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Kara Tabor

Friday Festivals: Heritage Day underground

Blacksmith
A blacksmith demonstrates his craft at a Heritage Day Celebration at the Lake Vermilion-Soudan Underground Mine State Park.
Courtesy of Minnesota Department of Natural Resources

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This week goes deep — mine deep. We're heading to Northeast Minnesota for the Heritage Day Celebration this Saturday at Lake Vermilion-Soudan Underground Mine State Park. The annual event is meant to commemorate the early inhabitants of the Iron Range region, such as the European miners and Native Americans who lived there.

Festivities will begin 10 a.m. Saturday at the park visitors center with demonstrations from blacksmiths and flint mappers, along with tomahawk throwing events, archery, hikes and traditional food. Underground mine tours are available for a fee.

James Pointer, the park's interpretive supervisor spoke with MPR News' Tom Crann about the history and heritage behind the celebration.

Here are some other events to check out this weekend:

• The 32nd Rondo Days Celebration will kick off tomorrow morning with a 5k walk and run at 8:30 a.m. It continues through the day with music and dance performances at 560 Concordia Avenue in St. Paul.

• If you want to "rock out," Moose Lake's Agate Days Celebration begins tomorrow with a gem and mineral show and runs through Sunday. Four-hundred pounds of agates and $400 in quarters will be combined with gravel and dumped on Elm Avenue during the Agate Stampede on Saturday.

• And if mad agate grabs aren't your thing, you can head to Hopkins for its 81st Raspberry Festival, which runs through Sunday. A raspberry breakfast takes place at 10 a.m. Saturday and grand parade on 2 p.m. Sunday.