Explore La Crescent

Applefest
2023-09-15 - 2023-09-17 | Applefest Fest Grounds, 520 S 14th St, La Crescent, MN, 55947
Celebrate the 75th annual La Crescent Apple Festival!

La Crescent Applefest Makers Market
2023-09-16 09:00 - 15:00 (America/Chicago) | La Crescent Area Event Center, 595 Veterans Parkway, La Crescent, MN, 55947
La Crescent Applefest Makers Market will be held on September 16th, 2023. Come shop small and local. It will host about 40 handmade small businesses. Hours: 9am-3pm

Using Humor to Write Through the Hard Stuff
2023-09-16 10:00 - 11:00 | La Crescent Community Building, 336 S. 1st St, La Crescent, MN, 55947, United States
Join writer, motivational speaker, and innovator, Lisa David Olson, to discover how humor can help your writing, even through the hard stuff. Humor raises endorphins, lowers blood pressure, and connects people. Let’s laugh and learn together. Bring a notebook or journal and prepare to think wild thoughts, for the health of it.
This program is part of Mental Health and the Driftless Region’s Regional Read for 2023. You can find more programs and speakers by visiting http://driftlessregionalread.com

La Crescent Animal Rescue Open House
2023-09-16 10:00 - 13:00 | La Crescent Animal Rescue, 523 S Chestnut Street, La Crescent, MN, 55947, United States
No appointment needed to meet our available furbabies and find your pick of the crop!
Stop in from 10am – 1pm to meet them all in person, as well as receive any other information you’d like.
Volunteers will be onsite to answer any questions and introduce you to the available animals!

Book Club - What Happened To You? Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing
2023-09-18 10:00 - 11:00 | La Crescent Public Library, 321 Main St., La Crescent, MN, 55947, United States
Join us for the 2023 Driftless Regional Read book discussion of “What Happened To You? Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing” by Dr. Bruce Perry and Oprah Winfrey. This year’s regional read book and programming focuses on the topic of mental health.
Copies of the book are available for free beginning September 1st while supplies last. La Crescent copies have been purchased and made available thanks to a donation from our Friends of the Library. The book and audiobook are also widely available in the SELCO library system, and copies will be at the La Crescent Library for checkout. Just ask at the desk!
The Regional Read invites communities from the Driftless area comprising 9 local counties: Buffalo, Jackson, Juneau, La Crosse, Monroe, Trempealeau, Vernon, Houston, & Winona to come together to read one book annually and participate in a series of book chats, lectures and programs around a central theme. Each year we cultivate opportunities to build community and empower creative change through inclusive conversations, presentations and community dialogues. This year the topic of the Regional Read is mental health and our goals are destigmatizing mental illness, cultivating opportunities for community connection, and increasing awareness of local resources for mental health support. The book “What Happened to You?: Conversations on Trauma, Resiliency, and Healing,” by Bruce D. Perry and Oprah Winfrey was selected as this year’s Regional Read title to help our community better understand trauma and its impact on our physical and mental health. Programming will include book discussions, talks on the exploration of the mental health crisis in our region, a community mental health resource fair as well as programs offering practical applications to cultivate mental health (mindfulness, wellness practices, etc.).

