Classes

Join our Pastry Chef Thea to Celebrate Galentine’s Day with a fun and interactive workshop combining the best of sweet and spirited! Join our pastry chef and our bar team for an unforgettable evening of cookie decorating and cocktail mixing.

Start by learning the art of decorating beautiful, delicious cookies with our pastry chef. Then, shake things up as our bar team teaches you how to craft the perfect cocktails to pair with your sweet creations. As a special treat, you’ll leave with your beautifully decorated cookies and a mixer to recreate your cocktail at home. Bring your besties for a night of creativity, laughter, and tasty delights!

Expand knowledge of hand-drumming techniques for djembe and kpanlogo drums, bells, shakers, and stick drums; create full textures of rhythms in traditional West African genres, and how the layers of rhythms work together to create a conversation.

This ensemble meets on Fridays at Christ Lutheran Church (location change!) in Marine on St. Croix from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.

The ensemble is composed of Intro to West African Drumming students and/or those who have attended a community West African Drumming event.

Click HERE to register today!

Prepare for the unexpected with this engaging, hands-on introduction to wilderness medicine, taught over two days. This is a great course for anyone who recreates outdoors whether you are family camping, scouting, solo, or with a group of friends. People of all experience levels will learn Wilderness First Aid, Adult + Pediatric CPR/AED, and patient assessment through hands-on learning. At the end of the course, you will know how to provide effective first-aid treatment for injuries and illnesses common outdoors and how to make evacuation decisions when medical help may be hours or days away.

Class times for both days. You must attend both days to be certified.

SATURDAY, FEB 8 | 8:30AM – 6:00PM
SUNDAY, FEB 9 | 8:30PM – 6:00PM

WHERE: Al & Laurie Hein Visitor Center – CNC Wisconsin Campus | 279 South Cove Road, Hudson WI 54016

GOOD TO KNOW
Class is 16 hours over two days, not including breaks. We’ll have short breaks as well as a lunch break on Saturday. This class is hands-on. You’ll be touching other people and in close proximity of others. Masks are optional. Instruction will be provided through lecture and skills practice. We will be both indoors and outdoors (weather-dependent). You may need to stand, lift, lay down, or kneel. Please reach out and let us know how we can accommodate your needs. All class materials are provided.

Important: Your certification will be based on attendance, class participation, and demonstration of your understanding of the material. You will receive the certificate 2-5 business days after class. The certificate is good for 2 years. This course is for ages 18+.

This course is taught by Red Cross Instructor, Pam Wright. She has over 25 years of experience adventuring outdoors. When she’s not teaching, she works as a wilderness guide in northern Minnesota taking people on remote canoe trips. She also enjoys backpacking, trail running, and winter camping.

Clogging is a fun activity for the whole family and provides great exercise! Learn the basic steps of clogging, along with at least three routines. Modern clogging shows similarities to tap, Irish dancing, and Hip Hop. The last class will be a fun opportunity to showcase your new clogging routines for friends and family!

*The class has four sessions:
January 25, February 1, February 8, and February 15.

Your instructor will provide:

Cue sheets of dances to practice at home

Students are asked to bring:

Wear comfortable clothes and shoes that slide easily. Or, you can purchase a pair of glue-on clogging taps from the instructor for $20. These taps can go on any basic flat-soled shoes. White shoes are preferred.
Water bottle

Skill Level 
No previous dance experience needed.

Age Requirement
Students ages 10 and older are welcome to attend this class. Ages 10-15 must register with another registered adult. Ages 16-17 can register with parent permission, which you can give with an email to [email protected].

Location Details
Marine Mills Folk School
550 Pine Street, Marine on St Croix, MN 55047

Cost Details
Tuition: $40. There is a family rate of $65, so if you would like to sign up 2 or more people in your family, please email [email protected] for a coupon code.
Materials fee: $0 (unless you opt to buy the taps directly from the instructor)

Guided by Minnesota DNR staff, volunteers will work indoors in a facility at the General Andrews Forest Tree Nursery in Willow River to hand pick cones from black spruce limbs. Following this training and collection day, volunteers will be empowered to collect seeds on their own, or join other group collection events in the future.

