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If you live in Chanhassen and want to vote early, you’re driving to Chaska. If you live in Savage, you’re driving to Jordan. If you live in Eden Prairie, you can walk into City Center today. And if you live in Waconia, your city hall will open for voting in about four weeks.

Same election. Same state law. Four different experiences.

That tells you something about how Minnesota elections actually work, and it determines what “voting early” means for you this fall.

First, the basics

Absentee voting for the Nov. 3 general election opened Friday, Sept. 18, and runs through Monday, Nov. 2. Any eligible Minnesota voter can vote early, for any reason, in person or by mail.

But there’s a wrinkle this year that you may not have noticed. “Voting early” now comes in two flavors, and they open on different dates.

Starting Sept. 18: In-person absentee. You fill out an absentee application (you’ll need your Minnesota driver’s license or ID number, or the last four digits of your Social Security number), vote your ballot on the spot, put it in your sealed envelope, and hand it back. A ballot board reviews it later. Functionally, it’s a mail ballot without the mail.

Starting Oct. 16: Early In-Person Voting. This is new in 2026, according to the Secretary of State. You sign a short certificate, get a ballot, and feed it into the ballot counter yourself, exactly like on Election Day. As Bloomington’s election office explains it, voters get to watch their ballot get tabulated and find out right away if the machine catches an error.

So which should you do? If you want it done, go now. If you want the satisfaction (and the error check) of seeing your ballot go through the machine, wait until Oct. 16. Either way, your vote counts the same.

The second date matters for another reason: It’s when a lot of city halls open their doors.

Why the map looks like a patchwork

Minnesota doesn’t run elections from St. Paul. Secretary of State Steve Simon put it plainly at a Clean Elections Minnesota forum in January: His office publishes what townships, cities and counties count; it never touches ballots. It’s a bottom-up system.

That’s a strength when people claim someone is rigging votes in a warehouse. It also means the convenience of voting near home is a local decision, with a local price tag.

Chanhassen is a good example. In August 2025, at Carver County’s request, the Chanhassen City Council looked at offering in-person absentee voting at City Hall starting in 2026. Staff estimated it would cost the city about $31,000 in 2026 and $45,000 in 2028, with the county helping with training and some first-year costs. Council members said they liked the idea of making voting more accessible, but wanted the county’s financial support to be firmer and more substantial.

This fall, the city’s own announcement sends Chanhassen voters to the Carver County Government Center in Chaska. Waconia, meanwhile, pays to run its own site.

Neither choice is scandalous. But it’s a useful reminder that “access to voting” isn’t an abstraction. It’s staff hours, election judges and a line in a budget.

Where to vote early in the Southwest Metro

Most early voting sites keep regular weekday business hours (usually 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.), then add extra hours as Election Day gets closer:

• Saturday, Oct. 24: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• Tuesday, Oct. 27: Open late, until 7 p.m.

• Saturday, Oct. 31: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• Sunday, Nov. 1: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• Monday, Nov. 2: Open until 5 p.m. This is the last day to vote early.

These extra hours apply at the county sites listed below. Some city halls set their own schedules, so check with your city before you go.

The full statewide list lives on the Secretary of State’s site.

Carver County

• Carver County Government Center (Administration Building), 600 East Fourth Street, Chaska. Open to every Carver County voter, including Chanhassen, Chaska, Victoria, Carver and the townships. Regular hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays, plus the extended hours above. Details on the county elections page.

• Waconia City Hall, 201 South Vine Street. Waconia residents only, opening Oct. 16, Monday through Thursday 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Fridays 7:30 to 11:30 a.m. Until then, Waconia voters can use the Government Center in Chaska.

Scott County

• Scott County Public Works Facility, 600 Country Trail East, Jordan. For 2026, the county moved in-person absentee voting exclusively to this Jordan facility, starting 46 days before the election. All Scott County voters can use it, weekdays 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

• Jordan and Belle Plaine city halls are open now for their own residents.

• Shakopee, Prior Lake, Savage, New Prague and Elko New Market city halls open Oct. 16 for their own residents, weekdays through Oct. 30. Jackson and Louisville township residents vote at Shakopee City Hall; Spring Lake Township residents vote at Prior Lake City Hall. See the county’s location list.

Southwest Hennepin County

• Eden Prairie City Center, 8080 Mitchell Road. Open now for Eden Prairie residents, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays, with extended hours on the dates above (Eden Prairie Local News has the rundown).

• Deephaven City Hall is open now for Deephaven and Woodland residents.

• Minnetonka Community Center, Excelsior (Old Excelsior schoolhouse), Shorewood, Hopkins, Minnetrista, St. Bonifacius and Tonka Bay all open Oct. 16 for their own residents. Note that Excelsior and Tonka Bay are closed Fridays.

• Any Hennepin County voter can also use the Hennepin County Government Center in downtown Minneapolis, starting now.

Voting by mail: The deadline is receipt, not postmark

Apply at mnvotes.gov/absentee. The state recommends applying by Friday, Oct. 2. You’ll need a witness when you fill out your ballot: Any U.S. citizen 18 or older, or a notary. If you aren’t registered, your witness has to see your ID and mark which one you showed.

Your ballot has to be received by Election Day. A postmark doesn’t save it. The Secretary of State’s advice is to mail it right away, and if Election Day is less than a week out, drop it off instead.

Dropping it off has its own rules:

• Return it to the office that sent it. For Carver County, that’s the Government Center in Chaska. Waconia’s city FAQ says completed mail ballots can’t be dropped off at Waconia City Hall.

• Your own ballot must be in by 5 p.m. on Election Day. You can drop off ballots for up to three other people, with ID.

• Do not bring your absentee ballot to your polling place on Election Day. They can’t take it.

• Scott County posts a list of staffed ballot drop sites for the general election. None of our three counties currently shows a 24-hour drop box on the state’s list.

Deadlines to hand-deliver your absentee ballot on Election Day vary wildly across city lines. Carver County enforces a strict 5:00 p.m. cut-off at the Government Center in Chaska. While Eden Prairie's website lists an 8:00 p.m. deadline for City Center drop-offs, Hennepin County generally advises 5:00 p.m.

To guarantee your vote is counted, assume the 5:00 p.m. deadline applies to you, and remember that you can never drop an absentee ballot at a regular neighborhood polling place.

Then track it at mnvotes.gov/track. And if you’d rather never apply again, the state now has a permanent absentee list that mails you a ballot every election.

Registration: Oct. 13 is a soft deadline, not a hard one

You can register online through Oct. 13. After that, you register in person, either at an early voting site or at your polling place on Election Day, with proof of residence. If you’ve moved or changed your name, you need to re-register.

If you’re waiting for Nov. 3

Polls are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. If you’re in line by 8 p.m., don’t leave, you can still vote.

Check your polling place with the state’s Polling Place Finder, even if you’ve voted at the same church gym for a decade. Waconia, for instance, dropped its ward system and now has four precincts, and the city warns that your polling location has likely changed.

Your rights, briefly

A few worth knowing before you go:

• Time off work. You can take paid time off to vote at any point in the 46-day absentee period, not just Election Day. Your employer can’t make you use vacation or PTO. That makes a Tuesday-lunch trip to Chaska or Jordan a legally protected errand.

• The 100-foot rule. Secretary Simon has been explicit that state law keeps everyone but voters, election workers, people who work in the building and one challenger per party away from a polling place entrance. Minnesota law also bars law enforcement from being preemptively posted at polling places. Given the past year in this state, that’s worth remembering.

• No campaign gear. Shirts, hats and buttons for a candidate or party on the ballot aren’t allowed. Issue messages that do not directly correlate to a ballot question or candidateare fine.

• Help and do-overs. You can bring your kids, ask for help, and get a new ballot if you make a mistake.

One place where skipping isn’t neutral

You don’t have to vote in every race. Leave a race blank and the rest of your ballot still counts.

Except for one question.

This year’s ballot includes a constitutional amendment about how much money the Permanent School Fund sends to school districts. Minnesota constitutional amendments need “yes” votes from a majority of everyone who votes in the election, so leaving the question blank has the same practical effect as voting no.

Whatever you think of the amendment, make that choice on purpose.

The short version

The state sets the rules. Your county and city decide how close to home you can follow them. That’s why a Waconia voter and a Chanhassen voter, living a few miles apart, have different options this fall.

So pick your method this week. Request the mail ballot, circle Oct. 16 if you want to feed the machine yourself, or plan the Election Day trip. The ballots are ready.

We should be too.

David

Chaska Protests

Every Friday from 3:00–4:00 p.m. at the corner of Chaska Blvd. and Chestnut Street (Highway 41) [Map]

Every Saturday from 1-2 pm at the corner of Hazeltine Boulevard and Highway 41 (Chestnut) [Map]

Chanhassen Protests

Every Saturday: 1^st & 3^rd Saturdays from 10-11am at Pedestrian Bridge over Highway 5.

• Park at Discovery United Methodist Church. We have permission to park there.

2^nd, 4^th and 5^th Saturday from 10-11am at W 78^th and Kerber Boulevard.

Sign library is available.

Norwood Young America

Every Sunday, 11 a.m.–12 p.m. (Line up at the bike path south of Highway 212 and Faxon.)

Victoria

Every Wednesday from 4:30-5:30 pm on the corner of Highway 5 and Victoria Drive/County Rd 11.

Waconia

Every Saturday from 11:30-12:30 pm at Highway 5 and County Road 10 in front of the Starbucks and Jersey Mike’s. [Map]

SW Protectors

Every first and third Tuesday from 6:30 – 8:00 pm. It’s no cost and come and go as you like.

Please do buy something to eat or drink, though, to support our venue, which is The Golden Kitchen and is located at 207 N Chestnut Street #110 in Chaska. [Map]

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The weather is turning colder, and we are now in the countdown to the midterms. These midterms may be the most important in the history of the USA, and we need all hands on deck.

Numbers at our weekly protest have fallen, and when it was summer and people were on vacations, going to cabins, and recharging, that made sense. But it is time to come back. We need you.

The more people who stand along that hill, the more we show the outside world that this is real and important and that there are people fighting. It is important that people who are afraid, or who are thinking that they are the only ones who do not agree with this regime, see that they are not alone.

I can tell you how people in other countries viewed the USA up until recently. It was a place where you could make amazing strides in science and research. The media was open, and freedom of speech was a real thing. Not that there was no free speech or laws such as the Constitution in other countries, but there was a trust here. There was trust in the voting system. The Supreme Court may have given decisions we did not always agree with, but there was, again, a trust.

This is all gone. All of it.

Countries have seen how fast everything is being dismantled, and they are forging other bonds. They are making other trade and protection partners and cutting out the USA.

Gas prices are at an all-time high. The care that people with disabilities need is being cut with no alternatives given. In the next few months, more cuts are coming that will affect each and every one of us negatively. We are stuck in a war that is only getting worse, and experts are warning that AI advancements need to slow down so we can do them safely, while the Trump administration has pushed to accelerate AI development and remove regulatory barriers. CNN, CBS, and others have been censored.

There is strength in numbers, and it is time we show that again.

Come back. Come fight.

While you are with us, pick up a lawn sign to give a neighbor. Volunteer to help our candidates or learn more about them. Come see Kim at the refreshments table and listen to Joel ring his cowbell. Talk to Dave and Jen, and wave your signs to the honks and cheers. Sign up to help bring people to the polls.

We need you. The USA needs you.

SW Protectors

This Tuesday at 6:30 at the Golden Kitchen in downtown Chaska (details below) come listen to Chrissy and Kai as they tell us about what commissioners do and how that affects our cities.

Coming up: At the end of October, there will be a food drive, and we have speakers lined up for every SW Protectors meeting.

Judith

Chaska Protests

Every Friday from 3:00–4:00 p.m. at the corner of Chaska Blvd. and Chestnut Street (Highway 41) [Map]

Every Saturday from 1-2 pm at the corner of Hazeltine Boulevard and Highway 41 (Chestnut) [Map]

Chanhassen Protests

Every Saturday: 1^st & 3^rd Saturdays from 10-11am at Pedestrian Bridge over Highway 5.

• Park at Discovery United Methodist Church. We have permission to park there.

2^nd, 4^th and 5^th Saturday from 10-11am at W 78^th and Kerber Boulevard.

Sign library is available.

Norwood Young America

Every Sunday, 11 a.m.–12 p.m. (Line up at the bike path south of Highway 212 and Faxon.)

Victoria

Every Wednesday from 4:30-5:30 pm on the corner of Highway 5 and Victoria Drive/County Rd 11.

Waconia

Every Saturday from 11:30-12:30 pm at Highway 5 and County Road 10 in front of the Starbucks and Jersey Mike’s. [Map]

SW Protectors

Every first and third Tuesday from 6:30 – 8:00 pm. It’s no cost and come and go as you like.

Please do buy something to eat or drink, though, to support our venue, which is The Golden Kitchen and is located at 207 N Chestnut Street #110 in Chaska. [Map]

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Important update!

Last year, The Bellows was kind enough to open their doors to us for free and let the SW Protectors hold our meetings there. Twice a month, they provided us with a safe and inclusive space, great food and ever-changing décor.

We had contacted other places, but the prices to rent a room were astronomical, especially since we have no money. The Bellows and their gaming store, The Forge, have grown over the last year, and they now need the space for their business. I am so thankful to them, and I hope you will continue to visit. They have an ever-changing menu of delicious food and are locally owned.

This change does mean we need to find a new home, and we did!

The Golden Kitchen, just down the road in downtown Chaska, is locally owned by immigrants, and the food and drinks are always great. We’ll also have better acoustics!

At our next meeting on September 15, we will have our own Chrissy and Kai, who are both running for commissioner in Carver County. Let’s talk about what commissioners can and can’t do, how data centers fit into the picture and so much more. We will also talk about what to do in these last few weeks before the election to make sure your vote gets counted.

On October 6, Dan Kessler, who is running for the Minnesota Senate, will come talk with us. And on October 20, we will have Ellie Krug, who is running for school board, to talk about how important that role is.

If you have not joined us before, I invite you to come and meet with us.

Judith

Chaska Protests

Every Friday from 3:00–4:00 p.m. at the corner of Chaska Blvd. and Chestnut Street (Highway 41) [Map]

Every Saturday from 1-2 pm at the corner of Hazeltine Boulevard and Highway 41 (Chestnut) [Map]

Chanhassen Protests

Every Saturday: 1^st & 3^rd Saturdays from 10-11am at Pedestrian Bridge over Highway 5.

