Lake Hiawatha Park hosts Arbor Day Celebration on April 28

Join the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) and tree lovers of all ages for the 2017 Minneapolis Arbor Day Celebration at Lake Hiawatha Park on Apr. 28, 4-8pm.

This year’s event will be a festival-style celebration full of tree-themed activities and educational opportunities, music, food, beer and, of course, new trees! Anyone can help MPRB Arborists plant more than 300 trees around Lake Hiawatha.

Activities will be concentrated near Lake Hiawatha Recreation Center, 2701 E. 44th St. Here’s a quick rundown of the festivities planned:

Tree Planting

• Join MPRB Arborists for tree planting excursions leaving every half hour, 4:30-6:30pm.

Activities

• Bucket truck rides

• Rope-and-saddle tree climbing supervised by professional arborists

• Tree-sized lawn games

• Tree-themed obstacle course/Nature Play Zone

• Tree Swing

• Bounce House

• Arborist Show and Tell: Get an up-close look at many of the tools, and machines Arborists use to maintain a healthy urban forest

Food, Beer, and Music

• Music: Performances by School House Rocks and Twin Town Blasting Corps (a blend of May Day Parade’s Your Community Band with members of the Brass Messengers and Arborators)

• Food Trucks: Parkway Pizza and Northbound Smokehouse

• Beer Garden: 612 Brew, Able Seedhouse and Brewery, Dangerous Man Brewing, Eastlake Craft Brewery, Fair State Brewing Cooperative, Northbound Smokehouse and Brewpub, Sociable Cider Werks

• Coffee: Angry Catfish Bicycle + Coffee Bar

Run and Bike

• Arbor Day Fun Run: The Brewery Running Series is offering a special Arbor Day Fun Run beginning at 6pm. Visit the race website for more information.

• Heritage Tree Bike Ride: Harmony Tree Works will lead two pre-party bike rides visiting several magnificent trees from Minneapolis’ Heritage Tree Program. Rides leave from Angry Catfish Bicycle + Coffee Bar (4208 28th Ave. S.) at noon and 2pm. The 2pm ride will end at Lake Hiawatha Park in time to catch the beginning of Arbor Day festivities at 4pm. Visit the event page on Facebook for more details.

• All proceeds from the beer garden, coffee sales, and the Beer Run will be donated to local nonprofit Brewing a Better Forest for Urban Forestry Outreach.

The 2017 Minneapolis Arbor Day Celebration would not be possible without event sponsors People for Parks, Brewing a Better Forest and Pat’s Tap. Also, a big thank you goes out to all of the community supporters and volunteers, including Friends of Lake Hiawatha, Giving Tree Gardens, Harmony Tree, Free Forest School and Ecological Design.