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Community Events/News

Start Date Title Tags Description
Feb 15, 2026 02:30 PM Chinese New Year Celebration Gala ('diversity', 'culture', 'Diversity', 'key') Chinese New Year Celebration Gala is a primary annual event of gathering in Rochester Chinese community. The purpose of the event is to celebrate the biggest Chinese holiday, carry forward the Chinese culture and promote the merge with the multiple cultures in Rochester. Usually there are about 600 people attending this event, including Chinese and other ethnics. Stage shows will feature many exciting performances such as singing, dancing, poems, sketch, dramas, instrument playing, and more, mostly with Chinese cultural and artistic style. During the stage show time, we will also have lottery to have some surprising prizes.
Feb 14, 2026 10:00 AM The Art of Detachment () Unhealthy attachment to people, outcomes, jobs, relationships, careers, even sports teams can quietly shape how we live and our quality of life.
Feb 11, 2026 12:00 PM When Calendars Reflect Community Faith, Equity, and Public Education ('city', 'rps', 'dmc', 'diversity', 'key', 'community engagement', 'Education') Are you seeking to enhance engagement in your school or organization? Discover how Hopkins Public Schools broke down barriers to full participation by creating and adopting an equitable calendar.
Feb 11, 2026 10:00 AM Rochester Area Housing Alliance Feb 2026 ('RAF', 'Housing', 'housing', 'key') Topics include: Natural Gas Franchise Fee --The City of Rochester is looking at whether to create a natural gas franchise fee. This fee could help fund programs that support the community and help the City make smart, long-term investments.
Feb 09, 2026 11:00 AM Part 1: Immigration Justice is Public Health ('diversity', 'Diversity Council', 'community health', 'Diversity', 'Education') Background and context on immigration, authoritarianism, abolition, and public health; introduction to HIP's Immigration Justice Guide; discussion of actions you can take in your agency and community
Feb 06, 2026 06:00 PM Pulitzer Finalist Lee Hawkins--Author of I Am Nobody’s Slave ('NAACP', 'Diversity') Join us for this year’s premier Black History Month event featuring Lee Hawkins, Pulitzer Prize finalist, former Wall Street Journal writer, and 2026 NAACP Image Awards Nominee who is coming to Rochester, Minnesota from New York. This event is free but seating is limited so free registration is required.
Feb 05, 2026 09:30 AM Feb 2026 DMCC Board Meeting ('commerce', 'DMC', 'community') ICE Impacts; 5 Year Plan Update; Historical preservation; Housing; Annual Report
Feb 03, 2026 10:00 AM Feb 2026 RPS Family Engagement ('RPS', 'education', 'diversity', 'key', 'Education') Our focus for February is Supporting Parent, Caregiver, Family, and Staff Wellbeing: an Experiential Workshop, presented by Haeli Gerardy. Haeli is the Family Engagement Specialist and Certified Parenting Coach at Fernbrook, which is a partner with RPS School-Linked Mental Health.
Jan 27, 2026 12:00 PM "Let's Talk Community" Lunch and Learn Series ('Education', 'civic engagement') Our first event of the series will feature Metro State’s Cyber Clinic—a hub for community focused cybersecurity initiatives. Discover how the Cyber Clinic partners with K-12 institutions, underserved municipalities, nonprofits, and small businesses to strengthen digital safety through:
Jan 27, 2026 09:30 AM Jan 2026 Mayor's International Relations Committee Meeting ('Diversity', 'global', 'governance', 'culture', 'key', 'education') Coordinate the Sister Cities Program; support international affairs in the city; provide a welcoming and supportive climate for international residents
Jan 23, 2026 07:00 PM Poetry Night ('griot', 'Culture', 'diversity') Join us for a night in community celebrating poetry!
Jan 22, 2026 06:00 PM Ramsey County Attorney Office Townhall ('openbeam', 'governance', 'civic engagement') Asian Media Access is working with our communities to host a webinar as a follow-up event from the AAUC successful Town Hall meeting, that laid our communities' stories so well.
Jan 22, 2026 06:30 PM Panel Discussion - "IBM Rochester not only changed the city but the world" ('Education',) The panel discussion, which kicks off at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, will feature five current and retired IBM employees talking about everything from gaming and supercomputers to quantum computing, and disks
Jan 21, 2026 10:00 AM Rochester Area Foundation - Scholarship Information ('networking', 'civic engagement') Volunteers Needed - Rochester Area Foundation Scholarship Committee
Jan 20, 2026 12:00 PM Caregiver and Parent Empowerment ('rps', 'Education') Come together with other community members online to learn about middle school academics, social growth, and relationships while supporting students as they transition to high school and graduation.
Jan 19, 2026 08:15 AM 2026 We Have a Dream Celebration ('NAACP',) Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. - We Have a Dream Celebration is an annual community event held on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day to commemorate the life and work of Dr. King. The morning portion of the program hosted by NAACP Rochester Branch MN in partnership with Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce will take place at the Mayo Civic Center.
Jan 17, 2026 02:00 PM Dreaming Otherwise ('griot',) Join us for a free, community-centered workshop rooted in writer Nicole “Cole” Nfonoyim-Hara’s own creative process and her current work on a speculative fiction novel reimagining ancestral pasts and legacies.
Jan 14, 2026 12:00 PM Equity Alliance Equity Series Rochester Cultural Center ('city', 'rps', 'dmc', 'diversity', 'key', 'community engagement', 'Education') The Rochester Cultural Center is a premier adult daycare facility dedicated to serving the diverse needs of our community. Our mission is to provide a safe and stimulating social environment that fosters a sense of belonging and prolongs the lives of our clients. By offering a wide range of activities and programs, we aim to promote physical, emotional, and cognitive well-being among our participants.
Jan 14, 2026 10:00 AM Rochester Area Housing Alliance Jan 2026 ('RAF', 'Housing', 'housing', 'key') Topics include: 2025 End of Year Real Estate Stats Review; Olmsted County and Rochester Highlights; Coalition 2025 Investments & Impact
Jan 13, 2026 10:00 AM Jan 2026 RPS Family Engagement ('RPS', 'education', 'diversity', 'key', 'Education') RPS 5Essentials Survey; Helping Students Thrive: Supporting Positive Behavior Together
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October 2021 Activities