• Park at Discovery United Methodist Church. We have permission to park there.

2^nd, 4^th and 5^th Saturday from 10-11am at W 78^th and Kerber Boulevard.

Sign library is available.

Norwood Young America

Every Sunday, 11 a.m.–12 p.m. (Line up at the bike path south of Highway 212 and Faxon.)

Victoria

Every Wednesday from 4:30-5:30 pm on the corner of Highway 5 and Victoria Drive/County Rd 11.

Waconia

Every Saturday from 11:30-12:30 pm at Highway 5 and County Road 10 in front of the Starbucks and Jersey Mike’s. [Map]

SW Protectors

Every first and third Tuesday from 6:30 – 8:00 pm. It’s no cost and come and go as you like.

Please do buy something to eat or drink, though, to support our venue, which is The Golden Kitchen and is located at 207 N Chestnut Street #110 in Chaska. [Map]

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180 people showed up on Saturday to continue our weekly tradition of gathering together and supporting each other. I want to point out that so many of you have formed real bonds over the last year and then some while standing on that hill.

You stand or sit near the same people, talk about family or about whatever crazy thing Trump has come up with this last week. You support each other through illness and surgery and cheer when a big truck drives by honking its horn.

As hard as the last many months have been with ICE murdering people, kidnapping our neighbors, Trump causing prices to skyrocket, and destabilizing the entire world, I want to point out the amazing things that have happened.

Minnesota and all of you fought back so well and so hard that we have been awarded the JFK Profiles in Courage Award. We thwarted ICE at every opportunity. We then supported those most vulnerable by donating supplies and making deliveries so they did not have to leave their homes.

Our protest alone made one of the largest food donations collected in one day EVER to Bountiful Baskets! But this was happening all over. In cities from Minneapolis to Shakopee, we made connections with each other and created vast networks of mutual aid.

Bruce Springsteen (the Boss himself) wrote a song about us!

If you went to the State Fair and visited the crop art exhibit, or went to look at the quilts or any other art and craft exhibit, you saw Minnesotans standing proud and making it known that we are not going to give up or give in. I never thought I would see resistance crop art, but here we are, and it is amazing!

On Tuesday, Sept. 1, Joe Brothers will be with us at the SW Protectors meeting, and that is the start of the countdown to the elections. I hope to see you at the Bellows at 6:30 as Joe talks to us, and as we also talk about fighting the data center and our next steps.

Judith

Chaska Protests

Every Friday from 3:00–4:00 p.m. at the corner of Chaska Blvd. and Chestnut Street (Highway 41) [Map]

Every Saturday from 1-2 pm at the corner of Hazeltine Boulevard and Highway 41 (Chestnut) [Map]

Chanhassen Protests

Every Saturday: 1^st & 3^rd Saturdays from 10-11am at Pedestrian Bridge over Highway 5.

• Park at Discovery United Methodist Church. We have permission to park there.

2^nd, 4^th and 5^th Saturday from 10-11am at W 78^th and Kerber Boulevard.

Sign library is available.

Norwood Young America

Every Sunday, 11 a.m.–12 p.m. (Line up at the bike path south of Highway 212 and Faxon.)

Victoria

Every Wednesday from 4:30-5:30 pm on the corner of Highway 5 and Victoria Drive/County Rd 11.

Waconia

Every Saturday from 11:30-12:30 pm at Highway 5 and County Road 10 in front of the Starbucks and Jersey Mike’s. [Map]

SW Protectors

Every first and third Tuesday from 6:30 – 8:00 pm. It’s no cost and come and go as you like.

Please do buy something to eat or drink, though, to support our venue, which is The Bellows restaurant and it’s located at 232 Pioneer Trail in Chaska.

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I don’t know about you, but I’ve been innundated with phone calls and text messages asking me to participate in polling lately. It would seem there is a lot of interest in the Southwest Metro this season.

Election season always brings an avalanche of polls.

One day your preferred candidate is surging. The next day they’re collapsing. Headlines declare races “effectively over,” while social media insists the numbers prove one side has all the momentum.

It’s enough to make anyone wonder whether the polls are measuring public opinion—or trying to shape it.

The truth is that both things can happen.

Most professional political polls are legitimate attempts to understand what voters are thinking. They are an important tool for campaigns, journalists, and the public. But alongside those legitimate polls are push polls, partisan polls, and low-quality surveys that can distort the public conversation.

Understanding the difference has become an essential civic skill.

Polling Infographics

What Is a Poll?

At its best, a poll is nothing more than a carefully designed survey.

Researchers contact a representative sample of voters, ask them neutral questions, and use statistical methods to estimate how the broader population is likely to feel.

Think of it like taking the temperature outside.

A thermometer doesn’t change the weather. It simply measures it.

A legitimate poll should do the same.

Professional polling organizations are transparent about their methods. They publish who conducted the survey, who paid for it, how respondents were selected, the dates the interviews were conducted, the sample size, the margin of error, and often the exact wording of every question.

No poll is perfect, but a good poll allows others to judge its quality.

What Is a Push Poll?

Despite the name, a push poll isn’t really a poll at all.

Its primary purpose isn’t to measure public opinion.

It’s to change it.

Imagine receiving a phone call that asks:

“Would you be more or less likely to vote for Candidate Smith if you learned she voted to raise taxes on seniors?”

The caller isn’t simply collecting information.

They’re planting an idea.

Whether the claim is true, misleading, or completely false, you’ve now heard it.

That’s the point.

Push polls often ask a series of emotionally loaded questions about one candidate while asking few (or no) comparable questions about the other. They may never publish results because gathering accurate data was never the objective.

The poll itself is the message.

Why Push Polls Can Work

Human psychology makes push polls surprisingly effective.

Researchers have found that simply hearing a claim—even one that’s later corrected—can make it feel more familiar. Our brains often confuse familiarity with truth.

Other psychological effects come into play as well:

• Priming: Certain information becomes more prominent in your thinking.

• Framing: The wording of a question changes how people evaluate an issue.

• Availability heuristic: Dramatic or memorable claims feel more common than they really are.

That’s why professional pollsters work hard to write neutral questions. Even small wording changes can influence responses.

How to Spot a Questionable Poll

Before accepting the results of any poll, ask a few simple questions.

• Who paid for it?

• Who conducted it?

• How many people were interviewed?

• When was it conducted?

• How were respondents selected?

• Was it conducted by live interview, text, online panel, or automated calls?

• What’s the margin of error?

• Are the complete questions available?

• Are the detailed results available?

If none of that information is public, be skeptical. Transparency is one of the hallmarks of quality polling.

Understanding the Margin of Error

One of the most misunderstood numbers in polling is the margin of error.

Suppose a poll finds:

• Candidate A: 48%

• Candidate B: 46%

• Margin of error: ±3%

Many people would conclude Candidate A is ahead. Not necessarily.

Because of the margin of error, Candidate A’s actual support could reasonably be anywhere from 45% to 51%, while Candidate B’s could be anywhere from 43% to 49%.

Those ranges overlap. Statistically speaking, that’s a very close race.

That’s why responsible pollsters rarely describe small leads as definitive.

Why Polls Often Disagree

People are often surprised when two polls conducted around the same time produce different results.

That doesn’t automatically mean one is wrong.

Different organizations may:

• Interview different populations.

• Define “likely voters” differently.

• Weight age, education, race, or geography differently.

• Conduct interviews on different days.

• Ask questions in different orders.

Each of those decisions can produce slightly different results. That’s why experienced analysts rarely focus on a single poll. They look for patterns across many polls.

Why Polling Averages Matter

Because every poll contains some random error, many organizations publish polling averages rather than relying on a single survey.

This is usually a smart approach.

Imagine asking ten neighbors whether they think tomorrow will be warm. One person’s guess may be off. But averaging many independent opinions often produces a better estimate than relying on just one.

Polling averages work the same way.

When multiple high-quality polls point in the same direction, confidence in the overall trend increases.

When Polling Averages Can Be Misleading

Here’s where things become more complicated.

Polling averages are only as good as the polls included.

Imagine averaging the grades of ten students. If nine scored around 90 but one fake score of 20 is added to the pile, the class average suddenly drops even though nothing changed about the other nine students.

Polling averages can be influenced in a similar way.

If numerous low-quality or heavily partisan polls are released within a short period, they can pull an average in one direction. Whether those polls deserve the same weight as long-established, highly accurate pollsters depends on how the averaging organization builds its model.

Some polling aggregators treat most public polls similarly. Others adjust for pollster quality, historical accuracy, methodology, recency, and each firm’s historical tendency to lean toward one party or the other.

Not all polling averages are created equal.

Fake Polls & Junk Polls

You may have heard last week about a fake poll, the “results” of which spread surprisingly fast across the internet and was widely cited as a credible poll. PBS reports:

Locked in a competitive reelection race, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass declared on social media last week that a new poll was evidence that her campaign was “gaining momentum.”

Just a few days later, the truth emerged: The poll was fabricated.

The California results were among at least three “polls” across three states posted online this month by Median Strategies, a previously unknown organization that admitted to the Los Angeles Times on Monday that the purported results were fake. The company wrote before shuttering its website this week that it “was created as a short-term social experiment examining how purported polling information could enter and spread through the political information ecosystem without independent verification.”

In recent election cycles, a growing number of election analysts—including Democratic strategist Simon Rosenberg and election analyst Tom Bonier—have discussed a noticeable increase in Republican-aligned polling firms releasing large numbers of polls late in campaigns.

Rosenberg and Bonier have argued that some of these polls appear intended not only to measure public opinion but also to influence polling averages, media narratives, fundraising, and voter perceptions of momentum.

Polling averages are not magic. They are mathematical summaries of the polls included.

If low-quality polls enter the system, they can influence some averages more than others. That’s one reason many professional analysts evaluate the quality of each poll, not just the topline numbers.

Polls Don’t Predict Elections

Perhaps the most important thing to remember is this: Polls do not predict the future.

They measure what a particular group of people said at one particular moment under one particular set of circumstances.

People change their minds. New events happen. Turnout differs from expectations. Late-deciding voters make choices.

The only poll that ultimately counts is the one conducted on Election Day.

Before You Share a Poll, Ask Yourself…

Before reposting the latest poll on social media, take a moment to ask:

1. Who paid for it?

2. Who conducted it?

3. Is the methodology public?

4. How large was the sample?

5. What’s the margin of error?

6. When was it conducted?

7. Is it consistent with other reputable polls?

8. Has the pollster been accurate in previous elections?

9. Is this poll trying to measure opinion or influence it?

10. What do multiple high-quality polls say?

You don’t need to be a statistician to become a smarter consumer of polling. You just need to ask a few good questions.

Because in a healthy democracy, understanding the numbers is just as important as knowing the candidates.

Polling Resources

There are a couple of Substacks I follow that regularly address polls and polling.

• Simon Rosenberg’s Hopium Chronicles

• Lincoln Square - This Lincoln Square interview with Simon Rosenberg is really important for understanding how Republicans are deliberately trying to manipulate public percpetion by polluting polling data.

• Dan Pfeiffer’s Message Box

• G.Elliot Morris’ Strength in Numbers - This one is really good if you want to get into the weeds on interpreting polls and understanding the science of polling

Pew Research Center: A premier nonpartisan “fact tank” that studies social issues, public opinion, and demographic trends without doing political candidate “horse-race” polling.

Gallup Poll: The pioneer of modern scientific polling, now focusing on long-term social, economic, and political issues rather than daily elections.

Quinnipiac University Poll: An independent university poll widely respected as a gold standard for tracking voter sentiment on national and state elections and public policy.

Ipsos: A global market research and public opinion firm that frequently partners with major news outlets like ABC News and the Washington Post.

YouGov: A major data analytics and research organization conducting reliable scientific public opinion surveys, often in partnership with CBS News and The Economist.

AP-NORC Center: A collaboration between the Associated Press and the independent research organization NORC at the University of Chicago.

David

Chaska Protests

Every Friday from 3:00–4:00 p.m. at the corner of Chaska Blvd. and Chestnut Street (Highway 41) [Map]

Every Saturday from 1-2 pm at the corner of Hazeltine Boulevard and Highway 41 (Chestnut) [Map]

Chanhassen Protests

Every Saturday: 1^st & 3^rd Saturdays from 10-11am at Pedestrian Bridge over Highway 5.

• Park at Discovery United Methodist Church. We have permission to park there.

2^nd, 4^th and 5^th Saturday from 10-11am at W 78^th and Kerber Boulevard.

Sign library is available.

Norwood Young America

Every Sunday, 11 a.m.–12 p.m. (Line up at the bike path south of Highway 212 and Faxon.)

Victoria

Every Wednesday from 4:30-5:30 pm on the corner of Highway 5 and Victoria Drive/County Rd 11.

Waconia

Every Saturday from 11:30-12:30 pm at Highway 5 and County Road 10 in front of the Starbucks and Jersey Mike’s. [Map]

SW Protectors

Every first and third Tuesday from 6:30 – 8:00 pm. It’s no cost and come and go as you like.

Please do buy something to eat or drink, though, to support our venue, which is The Bellows restaurant and it’s located at 232 Pioneer Trail in Chaska.

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I was afraid this would happen, but people said I was being dramatic—and now we are waiting again. As of August 21, the FDA has selected the XFG variant for the updated 2026–27 COVID vaccine, but it has not yet granted final approval to the new products. That means the updated vaccine is not yet being shipped to clinics and pharmacies.

Trump has nominated Dr. Heidi Overton to lead the FDA. She has opposed COVID-vaccine mandates and supported Trump’s effort to separate the MMR vaccine into individual shots—a change public-health experts say is not supported by evidence. She has not yet been confirmed.

I’m afraid she will not allow the distribution of this year’s COVID vaccine, which is supposed to protect us from the new variants. A vaccine that uses proven methods and has solid evidence that it works could be denied to us or made available only to a limited number of people, against the advice of the medical community.

If you don’t want to get the vaccine, that is your choice. But I want to have the choice to take it or not, and that choice may be taken away from us. This will have long-term consequences, ranging from death and lost time due to illness to long-term health problems. If you had the vaccine last year, you will have some protection against this year’s variants, but I want to have as much protection as I can!