Jury Duty: a True Crime Book Club discusses Furious Hours
2023-09-21 18:30 - 20:00 | Affogato Lane Coffee Co., 28 N. Walnut St., La Crescent, MN, 55947, United States
Tell you’re friends you’re busy! You’ve got… JURY DUTY!
Our latest pop-up book club theme is for fans of true crime shows, podcasts, and documentaries. Jury Duty, a True Crime Book Club, will host two reads this fall with our friends at Affogato Lane Coffee Co. (open after hours special for us!) and dive into the pages and cases of some notorious and high profile crimes.
Our September selection is Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee. Copies are available for checkout at the library desk; just ask! Food and drink will be available for purchase at the program.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
The stunning story of an Alabama serial killer and the true-crime book that Harper Lee worked on obsessively in the years after To Kill a Mockingbird.
Reverend Willie Maxwell was a rural preacher accused of murdering five of his family members for insurance money in the 1970s. With the help of a savvy lawyer, he escaped justice for years until a relative shot him dead at the funeral of his last victim. Despite hundreds of witnesses, Maxwell’s murderer was acquitted – thanks to the same attorney who had previously defended the Reverend.
As Alabama is consumed by these gripping events, it’s not long until news of the case reaches Alabama’s – and America’s – most famous writer. Intrigued by the story, Harper Lee makes a journey back to her home state to witness the Reverend’s killer face trial. Lee had the idea of writing her own In Cold Blood, the true-crime classic she had helped her friend Truman Capote research. She spent a year in town reporting on the Maxwell case and many more years trying to finish the book she called The Reverend.
Now Casey Cep brings this story to life, from the shocking murders to the courtroom drama to the racial politics of the Deep South. At the same time, she offers a deeply moving portrait of one of America’s most beloved writers and her struggle with fame, success and the mystery of artistic creativity.
This is the story Harper Lee wanted to write. This is the story of why she couldn’t.

Addressing Mental Health Concerns in Schools
2023-10-14 12:00 - 13:00 | La Crescent Community Building, 336 S. 1st St, La Crescent, MN, 55947, United States
This session will highlight students’ education rights as they pertain to mental health, how mental health impacts learning, as well as how parents/guardians can gain access through their children’s schools for mental health support.
This program is hosted by the Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services and is part of the Mental Health and the Driftless Regional Read 2023. Lunch will be provided.

Chad Lewis Presents Haunted Minnesota
2023-10-15 13:00 - 14:00 | La Crescent Community Building, 336 S. 1st St, La Crescent, MN, 55947, United States
Join us for a ghostly journey to some of the most haunted places in the state. From wandering ghosts in the North Woods, to a haunted B & B in Wabasha, to graveyard apparitions located in your own backyard, no place in MN is without its own hauntings…
Chad Lewis is a researcher, author, and lecturer on topics of the strange and unusual. His background is in the field of Psychology as he did both his Bachelor and Master degree work in the field- but for nearly 30 years he has traveled the globe in search of unique and bizarre stories and history.
This program is sponsored by the Friends of the La Crescent Library.

Lunch and Learn October 19th
2023-10-19 12:00 - 13:00 | TimeOut Tavern, 444 N Chestnut St, La Crescent, MN, 55947, United States
Do you have employees that want to go back to work, but can’t due to childcare issues? This is just one example of the issues we are facing in our current workforce situation.
Employee Outreach Specialist Dee Slinde from Workforce Development will be conducting an educational seminar focused on the following helpful topics. Do not miss out on this very important opportunity.

Childcare, transportation, and housing affects your potential and current employees, and your business. These community issues ARE business issues.
Workforce Development Services.
Employee Retention -Why you need to work harder at it!

Event Details

Date: Thursday, October 19th.
Location: TimeOut Tavern Private Room
Address: 444 N Chestnut St, La Crescent
Time: 12:00PM-1PM
Costs: Pizza, pop, and wings will be ordered based on attendance. Cost will be around $10 per person.
RSVP: Brian Meeter by Tuesday, October 17th.

Jury Duty: a True Crime Book Club discusses Yellow Bird
2023-10-19 18:30 - 20:00 | Affogato Lane Coffee Co., 28 N. Walnut St., La Crescent, MN, 55947, United States
Tell you’re friends you’re busy! You’ve got… JURY DUTY!
Our latest pop-up book club theme is for fans of true crime shows, podcasts, and documentaries. Jury Duty, a True Crime Book Club, will host two reads this fall with our friends at Affogato Lane Coffee Co. (open after hours special for us!) and dive into the pages and cases of some notorious and high profile crimes.
Our October selection is Yellow Bird: Oil, Murder, and a Woman’s Search for Justice in Indian Country by Sierra Crane Murdoch. Copies are available for checkout at the library desk; just ask! Food and drink will be available for purchase at the program.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
When Lissa Yellow Bird was released from prison in 2009, she found her home, the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation in North Dakota, transformed by the Bakken oil boom. In her absence, the landscape had been altered beyond recognition, her tribal government swayed by corporate interests, and her community burdened by a surge in violence and addiction. Three years later, when Lissa learned that a young white oil worker, Kristopher “KC” Clarke, had disappeared from his reservation worksite, she became particularly concerned. No one knew where Clarke had gone, and few people were actively looking for him.
Yellow Bird traces Lissa’s steps as she obsessively hunts for clues to Clarke’s disappearance. She navigates two worlds–that of her own tribe, changed by its newfound wealth, and that of the non-Native oilmen, down on their luck, who have come to find work on the heels of the economic recession. Her pursuit of Clarke is also a pursuit of redemption, as Lissa atones for her own crimes and reckons with generations of trauma.

