Opening Nights - HSO Fall Concert Series

Opening Nights, will feature violinist Steven Zander in Ralph Vaughan- Williams’s The Lark Ascending, one of the most popular violin solos in the repertoire. In addition to performing with many orchestras in the Los Angeles area, Steven can be heard each summer in our own backyard with the Lakes Area Music Festival. This concert will also include the world premiere of Dr. Kyle Brown’s Radiant, a work specifically commissioned for your Heartland Symphony. Dr. Brown teaches at Central Lakes College and Bemidji State, as well as playing piccolo with HSO.

One Family's Journey on the Minnesota Trail of Tears, 1862 at Sibley

Join Rob Thomas as he guides you through a journey from 1862 to the present day, reflecting on his family's experiences. Discover how he researched his ancestry using various tools and resources to gather information and listen to personal stories from his family that span the last 160 years.

Once Upon A Mattress

The classic fairy tale The Princess and the Pea gets a hilarious twist in this raucous and romantic musical comedy! Queen Aggravain has decreed that no one in the kingdom may marry until her son, Prince Dauntless, finds a bride—but every princess is subjected to the Queen’s outrageously impossible tests. Just when hope seems lost, along comes Winnifred the Woebegone, a bold and unpolished princess from the swamp, who just might be up to the challenge.

Looney Lutherans: Hold the Lutefisk (It's beginning to smell a lot like Christmas)

HOLD THE LUTEFISK, It's Beginning to Smell a Lot Like Christmas

When you want an old-fashioned Looney Christmas, you know who to turn to — the musical, merry, menopausal members of the Looney Lutherans! This trio of warm, witty women have created a show of family-friendly comedy and songs to help audiences enjoy the spirit of the season, and maybe even create a new holiday tradition to boot. Hold the Lutefisk! - It’s Beginning to Smell a Lot Like Christmas—and you don't have to be Lutheran to love it!

Lantern Lighting Celebration

11th Annual Lantern Lighting Celebration at Lakewood Cemetery

Lakewood Cemetery invites the public to its 11th Annual Lantern Lighting Celebration the weekend of September 19-20, 2025. The event offers an opportunity for people to remember loved ones and celebrate their lives by decorating then releasing floating, candlelit lanterns onto Lakewood’s private lake. This event is open to the public.

Home for the Holidays - HSO Winter Concert Series

Heartland Symphony Orchestra's winter series, Home for the Holidays, presents the world premiere of Katherine Bergman’s Superior. Katherine is a Minnesota-based composer whose music has been performed by major ensembles throughout the United States and internationally. Continuing the practice of highlighting our own musicians, this concert will feature HSO’s trumpet section as soloists. Additionally, seasonal favorites will also be performed, including the beloved Sing-A-Long.

"The Gilded Age Christmas Cookbook" Baking Demo, with author Becky Diamond

Get inspired for holiday baking and get a glimpse into gilded age holiday traditions with a cooking demo by food writer and historian Becky Libourel Diamond based on her new book The Gilded Age Christmas Cookbook: Cookies and Treats from America's Golden Era. The demo and book signing will take place in Mill City Museum’s Baking Lab and is included with museum admission.

Fresh Acres Fall Festival

The Fresh Acres Fall Festival & Pumpkin Patch was created with your entire family in mind! Bring the whole family to celebrate the autumn season with us starting in September. Get your tickets at the door!

This year our fall festival is bigger and better than ever with corn mazes, a pumpkin patch, a petting zoo, inflatables, playground equipment, a corn pit, a corn cannon, food options, and MORE!

Private Groups/Field Trips

Firearms of the Fur Trade

Steve Watson has been an avid collector of antique firearms since the 1960s. While growing up in Cambridge, the local butcher had many firearms on display, and he was able to purchase a few of them to start his collecting odyssey.

Farmers’ Christmas Celebration

Experience how farm families celebrated the Christmas holiday! Hop on our horse-drawn trolley and explore the Kelley family farmstead. Warm up with a Christmas cookie in our historic house, while making traditional decorations for our tree. Before you leave, make an ornament to take home and enjoy seasonal refreshments in the visitor center.