Again, there is this hypocrisy of Trump saying he believes in states’ rights, parental rights, etc., but then taking choices away from the states and from us.

On Saturday, we have the school supply drive. Please bring items to the volunteers near the refreshment table or flag one of us down. Let’s make sure kids can start the school year off strong.

I am hoping to be there this Saturday. I have missed you all and can’t wait to see your signs and feel your courage. You are all amazing.

Judith.

Chaska Protests

Every Friday from 3:00–4:00 p.m. at the corner of Chaska Blvd. and Chestnut Street (Highway 41) [Map]

Every Saturday from 1-2 pm at the corner of Hazeltine Boulevard and Highway 41 (Chestnut) [Map]

Chanhassen Protests

Every Saturday: 1^st & 3^rd Saturdays from 10-11am at Pedestrian Bridge over Highway 5.

• Park at Discovery United Methodist Church. We have permission to park there.

2^nd, 4^th and 5^th Saturday from 10-11am at W 78^th and Kerber Boulevard.

Sign library is available.

Norwood Young America

Every Sunday, 11 a.m.–12 p.m. (Line up at the bike path south of Highway 212 and Faxon.)

Victoria

Every Wednesday from 4:30-5:30 pm on the corner of Highway 5 and Victoria Drive/County Rd 11.

Waconia

Every Saturday from 11:30-12:30 pm at Highway 5 and County Road 10 in front of the Starbucks and Jersey Mike’s. [Map]

SW Protectors

Every first and third Tuesday from 6:30 – 8:00 pm. It’s no cost and come and go as you like.

Please do buy something to eat or drink, though, to support our venue, which is The Bellows restaurant and it’s located at 232 Pioneer Trail in Chaska.

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You showed up!!

Thank you to all of you who voted! Voting went smoothly in Carver County and all across Minnesota. Chaska’s own — we do not claim him! — Republican candidate for governor, Mike Lindell, was defeated, but he is currently following the Trump playbook and saying the election results are false.

The next few weeks until the general election are crucial. We can defeat Trump’s stooge Emmer by voting for Doug Chapin!

We also have an important decision to make for Carver County sheriff. The choice is now between Barry and Heger, and I plan on inviting them to speak at the SW Protectors. I will let you know when that is set up.

In other local news, there is a plan to put another data center in Chaska. There are already three data centers in the West Creek Corporate Center, all of them much smaller than the one now being proposed.

This project is not a done deal, and we can put a stop to it. Please join the fight to stop this. Call your council members and the city!

Upcoming dates to know: No SW Protectors on August 18. We start again on September 1!

At the August 22 protest, we will be holding a school supply drive for Latino Voices, led by our own Joe Brothers, who is running for MN House District 48A.

Keep going, everyone! There is so much news, and so much of it is making us all frustrated and angry and sad, but we are fighting back and we are making a difference!

Do not give up. See you soon!

Judith

Chaska Protests

Every Friday from 3:00–4:00 p.m. at the corner of Chaska Blvd. and Chestnut Street (Highway 41) [Map]

Every Saturday from 1-2 pm at the corner of Hazeltine Boulevard and Highway 41 (Chestnut) [Map]

Chanhassen Protests

Every Saturday: 1^st & 3^rd Saturdays from 10-11am at Pedestrian Bridge over Highway 5.

• Park at Discovery United Methodist Church. We have permission to park there.

2^nd, 4^th and 5^th Saturday from 10-11am at W 78^th and Kerber Boulevard.

Sign library is available.

Norwood Young America

Every Sunday, 11 a.m.–12 p.m. (Line up at the bike path south of Highway 212 and Faxon.)

Victoria

Every Wednesday from 4:30-5:30 pm on the corner of Highway 5 and Victoria Drive/County Rd 11.

Waconia

Every Saturday from 11:30-12:30 pm at Highway 5 and County Road 10 in front of the Starbucks and Jersey Mike’s. [Map]

SW Protectors

Every first and third Tuesday from 6:30 – 8:00 pm. It’s no cost and come and go as you like.

Please do buy something to eat or drink, though, to support our venue, which is The Bellows restaurant and it’s located at 232 Pioneer Trail in Chaska.

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Here’s What You Need to Know Before Then.

At 7 o’clock this morning, at community centers across the southwest metro, your neighbors unlocked the doors, plugged in the coffee pot, and started checking people in. Retired teachers. Guys who coach youth hockey. The woman who works the desk at your clinic. That is who runs a Minnesota election.

They will be there until 8 tonight. If you haven’t yet voted, go see them.

Here is everything you need, and it isn’t much.

Find where you vote

Enter your address at the Secretary of State’s Polling Place Finder. It shows your polling place and your sample ballot in about ten seconds.

Check even if you have voted at the same place for fifteen years. Precinct boundaries move and buildings change.

Polls are open until 8 p.m. If you are standing in line at 8, you still get to vote. Stay in line.

And if your boss is the problem: Minnesota law gives you time off work to vote without losing pay, personal leave, or vacation time.

What to bring

If you are already registered: Nothing. You sign the roster, confirm your information is correct, and you’re voting. No photo ID required.

If you are not registered: You can register at your polling place today. Bring proof of who you are and where you live. A Minnesota driver’s license, learner’s permit, or state ID with your current address does it. So does a photo ID paired with a current utility bill. A registered voter from your own precinct can also vouch for you.

Nobody gets turned away for asking questions. The election judges are there to help you.

One column, all the way down

This is a primary, so the partisan races are laid out in party columns.

Pick one column and stay in it. If you cross over and vote for candidates from more than one party, your votes in those partisan races will not count.

Minnesota does not have party registration. You decide in the booth, and nobody records which column you chose. The nonpartisan races on the back of the ballot are open to everyone.

Still holding an absentee ballot?

Do not bring it to a polling place. They cannot accept it there. Deliver it in person to the county election office that sent it to you, by 5 p.m. today.

How to follow the results tonight

Statewide returns post at electionresults.sos.mn.gov after 8 p.m.

Watch it for twenty minutes and you will see totals jump. That is normal. Precincts finish their counts at different times and report in batches. A number that leaps at 9:40 does not mean ballots appeared out of nowhere; it means a precinct finished its work and sent it in.

Nothing you see tonight is official. Election night totals are unofficial results. Local officials review the records, and canvassing boards certify the outcome in the days that follow. That gap between “unofficial” and “certified” is not a loophole. It is the audit.

Share the picture

This infographic illustrates the whole chain: Voters checked in against ballots cast, absentee ballots cross-checked against polling place rosters, totals reconciled, results reviewed before they ever become official. Five checkpoints, every one of them run by neighbors.

There is an enormous amount of noise out there about whether our elections can be trusted. The best answer to noise is a clear picture of how the work actually gets done.

Download this infographic (right click, choose Save Image As…). Post it. Text it to the relative who needs it. Tag SWCrier.com if you would like, or don’t; the point is that it travels.

Then go vote. The doors are open until 8.

David

Chaska Protests

Every Friday from 3:00–4:00 p.m. at the corner of Chaska Blvd. and Chestnut Street (Highway 41) [Map]

Every Saturday from 1-2 pm at the corner of Hazeltine Boulevard and Highway 41 (Chestnut) [Map]

Chanhassen Protests

Every Saturday: 1^st & 3^rd Saturdays from 10-11am at Pedestrian Bridge over Highway 5.

2^nd, 4^th and 5^th Saturday from 10-11am at W 78^th and Kerber Boulevard.

Park at Discovery United Methodist Church. We have permission to park there. Sign library is available.

Norwood Young America

Every Sunday, 11 a.m.–12 p.m. (Line up at the bike path south of Highway 212 and Faxon.)

Victoria

Every Wednesday from 4:30-5:30 pm on the corner of Highway 5 and Victoria Drive/County Rd 11.

Waconia

Every Saturday from 11:30-12:30 pm at Highway 5 and County Road 10 in front of the Starbucks and Jersey Mike’s. [Map]

SW Protectors

Every first and third Tuesday from 6:30 – 8:00 pm. It’s no cost and come and go as you like.

Please do buy something to eat or drink, though, to support our venue, which is The Bellows restaurant and it’s located at 232 Pioneer Trail in Chaska.

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I woke up on Tuesday morning and kept thinking that: Am I doing enough?

How was I able to just continue with my work and meet with friends when so much that was horrible was happening around me? I was spiraling and felt anxious and sad and hopeless.

I have heard from some of you that at least once a week, you feel the same way. So deep into feelings of despair that you cry or want to just give up.

My friends reminded me that we are all trying to do as much as we can, and that looks different for each one of us.

For some people, it is taking down their Trump sign and quietly deciding that, at the voting booth, they will just not vote or will vote for a Democrat for the first time in their life.

For some of us, it is simply knowing that you will vote for anyone but Trump.

Some of you are brave because you come to the protests. That takes a lot of courage. I have heard from people who support us but are too afraid to be seen by the community or their co-workers because they are worried about getting pushback in some way.

Others are putting signs in their yards in conservative neighborhoods or, even better, doing door knocking with our candidates. Some are making calls, writing letters and postcards, and some of you are doing it all.

So, are you doing enough?

Yes. Every step counts. Every action counts.

Can you do more? Maybe. But we all also have to keep our sanity so we can fight another day.

Maybe in the next few weeks, add one more thing to what you are already doing. Talk to one more person. Join one more group. But if you can’t, the biggest thing you can do is vote.

The Chaska Data Center Is NOT a Done Deal

I also need to point out that I have heard from some people who have been told that the data center planned for Chaska is already a done deal.

IT IS NOT.

We need to fight this data center for all of us.

Do you want to do something about this? Please come to the SW Protectors meeting. Start calling the City of Chaska and Carver County and make some noise!

SW Protectors Is Back September 1

We do not have SW Protectors on August 18, but then we are back to meetings with speakers starting September 1 and continuing every first and third Tuesday of the month.

On September 1, we will have Joe Brothers coming to talk to us.

On October 20, Ellie Krug will tell us about the school board elections and how absolutely crucial those are.

I have contacted Adam Moore and others to come join us as well.

We are in the last weeks of summer vacation, and I hope you soak it all in. Then we get back to it.

September 1, come to the SW Protectors meeting. If you have never been, please come give it a try!

In the next few weeks, I will also be sharing our plans to hold another food drive and other ways you can continue to help our community.

Let’s protect our community, our state, and our country!

Judith

Chaska Protests

Every Friday from 3:00–4:00 p.m. at the corner of Chaska Blvd. and Chestnut Street (Highway 41) [Map]

Every Saturday from 1-2 pm at the corner of Hazeltine Boulevard and Highway 41 (Chestnut) [Map]

Chanhassen Protests

Every Saturday from 10-11 am at Kerber & West 78th. [Map] Public parking is available behind City Hall. Sign library is available.

Norwood Young America

Every Sunday, 11 a.m.–12 p.m. (Line up at the bike path south of Highway 212 and Faxon.)

Victoria

Every Wednesday from 4:30-5:30 pm on the corner of Highway 5 and Victoria Drive/County Rd 11.

Waconia

Every Saturday from 11:30-12:30 pm at Highway 5 and County Road 10 in front of the Starbucks and Jersey Mike’s. [Map]

SW Protectors

Every first and third Tuesday from 6:30 – 8:00 pm. It’s no cost and come and go as you like.

Please do buy something to eat or drink, though, to support our venue, which is The Bellows restaurant and it’s located at 232 Pioneer Trail in Chaska.

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Do you remember Dr. Fauci? The doctor who helped us get through COVID-19 with calm, steady guidance?

I have no idea how the man was able to make it through some of those press conferences with a straight face and without losing his mind. I still remember when Trump suggested that disinfectant might somehow be injected into the body and repeatedly promoted hydroxychloroquine as a potential treatment, despite the lack of reliable evidence that it worked against COVID-19.

Dr. Fauci has spent his life working in public health. Once Trump and his allies began publicly attacking and questioning him, his life changed forever. He required federal protection and received repeated death threats. Senator Rand Paul, an ophthalmologist, repeatedly questioned Fauci’s testimony, judgment and medical expertise during contentious congressional hearings.

President Biden issued Fauci a preemptive pardon in January 2025, explaining that public servants were being threatened with politically motivated investigations and prosecutions.

Then, on Wednesday, July 29, Fauci was compelled by subpoena to appear before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. He invoked the Fifth Amendment more than 100 times, saying the hearing was a political trap that could expose him to prosecution despite Biden’s pardon. Rand Paul attacked him throughout the hearing and had one of Fauci’s lawyers removed from the room after refusing to recognize the attorney’s attempts to speak.

The damage these science deniers have done to the medical profession is something I see on a weekly basis. Medical misinformation and the politicization of public health have contributed to distrust of doctors, vaccines and proven treatments. It cost lives then, and it costs lives now.

Can you imagine trying to save lives while the people in power actively work against you and then try to send you to jail for it?

This administration is exhausting.

This week, it was also publicly confirmed that the administration has been using federal funding decisions to punish states that did not support Trump. In court filings, the administration acknowledged canceling $7.6 billion in clean-energy grants based on the political affiliation of the states receiving them. The affected projects were located in 16 states that voted for Kamala Harris in 2024.

ICE has also been ramping up its kidnappings. Immigration arrests reached approximately 1,600 per day in early July, the highest sustained pace in the agency’s history. ICE deported approximately 443,000 people during fiscal year 2025 alone, meaning the total since Trump returned to office has now surpassed half a million.

And yes, immigration enforcement activity continues to affect Carver County. ICE activity did not simply disappear when it stopped receiving as much attention.

But I see a light at the end of the tunnel.

Voting for Minnesota’s August 11 primary is already underway. Absentee voting began June 26, and Minnesota’s new in-person early-voting period began July 24. The Minnesota Secretary of State provides information about where and how to vote early.

More and more people appear to be done supporting Trump and his ilk. Many are doing it quietly, but it is happening.

Get your lawn signs. Keep fighting and standing up.

Your actions are changing minds, helping people learn the names of our candidates and encouraging so many others to vote.

I was in Florida a few weeks ago, and I did not see a single Trump sign or flag. When I travel through greater Minnesota, in places where I used to see pro-Trump signs, there are now none.

That is only my own observation, but it gives me hope.

Keep going.

I know that when I see you every week, it restores my faith in humanity.