FORUM  WITH INTERIM SUPERINTENDENT DR. KENT PEKEL- October 21, 6:30 to 8:00:

In the City for Good will be presenting an online forum to give all in the community an opportuniy to hear from Rochester Public Schools Interim Superintendent Kent Pekel. Dr. Pekel will give an overview of his time so far in the district, along with more information on the strategic plan he will be proposing. Interested Rochester residents may submit questions ahead of time or during the meeting to be used in a Q&A time period after his primary presentation. The October 21 forum will be from 6:30 to 8.

 

Steering Committee- Tuesday, October 5, 4:00 p.m.

Topic: In the City for Good Steering Committee

Time: Oct 5, 2021 04:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)

 Join Zoom Meeting

Contact [email protected] for Zoom info. 

 

Housing Team- Monday, October 11 7:00 p.m.

Our next In the City for Good Housing Team meeting will be on October 11 at 7 pm. We will be discussing the proposed Unified Development Code with Ryan Yetzer, Interim Deputy Director, Community Development for the City of Rochester leading the discussion along with others in the Community Development area. We will especially focus on what some of the proposed changes could mean related to Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) and the role of ADUs in addressing the concerns around the affordability of workforce and senior housing. This will be an online meeting, with the link to be sent out later this week.

 

Age-Friendly- Oct 12th and 26th 2:30 to 4:00

Meeting Information:

Age-Friendly Olmsted County Planning Group

Tues. Oct 12 and 26

2:30pm - 4pm

 

Contact [email protected] for Zoom info

 

Social Services/Social Justice- Watch for info of upcoming November meeting

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Purpose of the site
A sub-site of Community Beam, the City4Good website is being prototyped by openBEAM.net  to help the "In the City For Good initiative" to better collaborate.
Community Status/News

This panel displays the latest community news. For a standalone view please click this LINK.



City of Rochester Seeks Proposals for Sale and Redevelopment of Parcels

The City of Rochester is now accepting proposals for the sale and redevelopment of two City-owned residential parcels located in the Durand Subdivision and Hilmer’s High View Acres.

