2026
1. March 13, 2026
Dear Friends,
| Mar 14, 2026 12:30 PM | ZVM: Heart Reach Clinic | Free Heart Disease Screening: Blood Pressure Screening, Cholesterol Testing, Blood Sugar Screening, Heart Exam, ECG and Ultrasound | Christ United Methodist Church, 400 5th AVE, SW, Rochester | ('compassion', 'Health') |
| Apr 09, 2026 08:00 AM | Lifestyle Medicine Community of Wellness Symposium & Gala 2026 | Discover the root causes of preventable and reversible chronic diseases • Learn practical strategies for lifelong health and well-being • Engage in hands-on activities like "Walk With A Doc," meditation, and stretching sessions • Enjoy plant-based meals featuring recipes from expert presenters • Expand your healthy network | Mayo Civic Center, 30 Civic Center Drive SE, Rochester, MN 55904 | ('lotus', 'health', 'Health', 'openbeam') |
| Apr 25, 2026 10:00 AM | 2026 Cambodian New Year Celebration | On behalf of the Board of Directors of The Buddhist Society, Inc., Watt Dhamma Visudhi Karam, it is our great honor to respectfully invite Your Excellency to attend our Cambodian New Year Celebration. | 4462 29th ST SE | Rochester, MN 55904 | ('Culture', 'diversity') |
Please also find in the following lists of upcoming community events and news as of Mar 13, 2026
For the up-to-the--date event lists, please visit: 1. Upcoming Community Events; 2. Noteworthy Past Community Events (with detailed meeting notes and/or recordings); 3. Latest Community News.
Upcoming Community Events as of Mar 13, 2026
| Start Date | Title | Description | Location | Tags |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 13, 2026 04:30 PM | RALC Mural Night | Through a partnership with the University of Minnesota, we are excited to host Artist Mindset Week (March 9-March 13) at the Rochester ALC! Ten professional artists will be traveling in from all over Minnesota | Rochester ALC - 37 Woodlake Dr. SE | ('Education', 'art') |
| Mar 13, 2026 06:30 PM | Sketches Minnesota by HMC/Danger Boat Productions | Sketches of Minnesota is a traveling program designed to increase understanding and encourage conversations among people who might not know each other | Rochester Civic Theatre 30 Civic Center Drive SE Ste 100, Rochester, MN | ('diversity', 'education', 'art') |
| Mar 14, 2026 12:30 PM | ZVM: Heart Reach Clinic | Free Heart Disease Screening: Blood Pressure Screening, Cholesterol Testing, Blood Sugar Screening, Heart Exam, ECG and Ultrasound | Christ United Methodist Church, 400 5th AVE, SW, Rochester | ('compassion', 'Health') |
| Mar 16, 2026 10:00 AM | Music Therapy and Cognitive Vitality: The Role of Music in Brain Health | Music plays a crucial and unique role in supporting cognitive function, memory retention, emotional regulation, and social connection that are key areas often affected in cognitive decline. Research shows that rhythm, melody, and singing activate widespread neural networks, enhance neuroplasticity, and stimulate brain regions involved in speech, movement, and executive function. | 125 Live | ('lotus', 'America City for Health', 'mental health', 'aging') |
| Mar 17, 2026 10:00 AM | Lotus Health Foundations at Kiwanis Day Maker | Lifestyle medicine, Healthy Living: Food, Immunity, and Cancer: How Lifestyle Choices Protect Your Body | Charlie's Eatery and Pub, Hillcrest Shopping Center | ('lotus', 'Kiwanis', 'Health/Wellness') |
| Mar 28, 2026 09:00 AM | Candidate Training Program Session 2 by Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce | Over the course of the three trainings, topics covered will include how to craft your messaging, information on filing deadlines, budgeting, campaign finance regulations, leveraging social media, and more. The series will be hosted on the dates below at the Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce [220 Broadway Ave S. Suite 100 Rochester, MN 55904] | Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce [220 Broadway Ave S. Suite 100 Rochester, MN 55904] | ('community engagement', 'governance') |