Judith

Chaska Protests

Every Friday from 3:00–4:00 p.m. at the corner of Chaska Blvd. and Chestnut Street (Highway 41) [Map]

Every Saturday from 1-2 pm at the corner of Hazeltine Boulevard and Highway 41 (Chestnut) [Map]

Chanhassen Protests

Every Saturday from 10-11 am at Kerber & West 78th. [Map] Public parking is available behind City Hall. Sign library is available.

Norwood Young America

Every Sunday, 11 a.m.–12 p.m. (Line up at the bike path south of Highway 212 and Faxon.)

Victoria

Every Wednesday from 4:30-5:30 pm on the corner of Highway 5 and Victoria Drive/County Rd 11.

Waconia

Every Saturday from 11:30-12:30 pm at Highway 5 and County Road 10 in front of the Starbucks and Jersey Mike’s. [Map]

SW Protectors

Every first and third Tuesday from 6:30 – 8:00 pm. It’s no cost and come and go as you like.

Please do buy something to eat or drink, though, to support our venue, which is The Bellows restaurant and it’s located at 232 Pioneer Trail in Chaska.

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Vance Boelter turned 59 on Thursday. He spent his birthday hearing a federal judge sentence him to two consecutive life terms, plus 40 years, for murdering Melissa and Mark Hortman and shooting John and Yvette Hoffman in their own homes.

The judge called it, in the Minnesota Star Tribune’s account, “an attack on democracy itself.” No parole. No possibility of release, ever, under the federal sentence.

That’s accountability. It’s also not the whole story.

What Boelter did, in his own words to his family

Boelter didn’t leave behind some sprawling political manifesto. What investigators found was closer to a hit list: roughly 70 names, mostly Democratic officials and abortion providers, built from searches and surveillance. Hours after the killings, he texted his own family group chat three words: “Dad went to war.”

From the Star Tribune’s account:

The shootings were the implementation of Boelter’s plan to rattle the political foundation of the state. He had plotted it for some time. Court filings say he frequently sent text messages to friends and family about the balance of power between the political parties in Minnesota, about the Republican U.S. House majority being “in danger” and that “Democrats steal enough elections to tip the balance of power.”

That’s the plainest evidence we have of what was in his head: A culmination of dangerous right-wing political rhetoric that motivated an attack on the Capitol in Washington and an attack on our political leaders here in Minnesota.

He had a target list, and a declaration of war against the people on it.

Federal prosecutors weren’t shy about naming what this was. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Forbes told the court, according to MPR News, that Boelter was “consumed with those he disagreed with.”

The Hortmans’ children told the court what his rampage cost them. Sophie Hortman described, in the same MPR account, having her entire life shattered in thirty seconds, then having to help decide whether to put the family dog down after Boelter shot him too. Colin Hortman spoke of panic attacks and of seeing his parents’ blood before he falls asleep each night, a detail reported by CBS Minnesota.

Why this isn’t over

Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty isn’t dropping her case just because the federal one is done. Boelter still faces two counts of first-degree premeditated murder, four counts of attempted first-degree murder, felony cruelty to an animal, and impersonating a police officer, all in state court, according to CBS Minnesota’s coverage of the state case.

Moriarty’s reasoning matters. She said Boelter “will sit in a Hennepin County courtroom and be held accountable,” and her office has been explicit on one point in particular: State sentences aren’t touched by a presidential pardon. Federal ones are.

We don’t know what Donald Trump will do in four years, or in two, or next month. We do know he’s already pardoned thousands of January Sixers convicted of political violence. A Minnesota conviction on first-degree murder, carrying its own mandatory life sentence, is insurance against a future none of us can predict. That’s not paranoia. That’s just paying attention to precedent.

Moriarty is doing her job.

A different Chaska resident, a different outcome

Now hold that story next to another one, from a lot closer to home.

On January 7, ICE officer Jonathan Ross, who lived in Chaska, shot and killed Renée Good, a 37-year-old U.S. citizen, through the windshield of her SUV on a Minneapolis street. She’d turned her wheel to drive away from the agents surrounding her car. His own cellphone audio caught what he said in the seconds after: “fucking bitch.”

Good was a mother of three. She has not received the accountability the Hortman and Hoffman families are receiving this week. Ross has not been charged with anything.

Minnesota and Hennepin County officials have said the federal government spent more than six months stonewalling their attempt to investigate: body camera footage, agent statements, even Good’s own SUV, all held out of state hands until officials sued to get them.

Seventeen days after Good was killed, Border Patrol agents shot and killed Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse, on a different Minneapolis street. Minnesota has sued the federal government over that investigation too.

The silence that isn’t quite silence

Here’s what your Southwest Metro representatives in Washington and St. Paul did with all of that.

Congressman Tom (Go Get ‘Em ICE) Emmer, whose district includes Chaska, didn’t stay quiet. He posted on Facebook that he was grateful no Border Patrol agents were harmed, referring to the agents who killed Pretti, and accused his Democratic colleagues of jumping to conclusions.

State Senator Julia Coleman posted her own statement more than two weeks after Good’s death, a capitulation clothed in the language of compromise.

Neither one has publicly called for an investigation into Jonathan Ross’ role into the murder of Renée Good. Neither one has asked why the federal government spent half a year blocking state investigators from doing their jobs. Neither has said Ross’s own recorded words, aimed at a dying woman, deserve scrutiny.

That’s not silence. It’s the party line.

What you can do with this

Boelter will spend the rest of his life in prison, federally, and Minnesota is right to finish its own case so that outcome doesn’t depend on the mercy of whoever occupies the White House.

Renée Good’s case hasn’t gotten that far. Call Congressman Emmer’s office. Call Senator Coleman’s office. Ask them directly whether they support a full state and federal investigation into Jonathan Ross. Ask them why they haven’t already.

Keep asking. That’s how the six-month stonewall became a lawsuit. It’s how a lawsuit becomes evidence. It’s how evidence, eventually, becomes accountability.

And keep showing up on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays (see below for details).

Chaska Protests

Every Friday from 3:00–4:00 p.m. at the corner of Chaska Blvd. and Chestnut Street (Highway 41) [Map]

Every Saturday from 1-2 pm at the corner of Hazeltine Boulevard and Highway 41 (Chestnut) [Map]

Chanhassen Protests

Every Saturday from 10-11 am at Kerber & West 78th. [Map] Public parking is available behind City Hall. Sign library is available.

Norwood Young America

Every Sunday, 11 a.m.–12 p.m. (Line up at the bike path south of Highway 212 and Faxon.)

Victoria

Every Wednesday from 4:30-5:30 pm on the corner of Highway 5 and Victoria Drive/County Rd 11.

Waconia

Every Saturday from 11:30-12:30 pm at Highway 5 and County Road 10 in front of the Starbucks and Jersey Mike’s. [Map]

SW Protectors

Every first and third Tuesday from 6:30 – 8:00 pm. It’s no cost and come and go as you like.

Please do buy something to eat or drink, though, to support our venue, which is The Bellows restaurant and it’s located at 232 Pioneer Trail in Chaska.

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I absolutely love farmers markets. I love buying directly from the producer and the fact that my money goes directly to them and stays in our local economy.

I used to work in downtown Minneapolis. Among the many pre-COVID delights of working downtown was the lunchtime strolls down Nicollet Mall through the countless stands selling produce and goods.

The fresh produce. The artisinal products from local vendors. The variety. The atmosphere.

But we don’t have to travel to Minneapolis to enjoy the delights of farmers makets. We have plenty of them here in the southwest metro. I’ve compiled the details of as many of the southwest metro farmers markets as I could find below.

Carver Community Market/Farmers Market

The Carver Community Market is a small, community-oriented market featuring fresh produce, meats, eggs, cheeses, baked goods, honey, maple syrup, plants, flowers, crafts, food trucks, and local businesses.

Tuesdays, 3-6 pm (June 2- September 29) | Carver Station, 1607 Hartwell Drive, Carver, MN 55315 | City of Carver calendar

Chanhassen Farmers Market

The Chanhassen Farmers Market is a weekly outdoor market hosted by the city and volunteer organizers. The market features locally grown fruits and vegetables, eggs, meats, cheeses, baked goods, sweet treats, bread, local art, and flowers. NOTE: Its location this year has shifted to the north side of the Chanhassen Library on Kerber Boulevard close to the tennis courts behind Chanhassen Elementary School due to construction.

Saturdays from June 6 through September 26, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. | City Center Park, 7700 Market Boulevard, Chanhassen, MN 55317 | Official Website

Chaska Farmers Market

The Chaska Community Market (also known as the Downtown Chaska Farmers’ Market) is a community market in central Chaska that features local produce, baked goods, crafts, and food vendors. NOTE: The Chaska Famers Market has relocated away from Firemen’s Park to a downtown parking lot situated between Meadow Springs Church and Red Bench Bakery

Thursdays, 4:00 - 7:00 p.m. (June 11 - September 17, 2026, excluding July 2) | 511 Walnut Street, Chaska, MN 55318 | City of Chaska listing

Eden Prairie Markets and Stands

Eden Prairie residents are served by Marshall’s Farm Market, a seasonal roadside farm market offering fruits, vegetables, meats, eggs, hand-cut flowers, and farm goods on a daily basis during the growing season. Marshall’s operates as a multi-generational family business dating back to its founding on the bluffs of the Minnesota River Valley in 1953.

Daily, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (During the growing season) | 9100 Eden Prairie Road, Eden Prairie, MN 55347 | Official Website

Edina Centennial Lakes Farmers Market

The Centennial Lakes Farmers Market (also known as the Edina Farmers Market) is a weekly summer market featuring live music, an Edina Liquor wine and beer garden at Hughes Pavilion, and partnerships with VEAP to distribute fresh produce.

Thursdays (June 4 - October 1, 2026) | Centennial Lakes Park, 7499 France Avenue South, Edina, MN | City of Edina listing

Hopkins Farmers Market

The Hopkins Farmers Market is a downtown market offering fresh, locally grown produce, farmstead products, baked goods, meats, cheeses, and handmade items. Located in the parking lot on 9th Avenue, which is half a block south of the Mainstreet clock tower.

Saturdays, 7:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. (Mid-June through October) | 16 9th Avenue South, Hopkins, MN 55343 | City of Hopkins official listing

Minnetonka Farmers Market

The Minnetonka Farmers Market is a city-run market featuring over 30 rotating local vendors offering fresh produce, eggs, meats, cheeses, baked goods, canned goods, maple syrup, honey, fresh-cut flowers, bread, and handcrafted items. It features live music, community booths, free kids' activities, and the Power of Produce (POP) club for youth.

Tuesdays, 2:00 - 6:00 p.m. (June 2 - September 29, 2026) | 15000 Minnetonka Boulevard, Minnetonka, MN 55345 | City of Minnetonka official listing

Prior Lake Farmers Market

The Prior Lake Farmers Market is a downtown market showcasing organic produce, sourdough, flowers, bison meat, candy, dog treats, food trucks, and maple syrup.

Saturdays, 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. (Early May through early October) | Main Avenue SE, Prior Lake, MN 55372 | Prior Lake Events

Savage Farmers’ Market

The Savage Farmers’ Market is sponsored by the St. Paul Growers’ Association and offers locally grown vegetables, fruits, cut flowers, plants, and artisan goods.

Sundays, 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (June 7 – October 25) | 4800 W 123rd Street, Savage, MN 55378 | Minnesota Grown listing

Shakopee Farmers Market Status

The actual Shakopee Farmers’ Market is an active seasonal event offering fresh produce and artisan goods in the southwest parking lot of St. Francis Regional Medical Center.

Tuesdays, 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (Seasonal) | 1455 St. Francis Avenue, Shakopee, MN 55379 | Scott County Official listing

Victoria Farmers Market

The Victoria Farmers & Makers Market (also known as the Victoria Farmers Market) is a weekly summer market featuring produce, prepared foods, and handmade goods from local makers. Held in the lower parking lot of OMNI Brewing (formerly ENKI Brewing).

Thursdays, 5:00 - 8:00 p.m. (June 25 - September 3, 2026) | 1495 Stieger Lake Lane, Victoria, MN 55386 | City of Victoria Official listing

Waconia Farmers Market

The Waconia Farmers Market & Flea Market is a combined market open weekly in the summer, offering local produce, plants, crafts, antiques, and resale items. Located in the downtown parking lot on Main Street across from Freshwater Church/Home Again Furnishings.

Thursdays, 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. (June 4 - October 15, 2026) | 224 W 1st Street, Waconia, MN 55387 | Carver County Official listing

Chaska Protests

Every Friday from 3:00–4:00 p.m. at the corner of Chaska Blvd. and Chestnut Street (Highway 41) [Map]

Every Saturday from 1-2 pm at the corner of Hazeltine Boulevard and Highway 41 (Chestnut) [Map]

Chanhassen Protests

Every Saturday from 10-11 am at 7700 Market Boulevard [Map] Public parking is available behind City Hall.

Norwood Young America

Every Sunday, 11 a.m.–12 p.m. (Line up at the bike path south of Highway 212 and Faxon.)

Victoria

Every Wednesday from 4:30-5:30 pm on the corner of Highway 5 and Victoria Drive/County Rd 11.

Waconia

Every Saturday from 11:30-12:30 pm at Highway 5 and County Road 10 in front of the Starbucks and Jersey Mike’s. [Map]

SW Protectors

Every first and third Tuesday from 6:30 – 8:00 pm. It’s no cost and come and go as you like.

Please do buy something to eat or drink, though, to support our venue, which is The Bellows restaurant and it’s located at 232 Pioneer Trail in Chaska.

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This Friday, while most of us were still deciding whether the tomatoes in the backyard could wait one more day before staking, the Justice Department quietly handed Hennepin County something it had spent half a year refusing to give up: The evidence in the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.

Body camera footage. Agent statements. Renee Good’s SUV, the one she was driving on Portland Avenue on January 7th when ICE agent and Chaska citizen Jonathan Ross shot and killed her.

All of it sat in federal hands for more than six months while Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty and Attorney General Keith Ellison sent request after request, then finally sued to get it. Ellison said this week he remains “deeply troubled that the federal government spent more than half a year attempting to conceal this evidence from state investigators.”

He’s right to be troubled. So are we.

Here’s the part your Southwest Metro Republicans hope you missed: Not one of them ever publicly demanded that evidence.