Lions Halloween Brat Fry
2023-10-31 11:00 - 17:00 | Quillins
The La Crescent Lions Club is hosting a brat fry on Halloween day at Quillins from 11 am to 5 pm.

Halloween Night Trick or Treat Food Drive
2023-10-31 17:00 - 20:00 | La Crescent United Methodist Church, 520 North Elm St., La Crescent, MN, 55947, United States
Annual Event on Halloween, October 31st
from 5:00pm until 8:00pm
Meet at 5:00pm at the La Crescent Methodist Church (520 North Elm St.)
For routes and instructions
We Need: Middle & High School Students to collect food throughout the community, all proceeds benefit the La Crescent Food Shelf.
Adult Drivers (21 & Over)
After the Collection…
Join us for Food and Fun back at the La Crescent Methodist Church
Sponsored by the La Crescent Youth Faith Collaborative, La Crescent Methodist Church, Prince of Peace Lutheran Church and La Crescent-Hokah Middle & High Schools, FCA

Haudenosaunee Three Sisters Storytime
2023-11-04 10:30 - 11:30 | La Crescent Community Building, 336 S. 1st St, La Crescent, MN, 55947, United States
Celebrate Native American Heritage Month with the Haudenosaunee legend of The Three Sisters!
Learn how the three plants corn, beans, and squash work together to be sustainable, and their importance in indigenous and agricultural history.
Guest storytime reader is Elizabeth Digby-Britton (La Courte Oreilles Ojibway/German).

Jump Start Your Writing
2023-11-04 14:00 - 16:00 | La Crescent Community Building, 336 S. 1st St, La Crescent, MN, 55947, United States
Join us for this free event to hear from published authors and receive writing prompts. Start a new project or bring a current one. There will be an opportunity for a post-workshop critique of up to 500 words.
A social at Sports Hub will follow the workshop.

A Look Inside the Dark La Crosse Stories Episode "The Invasion"
2023-11-06 19:00 - 20:00 | La Crescent Community Building, 336 S. 1st St, La Crescent, MN, 55947, United States
Henry Greengrass, citizen of the Ho-Chunk Nation, and Jenny DeRocher, librarian at the La Crosse Public Library Archives will present their new Dark La Crosse Stories episode, which looks at what happens when archival records leave out crucial histories of those persecuted by the writers of history. The presenters will also touch on how this relates to the La Crescent community and our shared history.
ABOUT THE PRESENTERS:
Henry Greengrass, citizen of the Ho-Chunk Nation, has lived in the La Crosse area for over 15 years and works as the Center Director for the Ho-Chunk Nation Youth Services Division at the Nį Tąnį Hocira (Three Rivers House) in La Crosse. Henry’s interests in researching of Indigenous histories extends to his advocacy for Indigenous peoples in the La Crosse area, that include collaborative efforts such as the La Crosse MMIW 5K and La Crosse’s Indigenous People’s Day Celebration.
Jenny DeRocher is a librarian at the La Crosse Public Library in the Archives & Local History Department. She earned her degree in Public History from UW-La Crosse, and while studying here, fell in love with La Crosse’s rich history. In her role at the LPL Archives, she guides seasonal walking tours, runs a history club, teaches archival instruction to K-12 and college-age students, and actively works to include LGBTQ+ and BIPOC communities in her programming.
This program is co-sponsored with our La Crescent Area Historical Society.