| Apr 09, 2026 08:00 AM | Lifestyle Medicine Community of Wellness Symposium & Gala 2026 | Discover the root causes of preventable and reversible chronic diseases • Learn practical strategies for lifelong health and well-being • Engage in hands-on activities like "Walk With A Doc," meditation, and stretching sessions • Enjoy plant-based meals featuring recipes from expert presenters • Expand your healthy network | Assisi Heights | ('lotus', 'health', 'Health', 'openbeam') |
| Apr 15, 2026 09:30 AM | RAVA 2026 Annual Spring Volunteer Fair | The Rochester Area Volunteer Administrators are happy to invite you to participate in our Annual Spring Volunteer Fair! It will take place on Wednesday, April 15th, at 125 Live. The Volunteer Fair will be open to the public from 9:30 am- 12:30 pm. Set-up for participating organizations will start at 9 am. There is free parking available at 125 Live. | ('community engagement',) | |
| Apr 25, 2026 10:00 AM | 2026 Cambodian New Year Celebration | On behalf of the Board of Directors of The Buddhist Society, Inc., Watt Dhamma Visudhi Karam, it is our great honor to respectfully invite Your Excellency to attend our Cambodian New Year Celebration. | 4462 29th ST SE | Rochester, MN 55904 | ('Culture', 'diversity') |
| Jun 12, 2026 08:00 AM | Rochester's Sister City - German Trip | Hosted by Mayor Kim Norton and City Council President Randy Schubring | ('city', 'governance') |
Document Actions
Community News as of 3/13/2026
March 10, 2026: City SUPPORTING TRANSFORMATION - BOLD. Forward. Unbound. City Council Study Session:
Mar 2026 Video Recording, Presentation Feb 2025 Video Recording Link, Presentation, Collaboration Commitment
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March 09, 2026: America's City for Heath and Older Adults Needs
Mar 2026: Tech Enabled Aging In Place Talks Postings Oct 2025 AI Summary of Dave Beal's PB Op Ed: "Include older adults in Rochester's Plans"
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March 06, 2026: Braver Angels News
Listen to (and learn from) the other side
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March 04, 2026: 2025-26 RPS Superintendent Goals CheckFeb 3 2026 Midyear Review:
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March 03, 2026: Development Assistance Agreement Relating to the Citywalk Apartments for Tax Increment Financing Mar 2, 2026: Rochester Economic Development Authority
Approving and Authorizing the Execution of Development Assistance Agreement (Citywalk Project)
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March 03, 2026: Downtown Mobility Network
Mar 2 2025 City Council: Memo, Video, Presentation Sep 2025 Press Release: City of Rochester Launches “Reimagining Sixth Avenue W” to Reconnect Downtown Mobility Network
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March 03, 2026: RPS 2030 Strategic Plan DesignMar 3, 2026 RPS Board Meeting: Background Memo, Video Clip, Presentation
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February 28, 2026: Public Office Candidate TrainingsTwo sets of candidates training programs: 1. Ready to Run: Community Partners Training: March 11, March 25, April 1 2. Chamber of Commerce Sponsored Training: March 7, March 28
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February 27, 2026: City Council and Mayor-Better Public Hearing Meeting
Feb 9, 2026 Study Session: Report, Video, Presentation Summarizing interviews, survey responses, scorecard and public forum
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February 26, 2026: Hope at Home Nearly $60,000 has been distributed to help prevent evictions
The Hope at Home Fund, created by Family Promise Rochester
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February 26, 2026: 2026 and 2025 Action Plan UpdatesFeb 2026 Action Plan Update
Jan 2025 City of Rochester’s Action Plan, first implemented in 2021, serves as our roadmap for success. It outlines current initiatives aimed at advancing City Council's Strategic Priorities.
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February 26, 2026: Downtown Historic District Investment
Feb 23, 2026 City Council Study Session DMCC Board Meeting Dec 10, 2025
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February 19, 2026: Olmsted County Press Release:
We are Water MN Traveling Exhibit Feb 25 thru Apr 20, 2026: A statewide partnership that deepens connections between Minnesotans and the water we rely on.