Last Updated April 17, 2026



Housing Investment Status and Statistics

Apr 2026 Housing Coalition Tour $4M investment

Jan 2026 Housing Alliance: 2025 Real Estate SEMN Marketing Data, 2025 Coalition Investments

 

Last Updated April 17, 2026



RPS Family Engagement Opportunities

Apr 2026 Family Engagement Policy Meetings

Jan 2026 Announcements: Family Engagement, Caregiver and Parent Empowerment 

Last Updated April 16, 2026



Ambassadors for Equity and Belonging Program

Rochester Area Foundation is piloting a new type of cohort centered around the concept of “belonging” as a strategic framework,

Last Updated April 15, 2026



Rochester, MN Supplemental Budget

2026 Apr 13 City Council Study Session on 2027 Supplemental Budget

2022-08-22 City Council Study Session on 2023 Supplemental Budget

Last Updated April 14, 2026



RPS Education Equity Impacts and Outcome

April 7, 2026: Budget Reduction Impact

Sep 12, 2023 RPS Board Study Session video recording; Proposed Equity Policy; PB Reporting

Last Updated April 13, 2026



RPS 2030 Strategic Plan Reviews

Apr 12, 2026 RPS Board Meeting: High School 

Mar 17, 2026 RPS Board Meeting: Middle School

Mar 3, 2026 RPS Board Meeting: Elementary School & Early Childhood 

Last Updated April 12, 2026



Lifestyle Wellness

Apr 2026: Rochester Mayor Proclamation 

March 2020: Rochester Mayor Proclamation  

Lotus Health Foundation Workshops 

Last Updated April 10, 2026



America's City for Health - DMC Development Plan 2025 Update

September 2025 Equity Alliance Series Presentation- Video Recordings, Selected Presentation Screen Shots

References - Sep 2025 DMCC Board 10-Year Midpoint

Last Updated April 06, 2026



2024-2025 RPS Data Analysis

April 2026 Reporting: 2025 High School Graduation Rate 

Sep 2025 Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment (MCA) Improvement Action Plan 

2024-25 Fastbridge Data Analysis and Literacy Plan Update

PB reporting on MCA

Last Updated April 04, 2026



Rochester International Relations Committee

2026 Winter Newsletter; Sister City Visits Germany Visit

2025 Sister City Trips: Japan 

Rochester Sister City Application (Roles and Responsibilities)

Sister Cities Relationship Logs

IRC Meeting Logs

Last Updated April 02, 2026



Healthy Living Wellness Tips

2026: KTTC: Midwest Access Video Clips

2025 Sep Newsletter; 2025 Conference Materials

2020 Lifestyle Medicine Symposium (March 19-20)

Last Updated April 02, 2026



DMC Private Investment Status

 Annual Report to DEED Prep 

  • Mar 2026 DMCC Exec Committee Meeting - Video Recording, PB Reporting - Private Investment Status
  • Mar 2025: DMCC Exec Committee Briefing " Overall private investment related to the Destination Medical Center initiative bounced back in 2024, but non-Mayo Clinic development continued to decline in the DMC district for the sixth year."

Last Updated March 31, 2026



West Transit Village Housing Development

April 1 2026 AEON Affordable Housing Townhall

May 2025 DMCC Board Meeting Report

Feb 2025 DMCC Board Meeting Memo

PB reporting re Jan 6 City Council Meeting

"A final plan for dividing a 14.1-acre Mayo Clinic parking lot into developable sections is expected to be reviewed Monday by the Rochester City Council. The site, being dubbed “West Transit Village,” sits between Second Street Southwest and Cascade Lake. It is currently used as a Mayo Clinic employee shuttle lot, and Mayo Clinic plans to construct a 2,500-stall parking structure."

Last Updated March 25, 2026



County of Olmsted, MN Resident Surveys

2025: Park and Rec Survey Results

2022: High-level results from the Olmsted County 2022 Resident Survey were shared at the Olmsted County Board of Commissioners meeting Tuesday, July 19, 2022.

Last Updated March 23, 2026



ADA Public Input

Olmsted County is inviting community members to review and provide feedback on a draft update to its Americans with Disabilities (ADA) Act Transition Plan for public right-of-way.

Last Updated March 20, 2026



Community Ed and Parks & Rec Survey

The survey asks residents about their current participation in recreation programs, how they learn about activities, and what types of programs or opportunities they would like to see offered in the future.

Last Updated March 20, 2026



Chamber of Commerce 2026 Case for Investment

Request for Investment to Olmsted County Board March 3 2026: Video Clip, Presentation Slides, Whitepaper

Reference: Rochester Area Job Growth Stats

Last Updated March 18, 2026



Olmsted County Health Focus Topics

1Q 2026 HAPP Meeting Features:

Overdose SPIKE

Mental Health Club House

Last Updated March 17, 2026



Rochester Learning Center Mural Night

UMR and ALC Collaboration Research Study Introduction

The Artist Mindset Research Study

 

Last Updated March 14, 2026