Sofya Gulyak, the first woman to win the Leeds International Piano Competition, will perform 7:30 p.m. Feb. 12 in the Escher Auditorium at the Benedicta Arts Center of the College of Saint Benedict.

The holiday season is quickly approaching, and with a wide variety of activities happening in the coming months, the Independent Review would like to help navigate the festivities. Through Nov. 20, we will be taking event submissions for an events calendar to be published in the Dec. 3 print edition of the Independent Review.

Fences often merit little thought in day-to-day life. Whether they’re chain link, barbed wire or the iconic white picket fences, they rarely get more than a passing glance.

The Cokato Museum and Historical Society recently opened its fall display, The Weavings of Charles Benson.

This display features nearly two-dozen hand-woven rugs by Benson, a Cokato native. Many of the rugs are made from recycled materials such as chenille bedspreads, flannel sheets, and even bath towels.

Also featured is a reproduction of a late 19th century Norwegian coverlet that belongd to a relative of the Benson family. To make the reproduction as authentic as possible, Benson ordered yarn from Norway that was an almost perfect match for the original coverlet.

Submit a photo in one of the five contest categories — fishing, wildlife, scenic, active recreation, humorous or unusual observation — by Monday, Nov. 16. Photos will be posted on the CROW's Web site. Photos must have been taken between May 1 and Oct. 31, 2009. One first-place winner will be chosen in each of the five categories. Winners will receive a prize of $50. Multiple entries are accepted. For more details and entry forms, visit online at www.crowriver.org, or call CROW at (763) 682-1933, ext. 112.

This year’s Hutchinson Arts and Crafts Festival will feature 124 vendors using a total of 154 booth spaces. Thirty-three vendors are new to the juried show including Hutchinson vendors woodworker John Lietz and Starrla Cray of Copper Creek Pottery.

With the downturn in the economy, Megan Peterson, marketing specialist at the Hutchinson Chamber CVB, said the arts and crafts industry has been experiencing a shift this year.

The Labor Day weekend Meeker County Advertiser includes a monthly Motorbuys section with more than 500 cars, trucks, campers, boat and vehicles for sale,