We will meet at the General Andrews Forest Tree Nursery in Willow River, MN. An introduction to cone collection will be provided indoors by MN DNR staff. There are bathrooms and access to water in the building. The day will be occupied by hand picking cones off pre-cut black spruce limbs in a heated facility. It is suggested for volunteers to bring a water bottle, lunch, warm clothes that are okay to get dirty, waterproof boots, and waterproof gloves.

TS Home Studio is bringing its Candle Pouring Experience to Saint Croix Vineyards!

A Scent Consultant will help you create your very own unique fragrance or choose one of our Signature scents. Our class lead will guide you through each step of the candle-pouring process. The class starts at 2pm and  lasts approximately 30-45 minutes. Enjoy yourself at the winery with wine or non-alcoholic beverages while we wait for your candle to dry!

*All candles require 2 hours to cool following the completion before they are available to take home.

Cost: $50

Includes:

1- Glass of wine or non-alcoholic beverage

1 - 14oz vessel

1- Wood wick, wick clip, & wick sticker

100% Natural soy wax 50-60 fragrance oil options

*No experience necessary

Purchase tickets (sold through TS Home Studio)

In this hands-on session, you’ll learn to elevate your wine knowledge and cocktail-making skills as we explore creative wine-infused cocktails.

What You’ll Learn:

The basics of wine types and flavor profiles
Techniques for mixing wine with spirits
Crafting innovative wine cocktails
How to pair wines with mixers for perfect taste balance
Whether you’re a wine enthusiast or a cocktail connoisseur, this class will inspire you to experiment with new flavors and impress your guests at your next gathering.

Your instructor will provide the following materials:

High-Quality Embroidery Hoop
Embroidery Needle
Threader
Water Soluble Pen
Vintage printed fabric
Embroidery Floss

Students are asked to bring:

Your class is scheduled over a lunch hour, we highly recommend you bring a lunch or click here to learn about local eating opportunities in the area.

Skill Level
Beginner (No prior knowledge of basic skills required to participate).

Age Requirement
Students between the ages of 16-18 may attend without a parent/guardian in attendance as long as MMFS is provided with written permission from a parent or guardian by email to [email protected].

In this three-day class, students will lace snowshoes that will last for generations. The Ojibwe-style snowshoe kit provides Minnesota-made white ash frames, tubular nylon lacing, and an instruction booklet. These traditional snowshoes are more adaptable to differing snow conditions than modern aluminum snowshoes. Taught by Peta Barrett, owner of Women’s Wilderness Discovery based out of Ely, MN, students also learn how to put the finishing touches on their snowshoes at home. Peta will share resource information for purchasing outdoor urethane to finish and protect the snowshoes, tips for maintaining them, and styles of bindings you may wish to purchase in the future.

It is time to learn the art of making Pysanky – Ukrainian decorated eggs! Using beeswax and dyes applied in layers, students will create amazing, beautiful eggs, perfect for special gifts or ornaments. Just think how happy your friends and family will be to receive this handmade gift!

The term ‘pysanky’ is of Eastern European-Slavic heritage, from the words ‘pysaty’ – to write and ‘kraska’ – color. Pysanky suggests ‘things written upon with color,’ which will become clear as students learn the dyeing technique.

Our instructor Laurelei will share some of the history and traditions of Ukrainian egg decorating as she guides students through the process of waxing and creating Ukrainian eggs.

Students are asked to bring:

apron
eyeglasses if needed
As your class is scheduled over a lunch hour, we highly recommend you bring a lunch or click here to learn about local eating opportunities in the area.

Age Requirement
Students ages 12-15 are welcome to attend this class with a registered adult. Ages 16-17 can register with parent permission via email to [email protected].

Skill Level
No experience required.

