Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

To new businesses opening in Albert Lea.

All you have to do is drive around Albert Lea to see that there are several new businesses that will soon be opening in Albert Lea, along with other locations where renovations are underway.

Whether it is a vacant gas station that has a new owner, new restaurants or stores at the strip malls near Walmart or a new restaurant going in at the strip mall in front of North Bridge Mall, we’re pleased to see there’s a level of new business activity happening in the community right now.

Some of these people are residents in the community, but several are people who are coming in from outside of Albert Lea and who are investing in the city.  Whatever the case, we thank all of those who are investing in the community, and we hope people remember to support these new establishments once they are up and running.

To new events being planned through the Albert Lea Convention and Visitors Bureau.

We are excited to see the new events that are being planned in the community through the Albert Lea Convention and Visitors Bureau and other organizations.

The CVB sent out its monthly newsletter this week containing dates with some new events — along with some favorites that will happen again.

The first was the Taste of Albert Lea, an outdoor food festival, slated for today from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Central Park.

After that is Fall Frenzy on Fountain, sponsored by the Albert Lea Economic Development Agency, scheduled for 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sept. 28, which will also feature food trucks and live music.

On Oct. 9 will be the Shop Sip-n-Stroll with participating stores downtown, and on Oct. 28 will be the Halloween Spooktacular.

We thank those who go out of their way to plan fun events for us all to enjoy, and we hope everyone will take advantage of the opportunities.

To new community billboards promoting Albert Lea to passersby on the interstate.

Thank you to all of the entities who helped erect new billboards on Interstate 35 to welcome people to Albert Lea. The billboards promote the historic downtown shopping district and the outdoor adventures available in the community. 

We hope these signs encourage people to hop off the interstates and explore the beautiful community that we have here.

We’ve heard many people throughout the years say they never knew how beautiful Albert Lea was because they had only driven through it on the interstate.

If people would just get off the interstate and drive further into the community, they’d get a better taste of the beauty we have here.

This is one of the ways we can encourage people to do that.