Pizza and a Movie featuring Pearl
2023-11-09 18:00 - 20:00 | Corky’s Pizza, 25 S Walnut St, La Crescent, MN, 55947, United States
Celebrate Native American Heritage Month with the La Crescent Public Library and Chickasaw Nation Productions! These family-friendly films showcase two incredible Chickasaw women whose trials and triumphs brought their culture into the mainstream spotlight.
Our first feature is Pearl.
Set in 1920s rural Oklahoma, Pearl is based on the remarkable true story of Chickasaw aviatrix, Pearl Carter Scott, the youngest licensed pilot in American history. Mentored by world-renowned aviator Wiley Post, Pearl first pilots a plane at the age of twelve and becomes a commercial pilot and local celebrity before she reaches adulthood. As she finds love and becomes a wife and mother, her two greatest passions collide.
Pizza will be provided; drinks & additional food available for purchase. This event is co-sponsored by the Friends of the La Crescent Library and is part of our Native American Heritage Month series programs.

Veterans Memorial Dedication
2023-11-10 15:00 - 16:00 | Riverside Park, 100 State St, La Crosse, WI, 54601, United States
Join us for the Veterans Memorial Dedication featuring guest speaker Don Weber!
La Crosse City Vision Foundation‘s newest project will be a bronze statue of an American flag and the bald eagle sculpture to be placed in Riverside Park, La Crosse, Wisconsin.
This sculpture is to honor our US military. Our US military has six branches: the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Space Force and Coast Guard.
The six emblems of those branches of service will be placed around our bronze flag.
Thank you to our Veterans Memorial Statue, Ring of Honor, Sponsors.
The bronze statue of the American flag represents the original 13 Colonies with its stripes and the stars represent the 50 states of the Union.
The bald eagle has been the national bird of the United States since 1782. The bald eagle with its outspread wings is the Great Seal of our country. The fierce beauty and proud independence of this great bird aptly symbolizes the strength and freedom of America.
Our Veterans represent the freedom, dignity, and true meaning of being an American. To honor our Veterans, La Crosse City Vision Foundation will place this bronze statue with granite bricks to stand in Riverside Park for years to come.

Pizza and a Movie featuring Bearer of the Morning
2023-11-16 18:00 - 20:00 | Corky’s Pizza, 25 S Walnut St, La Crescent, MN, 55947, United States
Celebrate Native American Heritage Month with the La Crescent Public Library and Chickasaw Nation Productions! These family-friendly films showcase two incredible Chickasaw women whose trials and triumphs brought their culture into the mainstream spotlight.
Our second feature is Bearer of the Morning.
Born in small-town Oklahoma, Mary “Te Ata,” Thompson Fisher was determined to pursue her passion as a performer. Supported by her undeniable charisma and oratorical talent, Te Ata entertained and enlightened audiences across the world, including royalty and statesmen.
Throughout her travels and performances, Te Ata kept her Chickasaw heritage close to heart and shared the unique story and of the Chickasaw people. By studying and performing traditional Native American stories, she overturned negative stereotypes and advocated the preservation of Indigenous American cultures. As Chickasaw Nation Governor Bill Anoatubby noted, “She is a shining example of the power of artistic expression to change hearts and minds.” In many ways, Te Ata Fisher paved the way for Native Americans on stage and screen and remains a treasured voice for the Chickasaw people.
Pizza will be provided; drinks & additional food available for purchase. This event is co-sponsored by the Friends of the La Crescent Library and is part of our Native American Heritage Month series programs.

Holocaust Remembrance and Squirrel is Alive: A Teenager in the Belgian Resistance
2023-12-02 10:00 - 11:00 | La Crescent Community Building, 336 S. 1st St, La Crescent, MN, 55947, United States
Mary Rostad joined the resistance movement during WWII, serving in Belgium and later France, as a courier of underground documents. Adopting the code name “Squirrel,” she walked over one thousand miles in frigid temperatures, far away from her home and her family to report on the movement of German troops. After the war she settled in Houston, MN with her husband, Allen Rostad. Darryle Clott, a nationally recognized Holocaust educator and close friend of Mary’s, will share this story and the importance of Holocaust remembrance.

