brewing throughout the day and examples of dyed fibers will be on display. And fellow artists will be on hand to help you create an owl with pine cones, acorns and other natural materials.

Volunteers with Wild and Free Wildlife Rehabilitation Program in Garrison, a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating the public about wildlife and habitat, will be on hand to talk about the program.

Contributed / Ripple River Gallery

Veterinarian Dr. Debbie Eskedahl heads the volunteer-based program, which provides food, shelter, medical and surgical care to orphaned or injured wildlife under permits from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Donations for Wild and Free will be accepted. Wild and Free functions completely on charitable donations, fundraising and the generosity of its members.

A highlight will be the release of recovered birds that are ready to fly. Wild and Free has released owls and several species of hawks at Ripple River Gallery’s annual event. Enter your name for the drawing to see who gets to do the actual release, which takes place around 1 p.m.

For more information, call 218-678-2575 or e-mail ripplerivergallery@gmail.com .

JENKINS — The Snarky Loon Brewing Co. in Jenkins will host its second annual Oktoberfest from noon to 9 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 14, with 18 German beers on tap.

There will also be contests and games, a pretzel-eating contest, a costume contest, authentic German food, a raffle, drawings and giveaways.

NISSWA — Books, Burgers & Brews will meet at 6 p.m. Monday, Sept. 26, at Roundhouse Brewery in Nisswa to discuss “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” by Taylor Jenkins Reid.

“Aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. But when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one is more astounded than Monique herself,” according to a synopsis.

Each month hosts Sheila DeChantal and Laurel Hall will take participants through an engaging discussion. RVSP is required and to register online, visit https://bit.ly/3f5GdPL .

Copies of the book are available at the Brainerd Public Library front desk by asking for the Books, Burgers & Brews title for September. The books at the library are first-come, first-serve.

This program is supported in whole or part by the Friends of the Brainerd Public Library through their volunteering and fundraising efforts. Find out more about how to get involved at www.wineandwordsandfriends.com .