Not Tom Emmer, who holds the second-highest job in the U.S. House. Not Julia Coleman, your state senator in District 48. Not Jim Nash, your state representative in 48A. Six months. Two dead Minnesotans, both U.S. citizens, both killed by federal agents during Operation Metro Surge. And silence from the people whose job is to represent you in Washington and St. Paul.

Coleman did speak up once, back in January, days after Pretti was killed. She proposed a “deal”: a 30 to 60 day pause on ICE’s “ground game” in exchange for the state agreeing to honor ICE detainers.

Not a demand for the evidence. Not a demand for accountability. A capitulation cloathed in compromise, offered to the same federal government that was, at that very moment, refusing to hand over body camera footage of a Minneapolis mother of three getting shot in her own car.

That’s not leadership. That’s triage for a party that knows exactly how bad this looks.

And it looks worse every week. On Wednesday, Donald Trump gave his “complete and total endorsement” to Mike Lindell, Chaska’s own least-favorite-son, the MyPillow salesman, for governor of Minnesota. Trump called Lindell one of “America’s greatest and most hard working Patriots” and said he’d bring the state back “from oblivion and embarrassment.” Even the chair of the Minnesota Republican Party couldn’t stomach it, noting Lindell left the state for Texas when things got hard here and still owes tens of thousands of dollars in delinquent property taxes.

The one complaint the GOP chair didn’t raise was Lindell’s wild-eyed conspiracy theories about Donald Trump’s loss to Joe Biden. A glaring omission.

This is who Trump wants running Minnesota: A man who wants to melt down our voting machines and turn them into prison bars, endorsed by a president whose own DOJ spent six months hiding evidence in the killing of two of our neighbors.

Sit with that for a second.

Then look at what else is happening while Minnesotans pay more at the pump and stretch grocery budgets that don’t stretch anymore. Trump’s White House ballroom, once pitched as a $200 million private-donor project with “zero taxpayer dollars,” is now projected to cost $600 million. Internal contractor estimates show taxpayers are on the hook for roughly half of that: $155 million from the Secret Service, $149 million from the White House Military Office, more from the Executive Residence. So much for the donation.

Meanwhile, Vice President JD Vance’s security detail has reportedly grown “fed up” with last-minute requests to fly his young son around the D.C. area, including a planned trip on Marine Two, the vice president’s military helicopter, to get him to a golf lesson. Operating that helicopter runs taxpayers somewhere between $16,000 and $24,600 an hour. Sources close to the detail say neither Mike Pence nor Kamala Harris ever asked for anything like it.

Vance himself put it plainer than any critic could. Asked recently about how life has changed since he became vice president, he said: “People go to the grocery store for me.” Say that sentence out loud while you contemplate what you paid for eggs and gas this week.

A ballroom nobody asked for. A helicopter for a golf lesson. A murder investigation stonewalled for six months. And a slate of Minnesota Republicans who found time to talk about voting machines but never found time to demand the evidence in Renee Good’s death.

Here’s the thing worth noticing, neighbors: None of this happened because Washington got a conscience. It happened because Minnesotans wouldn’t let go.

Moriarty and Ellison sued. Families kept showing up. Reporters kept asking. Pretti’s family attorney, Steve Schleicher, kept saying out loud what federal officials wouldn’t: “No family should be required to beg federal authorities to do their job.” Six months of pressure, and the evidence finally moved. That’s not an accident. That’s what sustained, vocal opposition does. It works slowly and it works.

Trump is floundering enough that he’s propping up a candidate even his own party chair won’t defend. He started a war he can find no way out of, that has strengthened Iran, weakened America and raised everyone’s cost of living.

His enablers in our own backyard are hoping you’re too busy with summer to notice they never once stood up for two dead Minnesotans. That they haven’t said a peep about this unnecessary and disastrous war. Not a word about the tariffs that are costing us so much.

Don’t give them that. Notice. Make these points the next time you’re at a coffee shop, a parade, chatting with neighbors.

And show up this weekend. Good Trouble Lives On, the national weekend of action honoring the legacy of Congressman John Lewis, runs Friday through Sunday, July 17 to 19, under the banner “Teach! Reach! Preach!” There are protests scheduled for every day this weekend (see below).

Bring a neighbor. This is how we keep the pressure on, the same pressure that just got two Minnesota families a step closer to the truth.

Chaska Protests

Every Friday from 3:00–4:00 p.m. at the corner of Chaska Blvd. and Chestnut Street (Highway 41) [Map]

Every Saturday from 1-2 pm at the corner of Hazeltine Boulevard and Highway 41 (Chestnut) [Map]

Chanhassen Protests

Every Saturday from 10-11 am at 7700 Market Boulevard [Map] Public parking is available behind City Hall.

Norwood Young America

Every Sunday, 11 a.m.–12 p.m. (Line up at the bike path south of Highway 212 and Faxon.)

Victoria

Every Wednesday from 4:30-5:30 pm on the corner of Highway 5 and Victoria Drive/County Rd 11.

Waconia

Every Saturday from 11:30-12:30 pm at Highway 5 and County Road 10 in front of the Starbucks and Jersey Mike’s. [Map]

SW Protectors

Every first and third Tuesday from 6:30 – 8:00 pm. It’s no cost and come and go as you like.

Please do buy something to eat or drink, though, to support our venue, which is The Bellows restaurant and it’s located at 232 Pioneer Trail in Chaska.

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Hello, everyone!

It’s been a humid few days, and my vegetables and herbs are loving it. I have enough lettuce, mint, and basil to feed the neighborhood. Soon, my little tomatoes will be ready, and there is nothing like walking by the plant and popping one into your mouth.

Summer has so many wonderful things to offer in Minnesota. I know many of you are going to the cabin, relaxing at a lake or on a boat, barbecuing, and soaking it all in. I hope you are taking this time to grab some joy and find things that will sustain you when life gets rough. I also encourage you to turn off the news for a few days.

The continuous cycle of absolute madness is both overwhelming us and causing many of us to start turning a blind eye to it.

If you are worried that you will miss something, let me summarize what will probably happen during the five days you take a break:

• Trump will bomb something and then say they are in talks again.

• At least two government officials will say something that, in previous years, would have cost them their jobs but will now simply be shrugged off.

• There will be another project that Trump is spending billions of our tax dollars on that will fail in some way.

• Trump will insult a world leader, country, or ethnic group, and he will call us communists, “Dumocrats,” or something similar.

So, you will not miss anything. Take a breath. Recharge!

In the past month, I have almost passed out twice at the protest, so while the temperatures are above 80 degrees, I will not be there for the full event. I may stop by for a short while, and I apologize for not staying the whole time.

SW Protectors Updates

There will be no SW Protectors event on July 21. The next one will be August 4, and then we will return to twice a month in September.

Please go to the website for Adam Moore, as well as the websites for all our other candidates, and request a lawn sign. By law, even if you live in an HOA, you can now put one in your yard, and research shows that it does help. I have mine proudly on display!

Please remember to thank our amazing weekly volunteers, including Kim, who keeps us hydrated; Scott, Dan, and Charlie, who keep us safe; Dave, who brings our amazing sign and flag library, and his son, Corey; Joel, who greets you all with his cowbell; Jen and Max, who welcome so many of you; Paul, who takes pictures; and so many more.

Every one of you is amazing for showing up and taking time out of your life to do this. Don’t you love it when a big semi-truck drives by and honks its horn?

Enjoy the summer in any way you can, and get ready to vote in November!

Judith

Chaska Protests

Every Friday from 3:00–4:00 p.m. at the corner of Chaska Blvd. and Chestnut Street (Highway 41) [Map]

Every Saturday from 1-2 pm at the corner of Hazeltine Boulevard and Highway 41 (Chestnut) [Map]

Chanhassen Protests

Every Saturday from 10-11 am at 7700 Market Boulevard [Map] Public parking is available behind City Hall.

Norwood Young America

Every Sunday, 11 a.m.–12 p.m. (Line up at the bike path south of Highway 212 and Faxon.)

Victoria

Every Wednesday from 4:30-5:30 pm on the corner of Highway 5 and Victoria Drive/County Rd 11.

Waconia

Every Saturday from 11:30-12:30 pm at Highway 5 and County Road 10 in front of the Starbucks and Jersey Mike’s. [Map]

SW Protectors

Every first and third Tuesday from 6:30 – 8:00 pm. It’s no cost and come and go as you like.

Please do buy something to eat or drink, though, to support our venue, which is The Bellows restaurant and it’s located at 232 Pioneer Trail in Chaska.

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Our protest this Saturday falls on the 4th of July, and I think that is very fitting. Our protest celebrates what the USA stands for. Besides apple pie, hot dogs, and fireworks, the USA stands for freedom of religion, freedom of speech, and yes, even your right to bear arms.

We know that, besides the right to bear arms, all the other freedoms are under attack. And it does not matter if you are a Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, or if you support the Flying Spaghetti Monster, we all support those ideals! When I see someone driving by giving us the finger, I always want to explain to them that I am fighting for their rights too.

This week, the Supreme Court handed down this year’s last decisions. Some were positive, and many were very negative. The ban on transgender girls and women competing on female sports teams being upheld was a tough one, but I want to point out that because they are leaving it up to the states, Governor Walz has already said he will not follow this ban.

This is one reason why it is so important to support our Minnesota candidates. We can lessen the damage done by this administration by making sure everyone, from the school board to the governor’s mansion, is fighting for all people.

I really hope that you are finding comfort and hope in the little things around you. Summer in Minnesota means growing your own tomatoes and eating them before you even make it inside the house. It means warmth and, at times, scorching heat, barbecues and s’mores, and going to the lake.

Coming to the protest means that, for one hour, you are surrounded by a community that is vibrant, supportive, and persistent. We have been so persistent! Cold, rain, and now heat are not stopping us because we know this is bigger than all of us.

Come Saturday, and let’s celebrate!

Note: Chanhassen’s location this Saturday will be on the pedestrian bridge. Suggested parking is on Lake Drive East.

Don’t forget that this upcoming Tuesday we meet at the Bellows for our SW Protectors get-together. It is a time to meet others, laugh, support one another, and learn about what is happening in our community.

Judith

Chaska Protests

Every Friday from 3:00–4:00 p.m. at the corner of Chaska Blvd. and Chestnut Street (Highway 41) [Map]

Every Saturday from 1-2 pm at the corner of Hazeltine Boulevard and Highway 41 (Chestnut) [Map]

Chanhassen Protests

Every Saturday from 10-11 am at 7700 Market Boulevard [Map] Public parking is available behind City Hall.

Norwood Young America

Every Sunday, 11 a.m.–12 p.m. (Line up at the bike path south of Highway 212 and Faxon.)

Victoria

Every Wednesday from 4:30-5:30 pm on the corner of Highway 5 and Victoria Drive/County Rd 11.

Waconia

Every Saturday from 11:30-12:30 pm at Highway 5 and County Road 10 in front of the Starbucks and Jersey Mike’s. [Map]

SW Protectors

Every first and third Tuesday from 6:30 – 8:00 pm. It’s no cost and come and go as you like.

Please do buy something to eat or drink, though, to support our venue, which is The Bellows restaurant and it’s located at 232 Pioneer Trail in Chaska.

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Scroll down for a listing of the Independence Day events in the Southwest Metro this year.

Reasons to Be Proud

I’ve been enthralled for the past week watching reaction videos of Europeans visiting America for the World Cup and their amazement at Costcos and Walmarts, ordering food at restaurants, four-lane highways, and other mundanities.

While all that is amusing, it is heartening to also hear them praise the kindness and hospitality of ordinary Americans.

It is the people that make our country great, not the leaders. Here are some other things I’m thinking about that give me pride in this country on our 250th birthday:

• Social Security: Under Franklin D. Roosevelt and the New Deal Democratic coalition, the Social Security Act of 1935 created old-age benefits, unemployment insurance, and aid programs for vulnerable Americans. It remains one of the most durable anti-poverty and retirement-security programs in U.S. history.

• The New Deal: As a response to the Great Depression, the New Deal reshaped the federal government’s role in stabilizing the economy, protecting workers, regulating finance, supporting farmers, building infrastructure, and putting people to work. Not every program succeeded equally, and some excluded many Black workers and women, but as a governing achievement it fundamentally changed American life for the better.

• Workers’ Rights: The National Labor Relations Act of 1935 protected workers’ rights to organize, bargain collectively, and seek better working conditions without retaliation. That helped create the legal foundation for the mid-20th-century labor movement and the growth of the American middle class.

• Saving the World from Fascism: FDR’s leadership before and during World War II, followed by Harry Truman’s early postwar leadership, placed Democratic presidents at the center of defeating fascism, mobilizing American industry, creating the foundations of the postwar order, and helping shape institutions like the United Nations and NATO-era internationalism that kept the world largely at peace for eighty years.

• The G.I. Bill: Signed by FDR in 1944 after unanimous congressional passage, the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act, or G.I. Bill, helped millions of veterans access education, housing, and economic opportunity. It was one of the most important middle-class-building policies in American history, though its benefits were distributed unequally because of discrimination in implementation.

• The Civil Rights & Voting Rights Act: Under Lyndon B. Johnson, Democrats helped pass and enact the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, two of the most important democracy-expanding laws in U.S. history. These laws attacked legal segregation and protected voting rights, though they required enormous pressure from the civil-rights movement and also received crucial Republican support in Congress.

• Medicare & Medicaid: The Social Security Amendments of 1965, signed by LBJ, created Medicare and Medicaid, transforming health care access for seniors, low-income Americans, people with disabilities, and families. CMS describes these programs as protecting the health and economic security of millions of American families.

• Affordable Care Act: Under Barack Obama, Democrats passed the Affordable Care Act in 2010, the largest health-care overhaul since Medicare and Medicaid. It expanded coverage, created insurance marketplaces and subsidies, expanded Medicaid in participating states, and barred insurers from excluding people because of preexisting conditions.

• Renewable Energy Investments: Under Joe Biden, Democrats passed the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, which included major climate, clean-energy, prescription-drug, tax, and health-care provisions. It is widely described as the largest U.S. climate investment to date, though its long-term impact depends on implementation, courts, markets, and later Congresses.

When we’ve been guided by our better angels, our country has done and is capable of doing amazing things and making the world a far better place. While a lot of that progress has been under assault, take some time to appreciate all the good that has been done.

And give yourself a pat on the back for your contribution to keeping this an amazing country.