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February 18, 2026: Rochester Area Volunteer Administration
2026: April 15 Volunteer Fair 2023: RAVA October 19 2023 Meeting Notes; RAVA Meeting Notes: 6/15/2023 featuring inclusive language and use of pronouns; 2. 2021 survey announcement 2021: Survey
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February 10, 2026: DMC 2025 5 Year Plan Updates
Feb 5, 2026 DMC Board Meeting: Final DMC Plan Update Dec 15, 2025 DMC Board Meeting :Request for Action; Video Recording; Presentation';2025 5-year plan draft References: Nov 2025 City Council Study Session Materials; Feb 2026 DMCC Annual Report
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February 07, 2026: MDH 2026 Announcements MDH Regional Listening Sessions March 5, 2026
Feb 2026 MDH Minnesota Health Equity Networks Newsletter
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February 03, 2026: Rochester as a Compassionate City Feb 2, 2026 City Council Meeting
Council Initiated Action - Reaffirming Rochester as a Compassionate City
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February 02, 2026: 2025 YE Housing Statistics Jan 2026 Housing Alliance:
2025 Real Estate SEMN Marketing Data 2025 Coalition Investments
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January 30, 2026: RPS Family Engagement Opportunities Jan 2026 Announcements
Family Engagement, Caregiver and Parent Empowerment
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January 29, 2026: Community Health Improvement Plan Update
2026 CHNA Info: Jan 2026 Newsletter 2025 Community Health Needs Info: Admin Message, Oct 2025 Newsletter Ref: PB Report
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2. Jan 30, 2026
| Feb 06, 2026 05:00 PM | Pulitzer Finalist Lee Hawkins--Author of I Am Nobody’s Slave | 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. | Hilton Rochestere - Downtown Mayo Clinic Area | ('NAACP', 'Diversity') |
| Feb 15, 2026 02:30 PM | Chinese New Year Celebration Gala | 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. | Lourdes High School Auditorium | ('diversity', 'culture', 'Diversity') |
| Feb 21, 2026 05:30 PM | Ebony Night 2026: Once Upon A Night | Rochester Branch of the NAACP presents UMR Black Student Union | The third event in the Black History Month Series, Ebony Night, is an all-student-led production by the University of Minnesota Rochester’s Black Student Union. | Hilton Rochester Mayo Clinic Area (Rochester, MN) 10 East Center Street, Rochester, Minnesota 55904 | ('NAACP', 'Diversity', 'UMR') |
| Apr 09, 2026 08:00 AM | Lifestyle Medicine Community of Wellness Symposium & Gala 2026 | Discover the root causes of preventable and reversible chronic diseases • Learn practical strategies for lifelong health and well-being • Engage in hands-on activities like "Walk With A Doc," meditation, and stretching sessions • Enjoy plant-based meals featuring recipes from expert presenters • Expand your healthy network | Assisi Heights | ('lotus', 'health', 'Health', 'openbeam' |
Please also find in the following lists of upcoming community events and news as of Jan 30, 2026
And for the up-to-the--date lists, please visit: Upcoming Community Events; Noteworthy Past Community Events (with detailed meeting notes and/or recordings); Latest Community News.
Upcoming Community Events
| Start Date | Title | Description | Location | Tags |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 03, 2026 10:00 AM | Feb 2026 RPS Family Engagement | 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. | Virtual | ('RPS', 'education', 'diversity', 'key', 'Education') |
| Feb 06, 2026 05:00 PM | Pulitzer Finalist Lee Hawkins--Author of I Am Nobody’s Slave | 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. | Hilton Rochestere - Downtown Mayo Clinic Area | ('NAACP', 'Diversity') |
| Feb 11, 2026 10:00 AM | Rochester Area Housing Alliance Feb 2026 | 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. | Virtual Meeting | ('RAF', 'Housing', 'housing', 'key') |
| Feb 15, 2026 02:30 PM | Chinese New Year Celebration Gala | 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. | Lourdes High School Auditorium | ('diversity', 'culture', 'Diversity') |
| Feb 16, 2026 10:00 AM | Breathing and Brain Health – Seokmun Hoheup Method | This immersive session introduces the Seokmun Hoheup method, a traditional Korean breathing practice designed to enhance mental clarity, reduce stress, and support healthy brain function, presented by Paul Min, PhD. | 125 Live | ('lotus', 'mental health', 'community health') |
| Feb 17, 2026 04:30 PM | Ready to Lead 2026 Spring Cohort | Ready to Lead brings together a small group of people to teach the basics of how to participate in and lead meetings | Rochester Area Foundation | ('diversity', 'Civic Equity', 'leadership', 'networking', 'community engagement') |
| Feb 21, 2026 10:00 AM | Homeownership and Wealth Building Workshop | This workshop equips community members with practical tools and knowledge to pursue homeownership and build generational wealth. | RAEDI Offices Downtown | 221 1st Ave SW Suite 600, Rochester MN | ('NAACP', 'housing', 'Diversity') |
