Area families shouldn’t have any problem finding something to do this Father’s Day weekend.

Thursday, June 14, 2001

Area families shouldn’t have any problem finding something to do this Father’s Day weekend. From music concerts to car cruises, funny plays to steak frys, this weekend is packed with enough events to keep everyone busy and satisfy a number of different tastes:

Friday, June 15

Kiester Days begins with a steak fry at the Kiester Legion, hosted by the Kiester Lions from 5 to 7:30 p.m. A street dance featuring a DJ and karaoke will be held from 8:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. behind Forever Bermas.

The Eddie Cochran weekend will start with a cruise-in social from 6 to 9 p.m. at Country Inn and Suites. The social includes a release of balloons at 6 p.m., a $3 catered meal from Hy-Vee, and live broadcast by KATE radio.

The fourth annual Prairie Grass Bluegrass Festival begins at Harmony Park Music Garden. The event includes bands with several musical styles: polyethnic Cajun Slamgrass, Hick Hop, traditional bluegrass, funky bluegrass fusion and jug band.

General admission tickets are $35 in advance and $45 at the gate. Overnight camping is included in the ticket price. For more information, or to order tickets, call The Third Stone at (612) 825-6120, or log on to www.harmonypark.com.

Minnesota Festival Theatre will present the comedy &uot;The Nerd&uot; by Larry Shue, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults and $8 for students. The show will be performed at 147 North Broadway. To reserve tickets, call 1-800-944-5260. Box office hours are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday, and one hour before performances.

A teen dance will be held at the Fountain Lake park gazebo from 8 to 11 p.m. with music provided by Uptown Sound. Senior high school students, including incoming ninth-graders and graduated seniors, are welcome to attend. The cost is $4.

KSMQ Public Television will hold a fundraising dance event from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m. at the Jungle, 4712 County Road 45, Owatonna. The event will feature the D.C. Drifters and The Essence of Elvis. Tickets are $14 in advance, and $16 at the door, and can be purchased at Tone Music in Albert Lea or Owatonna, or at the KSMQ-TV studio office, or by calling 1-800-658-2539.

&160;

Saturday, June 16

The seventh annual Young Eagle Flight Rally will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Albert Lea municipal airport. Kids aged 8 to 17, accompanied by parents, can sign up for a free airplane ride at the Young Eagles table near the main hangar. For more information, call 377-2291.

An Albert Lea Lake shoreline cleanup will be held on Saturday, June 16, from 8 a.m. to noon. Those interested in helping are asked to report to the Frank Hall Park (next to the Channel) at 8 a.m. to receive bags and a shoreline assignment. Please wear good, solid walking shoes, and long pants, and bring your own gloves if you have them.

For more information, contact Paul Ehlers at 373-2415. Groups who are unable to participate on June 16, but who would still like to participate in cleaning a section of shoreline, are encouraged to set up their own date for a cleanup, and coordinate this with the Freeborn County Shell Rock Watershed Coordinator, Andy Henschel at the Freeborn County Environmental Services Office at 377-5258.

Glenville United Methodist Church will hold a bake sale from 8 a.m. until the baked goods are gone. Coffee and rolls will be served starting at 8 a.m.

Crossroads Community Hospice will have a Friends of Hospice Walk/Run around Fountain Lake from 9 to 11 a.m. Monies raised will support area bereavement and volunteer programs not covered by Medicare and insurance.

Registration is from 8 to 9 a.m. at the Freeborn County Fairgrounds. For more information, call 377-6393.

The Albert Lea Farmer’s Market will be held in the Wal-Mart Parking lot beginning at 9 a.m. Visitors will find a variety of garden produce items, homemade baked goods, jams and jellies for sale.

A variety of Eddie Cochran weekend events will be held all day at the Freeborn County Fairgrounds, including a fun run, mystery, craft sale, scavenger hunt, concessions, car cruise and dance.

The car cruise will start at 6:30 p.m. at the Freeborn County Fairgrounds. Cars will cruise south on Bridge Avenue to Fountain Street, then go west on Lakeview, then take Richway to the fairgrounds’ north gate.

Kiester will be jammed full of events for Kiester Days, including athletic tournaments and races, music and food stands, an antique tractor pull and swap meet. Events get underway in Kiester Park at 9 a.m., and with a 4 p.m. hog roast at the Farming of Yesteryear site.

The Pelican Breeze will host a live Jazz Cruise on Albert Lea Lake at 4 p.m. Snacks and beverages are available for sale on the boat. Call the Pelican Breeze hot line at 377-5076 for reservations.

Minnesota Festival Theatre presents &uot;The Nerd&uot; at 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, June 17

The seventh-annual Young Eagle Flight Rally continues at the Albert Lea municipal airport. Kids aged 8 to 17, accompanied by parents, can sign up for a free airplane ride at the Young Eagles table near the main hangar. For more information, call 377-2291.

A variety of Eddie Cochran Weekend events will be held all day at the Freeborn County Fairgrounds, including a church service, live DJ, concessions, exhibits and car show.

The &uot;Skipper&uot; Berg Band of Albert Lea will perform a free program from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. at Edgewater park.

Kiester Days continues with a softball tournament on the athletic field, horse and mule show, swap meet and craft show at the Farming of Yesteryear site.

The Albert Lea Festival of Bands parade will begin at 2 p.m. at the corner of Fountain and Washington Streets. Grand Marshall LaVerne Walheim will lead 20 high school bands from Minnesota and Wisconsin in the competitive parade. The Albert Lea schools seventh-grade band will sell cans of pop to benefit the band program.

The parade will proceed from Washington to Pearl Street, then continue North on Broadway until Fountain Street. An awards ceremony and BrassWorks honor band concert will be held immediately following the parade at Central Park.

Minnesota Festival Theatre presents &uot;The Nerd&uot; at 7:30 p.m.