Here’s to 250 more!

David

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All events below are free unless otherwise noted. Events span July 1–5, 2026

QUICK REFERENCE: FIREWORKS BY DATE

• Friday, July 3

  • Shorewood/Chanhassen — Lake Minnewashta Regional Park: Dusk (~9 p.m.) | Free

  • Eden Prairie — Sparklefest drone show, Round Lake Park: ~9:45 p.m. | Free

  • Waconia — Sovereign Estate Winery / Lake Waconia: ~9:45 p.m. | $30/person

  • St. Louis Park — Aquila Park: 10:00 p.m. | Free

  • Shakopee — Canterbury Park (Kwik Trip Spectacular): ~10:10 p.m. | Tickets req’d

• Saturday, July 4

  • Excelsior — Excelsior Commons / Excelsior Bay: ~9:50 p.m. | Free

  • Chanhassen — Lake Ann Park: 10:00 p.m. | Free

  • Eden Prairie — Round Lake Park: 10:00 p.m. | Free

  • Prior Lake — Lakefront Park: 10:00 p.m. | Free

  • Prior Lake — Mystic Lake (Rock & Rockets): ~10:00 p.m. | Free

  • Shakopee — Valleyfair (Star-Spangled Night): ~10:00 p.m. | Admission req’d

  • Shakopee — SMSC Wacipi Grounds: 10:00 p.m. | Free

  • Chaska — McKnight Park: Dusk (~10 p.m.) | Free

  • Edina — Rosland Park: Dusk (~10 p.m.) | Free

CARVER

FIreworks at Lake Minnewashta Regional Park
Presented by KABOOM (Keeping America's Birthday Observation Over Minnewashta)

CHANHASSEN

43rd Annual 4th of July Celebration — “America’s 250th”

The City of Chanhassen’s flagship community celebration, now in its 43rd year, spans four full days with events at City Center Park, downtown Chanhassen, and Lake Ann Park.

• Date: Wednesday, July 1 – Saturday, July 4, 2026

• Location: City Center Park, 7700 Market Boulevard, Chanhassen, MN 55317; Lake Ann Park (fireworks)

• Cost: Free (carnival rides and some activities cost extra: $3–$6/ride)

Schedule Highlights:

• Wednesday, July 1

  • Free Movie Night at City Center Park — National Treasure — 9 p.m. (complimentary popcorn & candy, sponsored by Xfinity)

• Thursday, July 2

  • Family Night at the Carnival (discounted rides $3 before 8 p.m.)

  • Face painting, wacky hair, temp tattoos ($3–$15)

  • Kiddie Parade ride decorations (10 a.m.–3 p.m.)

• Friday, July 3

  • Minnesota Twins Youth Baseball Clinic

  • Taste of Chanhassen Food Truck Festival & Beer Garden (4–11 p.m.)

  • Stone Daisy Concert (5:15–7:15 p.m.)

  • Kiddie Parade (5:30 p.m.)

  • 3rd Lair Summer Skateboard Series (7 p.m.)

  • Street Dance (8–11 p.m.)

• Saturday, July 4

  • Classic Car Show (10 a.m.–1 p.m.)

  • Carnival (10 a.m.–6 p.m.)

  • Taste of Chanhassen Food Truck Festival (10 a.m.–5 p.m.)

  • BINGO (11 a.m.–1 p.m.)

  • American Bootleg Concert (11:45 a.m.–1 p.m.)

  • Rotary Club 4th of July Parade at 2:30 p.m.

  • Fireworks over Lake Ann at 10 p.m.

Source: ChanhassenMN.gov/4th, cclocalnews.org

Lake Minnewashta Fireworks Show

A popular Carver County Parks fireworks show launched over Lake Minnewashta, with the park located along the Chanhassen/Shorewood border. Presented by KABOOM (Keeping America’s Birthday Observation Over Minnesota) and Carver County Parks.

• Date: Friday, July 3, 2026

• Time: Dusk (approximately 9:00 p.m.)

• Location: Lake Minnewashta Regional Park, 6900 Hazeltine Blvd, Shorewood/Chanhassen, MN 55331

• Cost: Free

• Rain Date: Sunday, July 5

Source: CarvercountyMN.gov, FamilyFunTwinCities.com

CHASKA

City of Chaska 4th of July Fireworks

The City of Chaska hosts a free public fireworks display at McKnight Park. This show was confirmed for July 4, 2026 at dusk (~10 p.m.). Simply show up with a lawn chair or blanket.

• Date: Saturday, July 4, 2026

• Time: Dusk (~10 p.m.) — approximately 20 minutes

• Location: McKnight Park, 2905 McKnight Road, Chaska, MN 55318

• Cost: Free

Source: Macaroni KID Carver

Jonathan Association 4th of July Festival & Community Event

An annual community celebration hosted by the Jonathan neighborhood association, featuring a fun run, kiddie parade, entertainment, and family activities at Lake Grace Pavilion.

• Date: Saturday, July 4, 2026

• Time: 7:30 a.m. (Fun Run registration) through midday

• Location: Lake Grace Pavilion, Chaska, MN

• Cost: Free (fun run participants receive a t-shirt)

• Schedule:

  • 7:30 a.m. – Fun Run registration

  • 8:00 a.m. – Fun Run

  • 9:30 a.m. – Kiddie Parade (gathers at Karen House at 9 a.m.)

  • 10:30 a.m. – Entertainment at Lake Grace Pavilion (music by Eddie Mac, magician/comedian, bounce houses, face painting, food including hot dogs, chips, ice cream)

• Notes: Rain or shine

Source: JonathanInChaska.com

EDEN PRAIRIE

Sparklefest — Sensory-Friendly Drone Show

A family-oriented, sensory-friendly July 3rd pre-celebration at Round Lake Park featuring inflatables, crafts, bingo, dance party, foam party, and a spectacular sensory-friendly drone show (not fireworks — lower noise, ideal for children and pets with sensitivities).

• Date: Thursday, July 3, 2026

• Time: 6:00–10:00 p.m. (drone show ~9:45 p.m.)

• Location: Round Lake Park, 16691 Valley View Rd, Eden Prairie, MN 55344

• Cost: Free; free parking at Eden Prairie Community Center with free shuttles

• Activities: Dance party, hands-on crafts, inflatables, kids bingo, lawn games, food truck plaza, foam party (7:30–9:30 p.m.), archery/games by Scouting America (6–9:30 p.m.)

Source: EPLocalNews.org, FamilyFunTwinCities.com

4th of July Hometown Celebration — Music & Fireworks

Eden Prairie’s main Independence Day celebration with live music, food vendors, and a spectacular fireworks show at 10 p.m.

• Date: Saturday, July 4, 2026

• Time: 3:00–11:00 p.m. (fireworks at 10 p.m.)

• Location: Round Lake Park, 16691 Valley View Rd, Eden Prairie, MN 55344

• Cost: Free; free parking at Eden Prairie Community Center with shuttles

• Rain/Postponement Date: Sunday, July 5 (announcement by 8:30 p.m. July 4)

• Schedule:

  • 3:00 p.m.: Food & beverage vendors open

  • 3:15 p.m.: Blue Hazard (live music)

  • 4:30 p.m.: Annie Mack (live music)

  • 6:00 p.m.: Maiden Dixie (live music)

  • 7:45 p.m.: Welcome from Mayor Ron Case & City Council

  • 8:00 p.m.: Free and Easy (live music)

  • 10:00 p.m.: FIREWORKS

Source: EPLocalNews.org, FamilyFunTwinCities.com

Prairie Hill Church — July 4th Celebration (Free Community Event)

A free community celebration at Prairie Hill Evangelical Free Church with live band, food, cotton candy, dirty soda station, games, crafts, bounce houses, and more. After the event, attendees can watch the Eden Prairie fireworks from the church parking lot.

• Date: Saturday, July 4, 2026

• Time: 6:00–9:00 p.m. (fireworks viewable from parking lot ~10 p.m.)

• Location: Prairie Hill Evangelical Free Church, 17200 Valley View Rd, Eden Prairie, MN 55346 (Parking Lot)

• Cost: Free (everything)

• Note: Valley View Road closes at 8 p.m.; notify police if arriving after 8 p.m.

Source: PrairieHill.church

EDINA

Edina 4th of July Parade

Edina’s beloved annual Independence Day parade through the heart of the city, featuring veterans, marching bands, floats, horses, musicians, and character groups. An estimated 20,000 spectators typically attend.

• Date: Saturday, July 4, 2026

• Time: 10:00 a.m. (approximately one hour)

• Parade Route: Starts on Eden Avenue behind Edina City Hall → east on Eden Ave → east on West 50th Street → ends at Halifax Avenue (near Lunds & Byerlys)

• Cost: Free

• Broadcast: Live on Edina TV (Comcast/Xfinity channels 813 and 16)

Source: EdinaMN.gov, EdinaParade.org, Patch.com

Rosland Park Concert & Fireworks Spectacular

An evening celebration with food trucks, live patriotic music by the 204th Army Band and the First John Philip Sousa Memorial Band, culminating in a fireworks show at dusk.

• Date: Saturday, July 4, 2026

• Time: Food trucks from 5:00 p.m.; 204th Army Band at 8:00 p.m.; First John Philip Sousa Memorial Band at 8:45 p.m.; Fireworks at dusk (~10 p.m.)

• Location: Rosland Park, 4300 W. 66th St., Edina, MN 55435

• Cost: Free; no alcohol served

• Parking: Available in two lots at Rosland Park and surrounding neighborhoods; W. 66th St. will be closed from West Shore Drive to Southdale Road

Source: EdinaMN.gov, Patch.com

EXCELSIOR

Lake Minnetonka 4th of July Celebration

Excelsior hosts the only public fireworks show on Lake Minnetonka, produced and organized by the Excelsior-Lake Minnetonka Chamber of Commerce. The full-day celebration begins at dawn and ends with fireworks launched over Excelsior Bay.

• Date: Saturday, July 4, 2026

• Time: 7:30 a.m. – ~10:15 p.m.

• Location: Excelsior Commons / Excelsior Bay, 135 Lake St (Commons Park area), Excelsior, MN 55331; Excelsior Elementary School (race start)

• Cost: Free (Firecracker Run has registration fees: 1-Mile $25–$33; 5K $45–$53; 10K $47–$55)

• Full Schedule:

  • 7:30 a.m.: Excelsior Firecracker 1-Mile Start at Excelsior Elementary

  • 7:50 a.m.: Excelsior Firecracker 10K Start

  • 8:00 a.m.: Excelsior Firecracker 5K Start; free face painting (8 a.m.–1 p.m.)

  • 10:00 a.m.: Kids’ Bike Parade gathering at Kowalski’s in Excelsior (hosted by Primrose School)

  • 11:00 a.m.: Kids’ Bike Parade down Water Street, ending at Excelsior Commons; Petting Zoo & DJ Dance Party (11 a.m.–1 p.m.)

  • 3:00 p.m.: Food vendors open at Excelsior Commons

  • 3:00–5:00 p.m.: The Percolators (live music)

  • 5:00–7:00 p.m.: Sawyer’s Dream (live music)

  • 7:15 p.m.–close: Jake + Josie (live music)

  • ~9:50 p.m.: Fireworks launched over Excelsior Bay

Source: Excelsior-Lake Minnetonka Chamber of Commerce, Patch.com, Lake.com

HOPKINS

No standalone City of Hopkins July 4th weekend celebration was identified for 2026. Hopkins’ signature summer festival — the 92nd Annual Hopkins Raspberry Festival — runs July 15–19, 2026, with the Grande Day Parade on Sunday, July 19 at 1:00 p.m. on Main Street.

For July 4th fireworks nearby, Hopkins residents may visit Edina’s Rosland Park (6 miles), St. Louis Park’s Aquila Park (4 miles), or Minneapolis’ Red, White & BOOM! events.

MINNETONKA

No standalone City of Minnetonka July 4th celebration was identified for 2026. For July 4th fireworks, Minnetonka residents are within easy driving distance of the Lake Minnetonka/Excelsior celebration and multiple other events in this guide.

PRIOR LAKE

Prior Lake Association Fireworks — 60th Anniversary!

The Prior Lake Association hosts its 60th consecutive annual fireworks display, launched from the beach at Lakefront Park over Prior Lake. Completely community-funded through donations.

• Date: Saturday, July 4, 2026

• Time: 10:00 p.m. (show starts from the beach)

• Location: Lakefront Park, Prior Lake, MN (viewing from the park and around the lake)

• Cost: Free

• Note: Check the Prior Lake Association’s Facebook page for any weather-related updates

Source: PriorLakeAssociation.org, CitiesSouthMag.com

Rock and Rockets at Mystic Lake

Mystic Lake Casino Hotel hosts its free Fourth of July outdoor celebration with live music, food trucks, and a fireworks show in the outdoor area between Mystic Lake and Little Six.

• Date: Saturday, July 4, 2026

• Time: 5:00–10:30 p.m. (fireworks ~10:00 p.m.)

• Location: Mystic Lake Casino Hotel, 2400 Mystic Lake Blvd, Prior Lake, MN 55372 (outdoor area between Mystic Lake & Little Six)

• Cost: Free; family-friendly

Source: PriorLakeEvents.com, USA-Quarter-Millennial.com

SAVAGE

No standalone City of Savage July 4th celebration was identified for 2026. For July 4th weekend, Savage residents may attend events in nearby Shakopee (Canterbury Park, Valleyfair, SMSC) or other neighboring communities.

SHAKOPEE

Canterbury Fireworks Spectacular (Kwik Trip Fireworks Spectacular)

Canterbury Park hosts Shakopee’s biggest July 3rd fireworks show, following an evening of live thoroughbred and quarter horse racing. Sugar Buzz performs live, and the fireworks display follows racing at approximately 10:10 p.m.

• Date: Friday, July 3, 2026

• Time: 4:00 p.m. – 10:45 p.m. (first race at 4:00 p.m.; fireworks ~10:10 p.m.)

• Location: Canterbury Park, 1100 Canterbury Rd S, Shakopee, MN 55379

• Cost: Tickets required (general admission and reserved seating available at tickets.canterburypark.com)

Source: Patch.com, ExploreMN.com, CanterburyPark.com

Hormel Foods 4th of July Celebration & Wiener Dog Races

Canterbury Park’s July 4th America’s 250th Birthday celebration featuring live horse racing, the beloved wiener dog races between races, and a hot dog eating contest.