| Feb 21, 2026 05:30 PM | Ebony Night 2026: Once Upon A Night | Rochester Branch of the NAACP presents UMR Black Student Union | The third event in the Black History Month Series, Ebony Night, is an all-student-led production by the University of Minnesota Rochester’s Black Student Union. | Hilton Rochester Mayo Clinic Area (Rochester, MN) 10 East Center Street, Rochester, Minnesota 55904 | ('NAACP', 'Diversity', 'UMR') |
| Feb 28, 2026 12:00 PM | Black Excellence Expo | For the Rochester Branch of the NAACP, achieving economic stability is a strategic priority. Initiatives like the Black Excellence Expo directly support this goal by uplifting local entrepreneurs, expanding opportunity, and strengthening our regional economy. | 125 Live | ('diversity', 'education', 'NAACP', 'Entrepreneurship') |
| Mar 16, 2026 10:00 AM | Music Therapy and Cognitive Vitality: The Role of Music in Brain Health | Music plays a crucial and unique role in supporting cognitive function, memory retention, emotional regulation, and social connection that are key areas often affected in cognitive decline. Research shows that rhythm, melody, and singing activate widespread neural networks, enhance neuroplasticity, and stimulate brain regions involved in speech, movement, and executive function. | 125 Live | ('lotus', 'America City for Health', 'mental health', 'aging') |
| Apr 09, 2026 08:00 AM | Lifestyle Medicine Community of Wellness Symposium & Gala 2026 | Discover the root causes of preventable and reversible chronic diseases • Learn practical strategies for lifelong health and well-being • Engage in hands-on activities like "Walk With A Doc," meditation, and stretching sessions • Enjoy plant-based meals featuring recipes from expert presenters • Expand your healthy network | Assisi Heights | ('lotus', 'health', 'Health', 'openbeam' |
Latest Community News
January 30, 2026: RPS Family Engagement OpportunitiesJan 2026 Announcements
Family Engagement, Caregiver and Parent Empowerment
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January 29, 2026: Community Health Improvement Plan Update
2026 CHNA Info: Jan 2026 Newsletter 2025 Community Health Needs Info: Admin Message, Oct 2025 Newsletter Ref: PB Report
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January 28, 2026: Black History Month Series of Events
Black History Month Press Releases: 2026, 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021
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January 28, 2026: Rochester Announcements Jan 2026 Immigration Enforcement Updates
Jan 2024: The City of Rochester welcomes applications for the Community Building Fund. This fund is all about supporting projects, programs, and events in the city that actively promote equity and inclusion.
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January 23, 2026: RPS Strategic Plan and Goals Review Strategic Plan Goals Review
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January 18, 2026: Collider Foundation Updates Jan 2026 Newsletter: Notes from the Executive Director; Thanks to Our Supporters; Our events; What's New
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January 18, 2026: Lifestyle Wellness 2026 Healthy Brain Community Workshops: strengthen memory and cognitive health
March 2020: Rochester Mayor Proclamation
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January 17, 2026: Restorative Justice Circle Collaboration with RPS
RPS Family Engagement Jan 2026 Intro Gemini Perspectives of PB Op Ed 2025 Restorative Justice Circle Training; RPS Collaboration to improve school attendance 2024 Project Legacy Collaboration References: About Restorative Justices;
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January 13, 2026: Chateau Theatre Upkeep Jan 2026 City Council Study Session
Dec 2025 DMCC Board Meeting Feb 2025 DMCC Board and City Council Proceedings References: AI summary of PB Reporting
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January 13, 2026: Public Transit Sustainability Jan 2026 City Council Study Session
Rochester Public Transit (RPT) is currently operating under financial conditions that are not sustainable over the long term.
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January 13, 2026: Community Education Connector Wanted Connector Description and Application:
A stipend of $2,000 is available to individuals (age 17+) or organizations who are selected |
January 10, 2026: Rochester Cultural Center Grand Opening Announcement
Grand Opening Flyer Photos
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January 07, 2026: Del Webb Senior Housing Jan 5, 2025 City Council Meeting: Request for Actions: Adopting a Resolution approving Major Land Subdivision No. CD2025-042PLAT, by Pulte Homes of Minnesota LLC, to subdivide approximately 141 acres into 300 residential lots and six outlots.
AI Summary
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January 05, 2026: 1Q 2026 Announcements
Jan 5, 2026: Resolution: Reaffirming Rochester’s Support for its Somali Community and Commitment to Inclusion. 2026 Summer Paid Internship Positions: City Clerk, community Development, Communications & Engagement, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Legislative Affairs, Library Communications, Office of the Mayor, Parks & Recreation , Public Music, Rochester Public Utilities Safety, and Transit & Parking.
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