Location Details
Marine Mills Folk School
550 Pine St., Marine on St. Croix, MN 55047

Cost Details
Tuition: $55
Material Fee: $10
Total Cost: $65

What can you do with old fabric? WEAVE IT into a placemat or table runner. In this class, you will prepare fabric, warp the loom, and weave. This class is designed for any level weaver! Your guide is Lisa Peterson, weaver extraordinaire.

Feel free to bring “fiber” to prepare. Lisa will also have plenty of fiber to share and weave. This will be a full day of fiber fun.

Students are asked to bring:

As your class is scheduled over a lunch hour, we highly recommend you bring a lunch or click here to learn about local eating opportunities in the area.

Skill Level
No experience required.

Age Requirement
Students ages 18 and older are welcome to attend this class.

Location Details
Marine Mills Folk School
550 Pine St., Marine on St. Croix, MN 55047

Cost Details
Tuition: $75
Material Fee: $10
Total Cost: $85

Barn signs or ‘hex signs’ are mostly known today for their decorative purposes, but some believe they were painted by Pennsylvania Dutch farmers to ward off evil spirits or storms, or to bestow blessings and protections on the farm family. Using bright colors and often incorporating a star pattern, these beautiful designs were originally found primarily in southern Pennsylvania, a region settled by farmers from the Rhineland area of Germany.

Create a unique handmade gift for friend or family, or a beautiful decoration for your own barn or home. Participants will design and paint their own barn art in the folk tradition of the Pennsylvania Dutch. The class will include examples, tips, techniques, materials to produce three signs. One sign is primed hard board and is about 2 feet square and will be durable for outdoor mounting or suitable for use indoors. Another is a square streched canvas more suitable for indoor hanging and the third is a 16″ square piece of canvas paper that can be used depending on how you mount for indoor/outdoor use.

Students are asked to bring:

work apron
As your class runs over the lunch hour, we highly recommend you bring a lunch or click here to learn about local eating opportunities.

Skill Level
No experience required.

Age Requirement
Students ages 18 and older are welcome to attend this class.

Location Details
Marine Mills Folk School
550 Pine St. Marine on St. Croix, Minnesota, 55047

Cost Details
Tuition: $70
Materials Fee: $30
Total Cost: $100

Learn the art of stained glass design and building with John Hanson, owner of Longfellow Soap Company, who has been designing, making, repairing, and restoring antique stained glass windows for 23 years. All tools and materials will be provided and each student will take home a small window.

You will learn how to make, cut, and use patterns, cut and grind glass, tape your glass with copper foil, solder your glass, add patina to color the solder, finish the edges with a zinc border, and clean and polish the finished window. He will also discuss how to frame your window with wood.

Please wear hard toe shoes and long sleeved top. No fleece or sweaters that can catch glass chips as you cut.

Your instructor will provide the following:

John is partnering with Potekglass in NE Minneapolis to provide a beginners tool kit and has a great selection of glass, zinc, copper foil, solder, and grinders for your future projects. Tool kit is sold at Potekglass store only.

Students are asked to bring the following materials:

Safety glasses
As your class is scheduled over a lunch hour, we highly recommend you bring a lunch or click here to learn about local eating opportunities in the area.

Age Requirement
Students ages 12 and older are welcome to attend this class. Ages 12-15 must register with another registered adult. Ages 16-17 can register with parent permission (by an email to [email protected]).

Skill Level 
No experience needed.

Location Details
Marine Mills Folk School
550 Pine St., Marine on St. Croix, MN 55047

Cost Details
Tuition: $120
Material Fee: $30
Total Cost: $150

Let’s tell a story through painting!  You can choose your own personal story or a story that the instructor shares, and get ideas and guidance on how to turn it into a painting. You will explore themes and ideas along with how to paint with these ideas from your mind to the canvas. Your instructor will be in touch before the first class, to help you prepare for what you are going to paint when they get to the workroom.

Your instructor will provide the following:

Paint, canvas and brushes – everything you need!

