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The next few weeks are packed with outdoor events worthy of planning for. Here are a few of my picks for getting outside, getting active, or cheering for your favorite athletes in St. Paul. I hope to see you out and about!

June 6: Who needs to travel to some far away, exotic destination for a volunteer vacation when you can get into nature and help spiff things up right here at home? June 6 is National Trails Day and there’s a local service project happening at St. Paul’s Battle Creek Regional Park. You’ll make new friends, feel good about your work, and get free lunch and a free wicking t-shirt. That’s the kind of staycation that’s way cheaper than, say, a volunteer vacation in Cambodia. Pre-registration is required. Contact Mikaela for more details at mkramer@rei.com or at 952-884-4315 x. 203.

June 7: There is a ton to do and see during one of St. Paul’s most festive days of the year—Grand Old Day—but for active types, get involved by signing up for a morning race. Choose from the in-line skate, 8K run, 1/2 mile youth run, or the 5K walk/jog and register here. Sports fans should head to the “Sporting District” between Fairview and Cambridge for interactive games, demos, and/or scrimmages by the Minnesota Rollergirls, Timberwolves, Minnesota Thunder, St. Paul Saints, and more.

June 10: Get absorbed in the high-speed energy of the Minnesota Bicycle Festival, which starts in St. Paul. Watch pro racers speed by (Mears Park is the best viewing spot) during the evening races. The women’s pro/elite race (40 laps) starts at 6 p.m.; the men’s race (45 laps) at 7:40 p.m. More info on the pro races is here. If you have kids under 12 who are budding racers, bring their bikes and helmets and sign them up for the Hoigaard’s Tour de Kids, which starts at 7:15 p.m.

June 13: REI is hosting its free Paddle Demo Day at Ft. Snelling State Park. Whether you’re a novice or a pro-paddler, you’ll find something at this Snelling Lake event. You can test boats and accessories, and get paddling tips from REI staff. Just bring a snack, water, and dress for getting wet. REI provides the boats, personal flotation devices (PFDs), paddles, plus a 15 percent off coupon good for the purchase of a full-price boat in case your passion for paddling is ignited. More info here.

June 14: The Happy Trails Family Nature Club is hosting a family walk at Crosby Farm Regional Park from 10 a.m.-Noon. The walk starts along a paved forest trail and goes to a soft, sandy beach along the Mississippi River. Happy Trails says about the event, “We will spend the majority of our outing playing and relaxing in this beautiful area on the beach.  Kids will love testing their skills as they climb the bent-down-low trees in this area.” Feel free to bring a picnic! Meet near the pavilion in the first parking lot.

Now you have no excuse for hiking your same-old, well-worn trail or worse, getting stuck inside. Put on your hiking, running, walking or biking shoes and get out to enjoy the abundant active life that St. Paul has to offer!