Storytime for Adults: A Festivus for the Rest of Us
2023-12-04 18:30 - 20:00 | Sports Hub, 25 N Walnut St, La Crescent, MN, 55947, United States
Join us to hear your favorite local librarians and performers read some of our favorite short stories and book excerpts. This month’s theme is A Festivus for the Rest of Us! Come early as seats fill up fast.
For ages 21+ only. Caution: stories may include adult content. Listener discretion is advised.

Christmas in La Crescent
2023-12-08 16:00 - 19:00 | City of La Crescent, La Crescent, MN, 55947, United States
Enjoy extended shopping hours and the last opportunity for completing
your “La Crescent Shop Local Holiday Punch Card” to be entered to win
prizes! Punch card runs from November 25th to December 8th.
In between stores, drop in to the La Crescent Public Library! It will be
rockin’ with holiday tunes, writing and mailing Letters to Santa and
ornament decorating while enjoying hot cocoa and treats.
Join us at the Merchants Bank for caroling led by the Girl Scouts and
the lighting of the La Crescent Christmas Tree at 6:30pm!
For the grand finale, the CPKC Holiday Train will be rolling into town
for their annual concert at 7:15pm! Don’t forget to bring a nonperishable food item to donate to the La Crescent Food Shelf!

Christmas in La Crescent
2023-12-08 16:00 - 19:00 | La Crescent Public Library, 321 Main St., La Crescent, MN, 55947, United States
Join the La Crescent Public Library for Christmas in La Crescent! Come listen to fun holiday music and enjoy hot cocoa & treats while participating in fun activities, like the Festivus Pole, Letters to Santa, and decorating an ornament. While you’re there, check out the Gift Basket Silent Auction. Then, stop over at the Community Building for the Friends of the Library Holiday Cookie Sale! All cookies will be pre-plated; plates are $18 each, available from 4pm until they’re gone!

December Open House
2023-12-27 16:00 - 19:00 | La Crescent Animal Rescue, 523 S Chestnut Street, La Crescent, MN, 55947, United States
No appointment needed to meet our available furbabies and find your new best friend(s)!
Stop in during our open hours every Wednesday and Saturday to meet them all in person, as well as receive any other information you’d like.
Volunteers will be onsite to answer any questions and introduce you to the available animals!

Hygge for Hot Reads
2024-01-18 18:00 - 20:00 | La Crescent Public Library, 321 Main St., La Crescent, MN, 55947, United States
Have you ever wanted to just stay inside on a cold night, in your comfiest clothes, curled up in a blanket, with a warm beverage and a good book? Then this program is for you! Hygge ~pronounced “h(y)oo-ga”~ is a Danish & Norwegian word meaning “cozy”. Join us on Thursday, January 18th, 6-8pm, for an evening of comfort & quiet reading. Hot water, cocoa, & tea will be available.

Shelf Care: a Pop-Up Book Club for the New Year
2024-01-31 19:00 - 20:30 | Franciscan Spirituality Center, 920 Market St., La Crosse, WI, 54601, United States
Join La Crescent Public Library and Franciscan Spirituality Center for some Shelf Care! Our January pop-up book club is reading and discussing “Enchantment: Awaking Wonder in an Anxious Age” by Katherine May. We’ll start the group with a grounding exercise to shed the hectic-ness of the day, discuss Katherine May’s book and ways we find “enchantment” in the world, and all attendees will have the opportunity to engage their senses through meditations with the elements. Coffee and tea will be provided in this relaxing meetup for those looking to add more enchantment to their everyday life.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Many of us feel trapped in a grind of constant change: rolling news cycles, the chatter of social media, our families split along partisan lines. We feel fearful and tired, on edge in our bodies, not quite knowing what has us perpetually depleted. For Katherine May, this low hum of fatigue and anxiety made her wonder what she was missing. Could there be a different way to relate to the world, one that would allow her to feel more rested and at ease, even as seismic changes unfold on the planet? Might there be a way for all of us to move through life with curiosity and tenderness, sensitized to the subtle magic all around?
In Enchantment, May invites the reader to come with her on a journey to reawaken our innate sense of wonder and awe. With humor, candor, and warmth, she shares stories of her own struggles with work, family, and the aftereffects of pandemic, particularly feelings of overwhelm as the world rushes to reopen. Craving a different way to live, May begins to explore the restorative properties of the natural world, moving through the elements of earth, water, fire, and air and identifying the quiet traces of magic that can be found only when we look for them. Through deliberate attention and ritual, she unearths the potency and nourishment that come from quiet reconnection with our immediate environment. Blending lyricism and storytelling, sensitivity and empathy, Enchantment invites each of us to open the door to human experience in all its sensual complexity, and to find the beauty waiting for us there.