• Date: Saturday, July 4, 2026

• Time: 11:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.

• Location: Canterbury Park, 1100 Canterbury Rd S, Shakopee, MN 55379

• Cost: General Admission Adults (18+): $2.81; discounted for America’s 250th anniversary

• Highlights: Wiener dog races between live horse races, hot dog eating contest, family-friendly activities

Source: ExploreMN.com, Tickets.CanterburyPark.com

Valleyfair Star-Spangled Night

Valleyfair amusement park hosts its annual Independence Day celebration with full access to rides, the Superior Shores Waterpark, food, and a fireworks spectacular at ~10 p.m. Fireworks are set to music and included with park admission.

• Date: Saturday, July 4, 2026

• Time: 10:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. (fireworks ~10:00 p.m.)

• Location: Valleyfair, 1 Valleyfair Dr., Shakopee, MN 55379

• Cost: Tickets start at $54.99 plus parking; active military and veterans receive FREE admission July 4–7

Source: Patch.com, FamilyFunTwinCities.com

SMSC Public Fireworks Display

The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community (SMSC) sponsors a free public fireworks display, open to the general public, best viewed near the SMSC Wacipi (Pow Wow) Grounds.

• Date: Saturday, July 4, 2026

• Time: 10:00 p.m. (rain or shine, unless severe weather)

• Location: Best viewing near SMSC Wacipi (Pow Wow) Grounds, 3212 Dakotah Parkway, Shakopee, MN (south of County Road 42, between CR 83/Canterbury Rd and CR 17/Marschall Rd)

• Cost: Free; open to the general public

Source: ShakopeeDakota.org

SHOREWOOD

Lake Minnewashta Regional Park Fireworks

Carver County Parks presents a professional fireworks display launched over Lake Minnewashta. The park straddles the Shorewood/Chanhassen border and is the premier lakeside fireworks venue in the area. Presented by KABOOM.

• Date: Friday, July 3, 2026

• Time: Dusk (~9:00 p.m.)

• Location: Lake Minnewashta Regional Park, 6900 Hazeltine Blvd, Shorewood/Chanhassen, MN 55331

• Cost: Free

• Rain Date: Sunday, July 5

• Note: Also the route for the Excelsior Firecracker Run on July 4, which passes through Shorewood, Deephaven, and Greenwood

Source: CarvercountyMN.gov, Patch.com Shorewood calendar

ST. LOUIS PARK

Fireworks Celebration at Aquila Park

St. Louis Park’s beloved Independence Day celebration is consistently cited as one of the best fireworks shows in the Twin Cities. The free event features food trucks, vendors, DJ entertainment, and fireworks set to music.

• Date: Friday, July 3, 2026

• Time: 7:00–10:30 p.m. (fireworks begin promptly at 10:00 p.m.)

• Location: Aquila Park, 3110 Xylon Ave. S., St. Louis Park, MN 55426

• Cost: Free; no registration required

• Rain Date: Thursday, July 9

• Food Trucks & Vendors on site: Ralph’s Rib Crib, KCM Eggrolls, Waffle Bar, Pizza Karma, Cave Cafe, Big Bell Ice Cream, Firefly S’mores, Shelita’s Art World Face Painting, DJ Trilogy, Park N’ Play mobile rec city vehicle

• Note: Leashed dogs welcome in the park, but please leave pets at home during fireworks

Source: StLouisParkMN.gov, ExploreMN.com, Patch.com

VICTORIA

No standalone City of Victoria July 4th celebration was identified for 2026. Victoria’s prominent annual summer festival is Volksfest, typically held in mid-July.

For Independence Day fireworks, Victoria residents are within easy reach of the Lake Minnewashta Regional Park fireworks show on July 3 (approximately 7 miles), and the Lake Minnetonka/Excelsior celebration on July 4.

WACONIA

Lake Waconia Fireworks — Sovereign Estate Winery

Note: In 2026, the Lake Waconia fireworks are scheduled for Friday, July 3 — NOT July 4. This year, Sovereign Estate Winery has taken over organization of the beloved community fireworks tradition (previously managed by the Waconia Chamber for 30+ years), launching from the winery’s lakeside property. The fireworks are entirely community-funded through donations.

• Date: Friday, July 3, 2026

• Time: 6:00 p.m. – dusk/~9:45 p.m. (fireworks just after dusk)

• Location: Sovereign Estate Winery, 9950 North Shore Road, Waconia, MN 55387 (on the shores of Lake Waconia)

• Cost: Ticketed event — $30 per person (tickets through OneCause.com benefiting Ridgeview Medical Center Foundation)

• Entertainment: Rock tribute band XPEDITION at 8 p.m.; food trucks; fundraising activities

• Viewing Alternatives: Lake Waconia Regional Park (8170 Paradise Ln), Lola’s Lakehouse, InTowne Marina, Island View Golf Club, or by boat on Lake Waconia (free viewing from these spots)

Source: DestinationWaconia.org, SovereignEstateWine.com

All event details were current as of July 1, 2026. Always confirm event details and check organizer websites or social media for last-minute updates due to weather.

The Southwest Crier does not guarantee the accuracy of times, dates, or costs listed herein and recommends confirming with event organizers.

Chaska Protests

Every Friday from 3:00–4:00 p.m. at the corner of Chaska Blvd. and Chestnut Street (Highway 41) [Map]

Every Saturday from 1-2 pm at the corner of Hazeltine Boulevard and Highway 41 (Chestnut) [Map]

Chanhassen Protests

Every Saturday from 10-11 am at 7700 Market Boulevard [Map] Public parking is available behind City Hall.

Norwood Young America

Every Sunday, 11 a.m.–12 p.m. (Line up at the bike path south of Highway 212 and Faxon.)

Victoria

Every Wednesday from 4:30-5:30 pm on the corner of Highway 5 and Victoria Drive/County Rd 11.

Waconia

Every Saturday from 11:30-12:30 pm at Highway 5 and County Road 10 in front of the Starbucks and Jersey Mike’s. [Map]

SW Protectors

Every first and third Tuesday from 6:30 – 8:00 pm. It’s no cost and come and go as you like.

Please do buy something to eat or drink, though, to support our venue, which is The Bellows restaurant and it’s located at 232 Pioneer Trail in Chaska.

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Three Killings, No Charges

On January 7, ICE agent Jonathan Ross (who lived in Chaska, The Intercept reported) shot and killed Renée Good, a 37-year-old U.S. citizen, through the windshield of her car on Portland Avenue near 34th Street in south Minneapolis. She and her wife were alerting neighbors of ICE’s presence when agents approached, shouted at her to get out, and reached inside her window. She reversed, then began moving forward and away from the officers. Ross fired three shots.

The Department of Homeland Security immediately called it domestic terrorism. Bystander videos told a different story.

Seventeen days later, on January 24, Border Patrol agents shot and killed Alex Pretti, 37, a U.S. citizen and VA intensive care nurse, on E. 26th Street and Nicollet Avenue. He had been filming agents and stepped between them and a woman they had shoved to the ground. At least five agents pinned him down. He was shot multiple times. And, again, the administration sought to smear the victim’s name.

A third person, Victor Manuel Díaz, a Nicaraguan man arrested during the surge, died in a Texas detention facility after being taken from Minnesota.

Three people dead. Not one federal agent has been charged with the killings.

What the Report Documents

Last week, Human Rights Watch released a 180-page report titled A Manufactured Crisis: Minnesota Communities Terrorized by the Federal Government. It is the most comprehensive independent accounting yet of what the federal government did to this state between December 2025 and March 2026.

Researchers interviewed more than 130 people, including immigrants, lawyers, healthcare providers, educators, and government officials. They analyzed dozens of photographs and videos, sworn declarations, legal petitions, government data, and medical records.

Us Minneapolis 0626 Operation Metro Surge Human Rights Watch Report

5.82MB ∙ PDF file

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Here is what they documented.

Federal agents detained at least 4,000 immigrants during Operation Metro Surge. Nearly two out of three had no U.S. criminal record. Many were detained arbitrarily. In Minnesota, lawyers filed habeas corpus petitions in 532 cases; 88 percent of those resolved resulted in an order for release or a bond hearing. That means a judge looked at the evidence and said this person should not be held.

The operation reached into schools, clinics, and neighborhoods far beyond any targeted enforcement. Residents were scared to leave home to access healthcare.

Fridley, one of the most effected school districts, reported attendance dropped nearly one-third during the surge. In St. Paul, two days after Renée Good was killed, half of the Spanish-speaking students and a quarter of Somali students were absent.

One medical provider told Human Rights Watch that at least three adolescents came in for medical care after suicide attempts, in each case because their parent had been detained.

The numbers are staggering. The city of Minneapolis’ preliminary assessment put the economic impact of just the first month at more than $203 million. A broader assessment covering December through April, released June 10, estimated the total damage to the city at nearly $700 million — $445 million in lost business revenue and $152 million in lost wages — a figure city officials say is likely an undercount. (Minneapolis Star Tribune, June 10, 2026)

Daniel Hernandez opened Colonial Market on East Lake Street in November 2024, investing $3 million and hiring 25 workers to serve the Latino community along the corridor. By the height of the surge, 90 percent of what little revenue remained came from deliveries. He laid off workers in waves — three in the summer, two in the fall, half the staff by January. At the peak, he was running the store with two people.

He is now closing the Lake Street location. “We were doing well until the ICE surge came,” he said. “Because the math doesn’t lie.” Even as his own business bled, Hernandez helped sign up roughly 6,000 children for Delegation of Parental Authority documents and connected neighbors with nurses and doctors who would visit their homes. “I had the option to either cry about my business and all the money I was losing, or begin helping the community one way or another,” he said. (Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder, June 15, 2026)

Jennifer Jackson King, who has owned Prima Restaurant on Lyndale Avenue since 1999, said the operation was worse than the COVID-19 pandemic. She and her family drove employees to and from work when workers were too afraid to leave their homes. “I thought COVID was probably the most difficult time to be in our food and beverage industry,” she said. “But I think Operation Metro Surge was probably worse.” (Minnesota Star Tribune and BLCK Press, June 10, 2026)

A union organizer described the question parents were asking themselves when their child was sick: “Are they sick enough that I have to risk my family?”

A pediatrician told Human Rights Watch: “In 2020, during Covid-19, we had everyone in the same boat. But this is such a targeted population that is feeling the effects of being at home. The rest of school is going on, everyone else is advancing.”

Near-Total Impunity

Human Rights Watch’ conclusion is blunt. The many abuses committed by federal agencies have been met, in the report’s words, with “near-total impunity.” At the time of writing, two ICE officers faced local assault charges, one for pulling a gun on residents and one for the shooting of Julio Sosa-Celis. No officer has been prosecuted for the killings of Renée Good or Alex Pretti.

Federal agents blocked state investigators from the scene of Pretti’s shooting. Good’s car has been sitting shrink-wrapped in an FBI warehouse for months, unexamined by state investigators. The federal government has declined to release the personnel files of the agents involved.

This is documented. It is in 180 pages. And the accountability has not come.

The Next Step: Following the Paper Trail

That is why what Governor Walz did this week matters, and why you should pay attention to it.

Two days ago, after a federal judge threw out six grand jury subpoenas targeting Walz, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, and Attorney General Keith Ellison, calling them “a blatantly unlawful and unethical use of the grand-jury process,” Walz filed 16 Freedom of Information Act requests with federal agencies across the Trump administration. (Minnesota Public Radio, June 25, 2026)

Those requests ask for every record and communication that mentions the words “Minnesota,” “Walz,” “reckoning,” “retribution,” “punish,” or “Democrat” since January 20, 2025. The governor says Minnesota has faced more than 100 federal demands, investigations, lawsuits, and threats to withhold funding since Trump’s second term began. Trump himself posted during the surge that a “Day of Reckoning & Retribution” was coming for Minnesota. (Fox News, January 13, 2026)

A FOIA request is a formal demand, under the Freedom of Information Act, for government records. Federal agencies are legally required to respond. They can delay and they can fight it in court, but they cannot pretend the question was never asked. These 16 requests put the scope of the targeting campaign on the public record in a new way: Who ordered this, who directed it, and what has it cost us?

What You Can Do

Renée. Alex. Their names are in the report. The report is public. So is the reporting on Victor.

Human Rights Watch is calling on Congress to hold hearings on the conduct of federal agents during Operation Metro Surge, with leadership from Homeland Security, ICE, Customs and Border Protection, and the Department of Justice.

Congress has not acted.

Here is who represents you. Call them. Tell them you read the report.

Rep. Tom Emmer (CD6, House Majority Whip): 202-225-2331.
Senator Amy Klobuchar: 612-727-5220.
Senator Tina Smith: 651-221-1016.

Not sure which congressional district you’re in? Find your U.S. House representative at house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative.

Local representatives need to demand justice for our fallen Minnesotans. You can probably guess who has remained silent:

Sen. Julia Coleman: 651-296-4837
Rep. Jim Nash: 651-296-4282

The Human Rights Watch report is at hrw.org. Read it. Then make the calls.

4th of July Chanhassen Protest Location

For the 4th July, the Chanhassen protest (10am - 11am) is moving to the pedestrian bridge over Highway 5. People can park along Lake St., East by the Methodist Church.

Chaska Protests

Every Friday from 3:00–4:00 p.m. at the corner of Chaska Blvd. and Chestnut Street (Highway 41) [Map]

Every Saturday from 1-2 pm at the corner of Hazeltine Boulevard and Highway 41 (Chestnut) [Map]

Chanhassen Protests

Every Saturday from 10-11 am at 7700 Market Boulevard [Map] Public parking is available behind City Hall.

Norwood Young America

Every Sunday, 11 a.m.–12 p.m. (Line up at the bike path south of Highway 212 and Faxon.)

Victoria

Every Wednesday from 4:30-5:30 pm on the corner of Highway 5 and Victoria Drive/County Rd 11.

Waconia

Every Saturday from 11:30-12:30 pm at Highway 5 and County Road 10 in front of the Starbucks and Jersey Mike’s. [Map]

SW Protectors

Every first and third Tuesday from 6:30 – 8:00 pm. It’s no cost and come and go as you like.

Please do buy something to eat or drink, though, to support our venue, which is The Bellows restaurant and it’s located at 232 Pioneer Trail in Chaska.

