By Henry Rohlf

The Albert Lea Parks and Recreation Department and other organizations in the community will host the Just Play festival on Saturday.

Family-friendly activities will take place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the city pool and Frank Hall Park area.

The bike rodeo will once again be from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. in the pool parking lot.

Other activities during the day will include pickleball, bocceball, skateboarding and bike demonstrations from Third Lair, soccer clinics, kayaking, canoeing, a poker walk, a pop-up splash pad and music, among other activities.

Admission to the pool is $2 from 1 to 7 p.m., and cruises on the Pelican Breeze II will be $5 starting at 11 a.m.

The event is designed so that people of all ages and abilities have the opportunity to be active, try something new and have fun.

During the festival, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources will host a designation and celebration for the Shell Rock River Water Trail at Frank Hall Park. Hoping to promote the conservation of natural water resources within Freeborn County, the DNR will start the event at 12:30 p.m.

Representatives from state, city and various organizations will be present, including keynote speaker Natalie Warren, river corridor steward at the St. Croix River Association.

The Shell Rock River Water Trail travels 20 miles south starting at the headwaters of Fountain Lake and passes through the city of Albert Lea, Myre-Big Island State Park, the city of Glenville and two wildlife management areas before concluding at the Minnesota-Iowa border. In 2015, the Shell Rock River became the 35th Minnesota state water trail.

The following is a roundup of other activities taking place this weekend:

 

 Friday 

Starting today, Ellendale Days will last all weekend with various events. Activities will range from live music and raffles to city-wide garage sales and a golf classic.

Starting today at 5 p.m. with a community picnic in the park, Kiester Days will run through the weekend. There will be a car show and a steak fry, among other activities.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness will host “Gray Matters,” an event from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. to inform on the risk factors, warning signs, stigma, treatment, recovery and resources for mental health. This will include information for depression, anxiety and dementia all in older adults. To register, visit www.FCFSC.org or call 507-377-5504. Lunch will be provided free of cost.

St. Theodore Catholic Church will host an American Red Cross blood drive from 2 to 7 p.m.

Emmons Borderfest kicks off at 8:30 p.m. with a DJ and continues through Saturday with various activities, including a parade and a car show.

Saturday

The American Legion Club will host “Bikes for Barker,” an annual scholarship fundraiser supporting students that pursue careers in chemical dependency counseling. The breakfast will be from 9 to 11:30 a.m. with a suggested donation of $5. The scenic 100-mile motorcycle run will start at the Legion and will cost $20. Registration begins at 9 a.m. and the bikes leave at noon. An 11-mile bicycle ride will also take place, starting at the head of Root River Trail in Fountain, with a $10 registration fee. Register between 1 and 2 p.m. for this ride. There will be a raffle and silent auction during breakfast.

The Albert Lea Farmers Market will offer local produce, baked goods, meats, crafts, gluten-free goods, flowers, bedding plants and much more from 9 a.m. to noon in the parking lot outside Northbridge Mall.

The 11th annual Corey Goodnature Memorial Scholarship Golf Classic will begin at 12:30 p.m. at Green Lea Golf Course.

The Marion Ross Performing Arts Center will host a karaoke benefit for Kathy Brekke from 7 to 10 p.m. Brekke is a victim of multiple rounds of cancer. See a separate story in today’s Tribune on Brekke.

 

Sunday 

The American Legion will host a pancake breakfast from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Admission is $7.50, with $1 going to the youth group or church of your choice.

Music in the Park will present the Studebaker Boys from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. at Fountain Lake Park.