Minnesota's Hooded History: The Ku Klux Klan in 1920s Minnesota
2024-02-03 10:30 - 11:30 | La Crescent Community Building, 336 S. 1st St, La Crescent, MN, 55947, United States
Local historian and librarian, Nancy Vaillancourt, has spent years researching the presence of the Ku Klux Klan in Southeast Minnesota. Join us to learn about this forgotten history and the organized traditions of prejudice and nativism in our region.
This program is sponsored by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund and is brought in partnership with Southeastern Libraries Cooperating (SELCO).

Lancer Baseball & Softball Boosters Fundraiser - Bash and Gun Raffle
2024-02-10 17:30 - 21:30 | La Crescent Area Event Center, 595 Veterans Parkway, La Crescent, MN, 55947
Save the Date!
A limited quantity of 600 tickets will go on sale the last week of December for $30 each and includes Bash entrance, main gun raffle (or take cash), and food & beer until it’s gone.
🔫 Gun Raffle
🐄🐖 Meat Raffle
🏈 Super Bowl Board
🎟️ Side Raffles
🍺🍾🍷 Booze Basket
💚🖤 Shop Local Basket
💰 Field Sponsorship Opportunities
…and more!

Building Reproductive Health Literacy in the Face of Misinformation
2024-02-22 18:00 - 19:00 | La Crescent Community Building, 336 S. 1st St, La Crescent, MN, 55947, United States
Join the La Crescent Public Library in person at the Community Building on Thursday, Feb. 22nd, at 6pm for a virtual presentation with Jennifer John.
When it comes to reproductive health, knowledge is power. Misinformation about reproductive health abounds, hindering informed decision-making and compromising health outcomes. This talk will discuss the drivers and characteristics of reproductive health misinformation, exploring why these myths are so compelling and what dynamics allow them to propagate. Attendees will learn to identify and counter reproductive health misinformation in order to promote positive reproductive health outcomes.
Jennifer John is a Research Fellow at the University of Pennsylvania, where she studies misinformation about reproductive health. She is a recent Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Stanford University, where she majored in Human Biology with a concentration in Women’s Health.

Tea Rex Party!
2024-02-24 10:30 - 11:30 | La Crescent Public Library, 321 Main St., La Crescent, MN, 55947, United States
Join Miss Emily and a surprise special guest for a Tea Rex Storytime at the library with books, songs, crafts, and snacks!

Chamber Member Annual Dinner and Live Auction
2024-02-24 17:00 - 21:00 | Pettibone Resort, 333 Park Plaza Dr, La Crosse, 54601, United States
Celebrating Business. Celebrating Community.
RSVP HERE by February 15th, 2024
Dear Chamber Members, we look forward to kicking off the new year with you at our Annual Dinner and Live Auction, February 24th, 5pm-9pm. Join us for a night of food and fun with your fellow Chamber Members! Doors open at 5PM. As always there will be some fun auction items this year including some fun experiences, gift baskets, and original art pieces. Two tickets to this dinner are included in your membership dues. You can purchase additional guest tickets at $30 each.
Businesses, you can sponsor a table for only $300, which gets you 6 additional guests and 8 drink tickets. Contact Brian at chamber@explorelacrescent.com to reserve your table now!
Thank you for investing in your La Crescent business community!
Date: Saturday, February 24th, 2024
Place: Pettibone Resort: 333 Park Plaza Dr. La Crosse, WI 54601
Time: 5-9pm
– 5pm cash bar and raffle
– 6pm dinner with short program
– Live auction to follow
