by Editorial Staff | Mar 1, 2025 | Best of St. Croix Valley, Featured
We invited readers to vote for the best the St. Croix Valley area has to offer throughout January in our annual readers’ poll. The poll is now closed, and we’re excited to announce your finalists (listed in alphabetical order) for Best of St. Croix Valley 2025....
by Taylor Hamilton | Feb 16, 2025 | Arts, Entertain, Featured, Restaurants, Shops
The annual celebration returns for its ninth year. Grab your parkas and don your mittens, Winterfest is taking Stillwater by (snow) storm. “Winterfest is more than just a celebration; it’s an opportunity to unite the Stillwater community and showcase the spirit of the...
by Zoe Yates | Feb 1, 2025 | Featured
As some of you know, editing this fabulous publication is not my only pursuit—I also spend part of the year photographing weddings. It’s a beautiful blend that allows me to pursue my passion for storytelling in multiple forms. So, when our team decided to launch the...
by Vanessa Christensen | Feb 1, 2025 | Noteworthy, Travel
Whether at home or abroad, it’s never too early to enrich your learning through travel. Here are six ways you can engage with different cultures: Food is an essential part of every culture. Explore new-to-you flavors, ingredients, methods of cooking and ways of...
by Zoe Yates | Feb 1, 2025 | Weddings
Hold your memories close with these preservation and care tips. Every wedding day inevitably reaches its conclusion. The vows are made, the marriage license is signed and happy guests depart. It’s a bittersweet moment. Yet, before one relaxes into calm, post-marital...
by Alauna Yust | Feb 1, 2025 | Giving Back, Noteworthy, People
After Dianne Polasik earned a nursing degree from the University of Iowa, she says she came to Minnesota, “saw all those lakes, and stayed.” That was in 1974. Polasik and her husband, Tom, now live in Stillwater, a place they love equally for its scenic beauty and...
by Editorial Staff | Feb 1, 2025 | Featured, Weddings
From cityscapes to country roads, here’s a look at the details behind two special days. The celebration of love and the start of a new chapter—weddings bring together family, friends and cherished traditions while creating new memories to last a lifetime. In...
by Ben Thietje | Feb 1, 2025 | Arts, Noteworthy, People
At the heart of all things costuming at The Phipps Center for the Arts (PCA) is Bridget Lentz, our costume shop manager. With a love for costumes and a well-earned reputation for keeping the shop organized (not an easy task), Lentz is a key player in bringing the...
by Daniel Huss | Feb 1, 2025 | Travel
Celebrate life and love through travel. The world is your oyster. It’s a familiar saying encouraging us to see the beauty all around. And while it isn’t exactly a metaphor for travel—it can be. Destinations and experiences are valuable pearls, readily found. The...
by Jennifer Pitterle | Feb 1, 2025 | Style, Weddings
A Stillwater stylist offers tips for wedding-day makeup and hair looks. As wedding photos have become increasingly high-res and high-end over the decades, brides—and other members of the wedding party—want to look their best. Makeup and hairstyles are important parts...
by Alexandra Eve | Feb 1, 2025 | Noteworthy, Style, Weddings
When picking a dress for a wedding, it’s important to consider the venue and event formality. Different settings call for different styles, so choosing the right one will help you feel comfortable and confident. For beach weddings, select flowy and lightweight fabrics...
by Zoe Yates | Feb 1, 2025 | Photo Contest
A hobby photographer captures winter magic on a sunrise stroll along the St. Croix River. Nikkita Berglind, of River Falls, Wisconsin, was walking around Lakefront Park in Hudson at sunrise when she came across a beautiful winter scene—a patch of folded grass gleaming...
by Mikayla Vo | Feb 1, 2025 | Noteworthy, Outdoors
Take to the skies of Hudson this February. Hudson, Wisconsin, invites residents and visitors to its premier winter hot air balloon rally and festival set to take place from February 7–9. This year’s theme, Staying Alive in 2025, celebrates a sense of community and the...
by Editorial Staff | Feb 1, 2025 | Entertain, Featured, Local Makers, Weddings
Cottage bakers and resident makers are charting new territory in the wedding treat realm. The topography of the reception dessert table is evolving. The tiered white wedding cake is no longer a given, and it’s ceding space to more varied terrain. Whether you want to...
by Zoe Yates | Feb 1, 2025 | Featured, Weddings
Osceola High School graduates share their bucolic wedding celebration. Jacob and Mariah (née Gaglio) Heyer have shaped their lives around serving their community. Both raised in Osceola, Wisconsin, the two work in the health care industry; Jacob is a care coordinator...
