Western, central and northern Minnesota under windy, dry weather conditions 

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Like many places that endure long, difficult winters, Minnesota comes alive when the weather warms up. So many people from the Twin Cities head to lakes in northern parts of the state that the city's attractions truly open up to out-of-towners. And as in any urban area, some of the best are free.

5 things to do in the Twin Cities (when everyone else is gone)

Independence Day is expected to go off with a bang across Minnesota, even though flooding has shifted some of the festivities this year.

17 great places to watch July 4th fireworks

Where to find fireworks in the Twin Cities

Kara Owens, DNR boat and water safety specialist, joined The Daily Circuit ahead of the holiday weekend with safety tips for going out on the water.

There have been fewer boating and swimming accidents in 2014 compared to 2013, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

But that drop is mostly attributable to fewer people going out onto lakes and rivers because of the bad spring weather.

Tips to stay safe on the water this weekend

One thing crucial to making plans for the holiday is knowing the forecast.

Summer time showers and thunderstorms are expected to be scattered about the state as warmer and more humid air returns for the weekend.

A Prairie Home Companion has been on the radio since 1974. This week The Daily Circuit marked that anniversary by talking to one of the show's regular guests, pianist Butch Thompson.

Thousands are expected to attend a "40 Years, 40 Songs" concert Friday at Macalaster College where it began.

Pianist Butch Thompson looks back on 40 years of Prairie Home

5 Current Artists who've made their way to A Prairie Home Companion

If you can't make it, you can follow along on a live blog on MPRNews.org on Saturday.

A new exhibition at the Minnesota Museum of American Art offers an expansive look at some of the best work by local artists.

, which runs through August 3 at the MMAA's project space in downtown St. Paul, offers up pieces by Minnesota heavyweights at the peak of their game along with strong pieces from relatively new voices.


Relaxing with a good book on a warm summer day - it's a dream that gets many Minnesotans through the winter. The Daily Circuit talked to two book lovers, and gathered a list of your favorite summer reads. 

The idea that eating cocoa-rich, dark chocolate may offer greater health benefits than milk chocolate is not new.


Now a small study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association offers evidence of another possible benefit: improving vascular health by increasing blood flow.

How dark chocolate, not milk chocolate, may help blood flow

In our Appetites segment this week, Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl, restaurant critic for Minneapolis St. Paul Magazine, picked her favorite local pickle entrepreneurs. 


If you've ever eaten sauerkraut, sipped kvass, or enjoyed kimchi, you've enjoyed the fruits of lacto-fermentation, the oldest form of food preservation.

Lifestyle

MPR News Staff

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Independence Day is expected to go off with a bang across Minnesota, even though flooding has shifted some of the festivities around.

Your Minnesota weekend: Fourth of July edition

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