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The 15 people arrested this week in Minneapolis did not commit any crimes ... yet. That is the view the Trump administration is taking. But that these people were against them was enough, and federal charges have been brought against them.

The United States has free speech as one of, if not the, main pillars of its society. If this is taken away, what is left? What they are doing is trying to scare all of us, making us believe that even writing something or posting something on Facebook will be used against us as a crime.

He is trying to scare us all because what we are doing is working. We are fighting back. ICE is on a hiring spree, trying to hire more than 10,000 agents.

They know that if we win, their days are numbered and their whole house of cards will come crumbling down. The corruption, the Epstein Files, all of it will then be laid bare. So they are running scared, and we all know desperate people will do desperate things.

Stay strong. Do not give in and do not give up. Stand up and be counted, vote and help others vote, and speak up.

Locally, a lot of things are happening. Congressman Emmer went on several TV shows talking about how they are fighting antifa. The man has not held a town hall in years and then has the gall to say that protesters are bad people. Let’s vote him out, as he does not represent us at all.

Doug Chapin is running against him and has been at many of our events. We also have a very large data center that is now proposed to be built right here in Chaska. This data center would be 1.5 million square feet, and we need to stop it. Please get involved in stopping it.

Lastly, many of you know Mary Fuentes of Latino Voices. Mary worked tirelessly during Operation Metro Surge, helping everyone she could, and now she needs our help. Mary has been diagnosed with a rare and aggressive cancer, and she is in the hospital. A GoFundMe has been set up to help her and her family as they try to navigate this.

Judith

Chaska Protests

Every Friday from 3:00–4:00 p.m. at the corner of Chaska Blvd. and Chestnut Street (Highway 41) [Map]

Every Saturday from 1-2 pm at the corner of Hazeltine Boulevard and Highway 41 (Chestnut) [Map]

Chanhassen Protests

Every Saturday from 10-11 am at 7700 Market Boulevard [Map] Public parking is available behind City Hall.

Norwood Young America

Every Sunday, 11 a.m.–12 p.m. (Line up at the bike path south of Highway 212 and Faxon.)

Victoria

Every Wednesday from 4:30-5:30 pm on the corner of Highway 5 and Victoria Drive/County Rd 11.

Waconia

Every Saturday from 11:30-12:30 pm at Highway 5 and County Road 10 in front of the Starbucks and Jersey Mike’s. [Map]

SW Protectors

Every first and third Tuesday from 6:30 – 8:00 pm. It’s no cost and come and go as you like.

Please do buy something to eat or drink, though, to support our venue, which is The Bellows restaurant and it’s located at 232 Pioneer Trail in Chaska.

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Trump is Scared. MAGA is Scared. That’s Why They’re Doing This.

On Tuesday morning, before most of Minnesota had made coffee, federal agents fanned out across Minneapolis and arrested twelve people.

By mid-morning, U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen was at a podium calling them terrorists. Anarchists. Antifa.

The cameras rolled.
The message was loud.

It was a lie.

What the Indictment Actually Says

Here is what the 94-page federal indictment actually documents as evidence of a criminal conspiracy:

• Posting opinions on Facebook,

• Attending meetings,

• Wearing certain clothes,

• Standing on public streets and watching federal agents haul neighbors into unmarked vans.

Among the 15 people charged:

• Trade unionists,

• Educators,

• Community organizers.

Richard Painter, who served as the chief White House ethics lawyer under President George W. Bush, called the charges “completely disproportionate” and predicted they would be dismissed.

The government’s own track record backs him up. Of the 36 Minnesotans previously charged with interfering with ICE operations during Operation Metro Surge, at least 15 cases have already been dropped outright.

They arrested people for attending meetings. Then held a press conference to announce it.

That is not what winning looks like.

What Demoralization Is Designed to Do

If you’ve been feeling ground down lately, you’re not alone.

Some of you attended the DFL endorsing convention and watched the process feel frustratingly slow. A lot of you have been protesting every week.

Some of you were standing on cold streets, documenting what the federal government is doing in Minnesota, and now you’re watching neighbors face six-year federal conspiracy charges for it.

The exhaustion is real.
The frustration is real.

Some of it is engineered.

Scholars who study authoritarian governments call this tactic “lawfare”: using the legal system not to win in court, but to exhaust people, drain their money, scare off their friends, and make the cost of resistance feel higher than the cost of giving up.

The point is not conviction. The point is fear. The point is to make you feel small and alone and helpless, and to make you stay home.

They are doing this because they are losing. A movement that is winning does not need to arrest people for posting on Facebook.

The Numbers Say So

A president who is winning does not hold a 34% approval rating, the lowest of his second term, according to Pew Research Center. A political coalition that is winning does not lose ground in every single special election held in the country for the past year and a half.

Democrats are outperforming their 2024 margins by an average of 15 points in every special election this cycle, including flipping a Texas State Senate seat that Trump won by 17 points.

Just Security’s litigation tracker shows plaintiffs winning 272 federal cases against the Trump administration to the government’s 133. The Supreme Court, in a 6-3 ruling, struck down Trump’s sweeping tariff program in February, with Chief Justice Roberts writing that the administration’s legal claim “cannot bear such weight.”

For the first time since 2010, Democrats are more trusted than Republicans to handle the economy.

They know they are losing the public. They know they are losing the culture. So they pick a handful of people and make a spectacle of them. That is what scared movements do.

The Long Road

Today is Juneteenth.

On June 19, 1865, a Union Army general arrived in Galveston, Texas, and read aloud General Order No. 3. “All slaves are free.” The enslaved people of Texas learned, for the first time, that the law had already changed. The machinery of oppression had been doing everything in its power to keep that knowledge from reaching them.

Freedom came. But it came slowly, and under fire.

Reconstruction was dismantled. Jim Crow laws locked Black Americans out of schools, out of voting booths, out of restaurants and buses and neighborhoods.

Emmett Till was murdered in 1955. Four little girls were bombed in a Birmingham church in 1963. Medgar Evers was shot in his driveway.

And through all of it, Black Americans did not stop. They organized. They marched. They went to jail. They came back and marched again.

The Civil Rights Act passed in 1964. The Voting Rights Act in 1965. Not because the opposition gave up. Because the people pressing for freedom never did.

And they are pressing still. The disparities that Black Americans face today in housing, in health care, in policing, in wealth: They are still fighting those, too. Every generation has had to fight for the same ground their grandparents already bled for, and every generation has shown up anyway.

That is the road we are walking on. Their road. And we should be clear about that.

When federal agents pepper-spray legal observers in Minneapolis, when a U.S. Attorney labels union members terrorists, when the full machinery of the federal government turns against the people watching it: This is not a new story in America.

It is the oldest story. And we know it ends when people refuse to stop.

The Resistance Has Already Worked

Operation Metro Surge sent more than 2,000 federal agents into the Twin Cities, thirteen times the normal federal footprint, and it ended with ICE withdrawing. That withdrawal happened in significant part because sustained community resistance made the operation politically and legally untenable.

The community defense work now being criminalized in this indictment, the very work of watching and documenting and standing in the street, was recognized with the Kennedy Center Profiles in Courage Award.

They’re arresting people for it because it worked.

Where Your Effort Matters Most

Presidential elections get the attention. But the fights that shape your daily life are decided much closer to home, by margins of tens of votes, sometimes fewer.

Minnesota’s current legislative maps were drawn by a court in 2022 because the legislature deadlocked.

The next redistricting happens after the 2030 census. If Republicans hold a governing trifecta when that moment arrives (or even before), we have every reason to expect they will draw maps designed to lock in their advantage for a generation.

We have seen them break poltical norms with their unprecidented mid-decade redistricting schemes. With racially-motivated redistricting schemes. It is not speculation. It is the documented playbook.

Keeping that from happening starts right now, at the precinct level, in your neighborhood.

The special elections in Minnesota House districts 47A and 64A this January were both won by Democrats, restoring an even 67-67 split in the State House. Two races. Two wins. The balance of power shifted. Local races in this state have been decided by single digits before and will be again.

Your two votes could be those two wins.

Don’t Give Them What They’re Working For

Today, Juneteenth, is the right day to let history do what it is meant to do: Remind us of what people before us endured, what they refused to accept, and the future they built by refusing.

They had so much more to fight through than we do. They did not stop.

We are not losing. The numbers say so, the courts say so, and the opposition’s own panic says so. Every show of force, every pre-dawn arrest, every press conference labeling teachers and union members as terrorists: That is a regime telling on itself.

Don’t give them the demoralization they’re working so hard to manufacture.

Show up.
Knock on your neighbor’s door.
Vote.

Go to the school board meeting. Volunteer for the state legislative race in your district. If you want to support the Minnesota 15 directly, a legal defense fund is live at chuffed.org/project/186570-minnesota-15-legal-defense-fund.

The road is long. People before us walked farther on it than we have to.

They didn’t stop.

Neither should we.

Foot on the gas.

Full speed ahead!

David

Full Report

For the full sourced research report with citations and links to primary sources underlying this article, download the Southwest Crier Research Report: “The Show of Force Is the Tell.”

Swcrier Show Of Force Report June 2026

263KB ∙ PDF file

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Podcast Version

Here’s the podcast version if you don’t want to read it. (This was generated by Google’s Notebook LM tool.)

Chaska Protests

Every Friday from 3:00–4:00 p.m. at the corner of Chaska Blvd. and Chestnut Street (Highway 41) [Map]

Every Saturday from 1-2 pm at the corner of Hazeltine Boulevard and Highway 41 (Chestnut) [Map]

Chanhassen Protests

Every Saturday from 10-11 am at 7700 Market Boulevard [Map] Public parking is available behind City Hall.

Norwood Young America

Every Sunday, 11 a.m.–12 p.m. (Line up at the bike path south of Highway 212 and Faxon.)

Victoria

Every Wednesday from 4:30-5:30 pm on the corner of Highway 5 and Victoria Drive/County Rd 11.

Waconia

Every Saturday from 11:30-12:30 pm at Highway 5 and County Road 10 in front of the Starbucks and Jersey Mike’s. [Map]

SW Protectors

Every first and third Tuesday from 6:30 – 8:00 pm. It’s no cost and come and go as you like.

Please do buy something to eat or drink, though, to support our venue, which is The Bellows restaurant and it’s located at 232 Pioneer Trail in Chaska.

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It is time to rise up!

No Official No Kings Protest, But…

First, let me address the confusion around Sunday’s events. There are no official No Kings protests scheduled on Sunday. Instead, the organizers wanted people to get together and form watch parties to watch the show they are putting together with Bette Midler, Jane Fonda, and others.

We are having our regular protest on Saturday, but if you want to attend a protest on Sunday, please consider the one in Norwood Young America from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. This area of Carver County is small but mighty and would love to have you come out and support them!

The protest will be at Highway 212 and Foxton Road by McDonald’s. Please park on the street, as the local businesses (even the ones that are closed) have refused to let anyone park there.

Show The World

I think we all need to show the world that we are fed up and that we do not agree with what is happening. You can also just stand on any street corner or bridge and protest. You do not need others to be there. One person standing there is so powerful!

As for the businesses that are not supporting us, let’s let them know that we will not be supporting them either. We are the ones with the money!

Lawn Signs

Starting June 26, Minnesota law protects your right to have political signs in your yard. These do make a difference! Please contact your candidates and get yours ASAP!

Remember that Doug Chapin, Dan Kessler, Joe Brothers, Chrissy Ahola, Lucy Rehm, and Julie Kelzer are all running in our area. Don’t know who your candidates are? You can find them from the Secretary of State candidates page.

We have a chance in Carver County to unseat Emmer, Nash, and Coleman. They do not represent our values and do nothing to protect us. Right now, Republicans are working on cutting Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security, all of which we have been paying into since we started working. The consequences will be devastating if they are able to do this.

Sheriff Candidate Meetup

On June 24 at 6:00 p.m., you have a chance to see all five of the Carver County sheriff candidates in person. This event will be at Waconia Middle School and is being hosted by the Republican GOP. This means that they will only allow previously screened questions, but I encourage you to show up and ask the hard questions anyway.

I found out who I liked among the three I spoke to when I got in their face, asked pointed questions, and would not let them give me political answers. I have not spoken to the other two yet, but I hope to soon! If you go, I hope you let me know your thoughts!

Shop Local

There are many more opportunities to support and help, and I urge you to reach out to your candidates in person, on Facebook, or via email to get their updates. Do not sit at home frustrated or sad. Get angry and DO SOMETHING!

One of our amazing protesters sent me an email with news I had not even thought about in the last few weeks. With rising costs for gas, beef, food, and electricity, we have amazing locally owned restaurants like India Bar and Grill right here in Chaska that are struggling with increased costs.

The owner reported that one reason is that the spices they need to make their delicious food are getting more expensive too! I encourage you to order from local places when you go out. The big corporate chains are doing fine, and we do not get any benefit from them. Eating local means that local workers and owners make money that goes straight back into our community.

Stay Safe

Lastly, it was hot last week! Please wear hats, bring cold water, and do not forget to lather yourself up with sunscreen, especially on your feet, calves, and neck. Our team has sunscreen and water, so flag one of us down if you need it.

Come on Saturday and protest the destruction of our country! We are not giving up and not backing down!

We are the protectors!

Judith

Chaska Protests

Every Friday from 3:00–4:00 p.m. at the corner of Chaska Blvd. and Chestnut Street (Highway 41) [Map]

Every Saturday from 1-2 pm at the corner of Hazeltine Boulevard and Highway 41 (Chestnut) [Map]

Chanhassen Protests

Every Saturday from 10-11 am at 7700 Market Boulevard [Map] Public parking is available behind City Hall.

Norwood Young America

Every Sunday, 11 a.m.–12 p.m. (Line up at the bike path south of Highway 212 and Faxon.)

Victoria

Every Wednesday from 4:30-5:30 pm on the corner of Highway 5 and Victoria Drive/County Rd 11.

Waconia

Every Saturday from 11:30-12:30 pm at Highway 5 and County Road 10 in front of the Starbucks and Jersey Mike’s. [Map]

SW Protectors

Every first and third Tuesday from 6:30 – 8:00 pm. It’s no cost and come and go as you like.

Please do buy something to eat or drink, though, to support our venue, which is The Bellows restaurant and it’s located at 232 Pioneer Trail in Chaska.

Leave a comment