Age Requirement
Students ages 13 and older are welcome to attend this class. Ages 13-15 must register with another registered adult. Ages 16-17 can register with parent permission (by an email to [email protected]).

Skill Level 
No experience needed.  Please come with kindness and an open mind, and a willingness to play and have fun!

Location Details
Marine Mills Folk School
550 Pine St., Marine on St. Croix, MN 55047

Cost Details
Tuition: $60
Material Fee: $15
Total Cost: $75

Come join local herbalist Heather Mashuga for a hands-on elderberry syrup-making class. Elderberry syrup is a must-have, especially through the colder months! Elderberries are known for their immune-boosting and anti-viral properties. They reduce the duration of colds and flus, as well as the symptoms experienced. They are also packed full of other benefits like clearing mucous, reducing inflammation, and promoting proper circulation. Elderberries are a rich source of vitamins A and E, which help your body maintain optimal health.

You will learn how to make elderberry syrup, about the combined medicinal properties of the herbs used, and how to identify and harvest elderberries. We will also go over herbs and tips for winter health.

Each student will leave with handouts and their own bottle of elderberry syrup.

Students are asked to bring

If your class is scheduled over a lunch hour, we highly recommend you bring a lunch or click here to learn about local eating opportunities in the area.

Skill Level
No experience needed.

Age Requirement
Students ages 18 and older are welcome to attend this class.

Location Details
Marine Mills Folk School
550 Pine St., Marine on St. Croix, Minnesota 55047

Cost Details
Tuition: $45
Materials Fee: $25
Total Cost: $70

Pre-registration required – Call 651-437-4359 or register ONLINE HERE

Location: 12805 St. Croix Trail S., Hastings, MN 55033

Program Fee: $10 per person / $8 for ‘Friends of CNC’

Join CNC Orchardist Sam Behrends for a classroom presentation covering everything you need to know to get started growing apple trees or taking care of the ones you already have. Topics covered will include planning considerations, tree selection, planting, early care, pest management, seasonal maintenance, and pruning.

Program is offered: MN visitor center – Monday, February 24 5:30-7:30pm | WI visitor center – Monday, March 3rd 5:30-7:30pm

This event, presented in partnership with Sustainable Stillwater's Bird City Work Group, offers a unique opportunity to learn from one of the region's most experienced and well-known birding experts.

Kyle, based in Stillwater, Minnesota, has dedicated his life to studying and sharing the wonders of birds. With a Master’s in Education from the University of Minnesota and a career that includes positions with the National Audubon Society, National Park Service, and the University of Minnesota, Kyle’s knowledge of local and national bird species is extensive. He launched Next Bend Birding Tours in 2016, providing tours throughout Minnesota and beyond, drawing clients from around the world. Kyle’s expertise has earned him recognition in major publications such as the Star Tribune and New York Times.

A passionate advocate for sustainability, Kyle is also the only bird guide in the U.S. certified as a Green Business. His experience in environmental education, research, and bird conservation will inspire and inform attendees of all levels. Whether you're a seasoned birder or a curious beginner, this event will deepen your appreciation for Washington County's avian residents.

Location: Margaret Rivers A&B, Stillwater Public Library

Event Partners:

Bird City Stillwater Workgroup

Stillwater Public Library

Next Bend Birding

Don't miss this chance to discover the incredible diversity of birds that share our community!

Pre-registration required – Call 651-437-4359 or register ONLINE HERE

Location: 12805 St. Croix Trail S., Hastings, MN 55033

Program Fee: $10 per person / $8 for ‘Friends of CNC’

Join CNC Orchardist Sam Behrends for a classroom presentation covering everything you need to know to get started growing apple trees or taking care of the ones you already have. Topics covered will include planning considerations, tree selection, planting, early care, pest management, seasonal maintenance, and pruning.

Program is offered: MN visitor center – Monday, February 24 5:30-7:30pm | WI visitor center – Monday, March 3rd 5:30-7:30pm

Pre-registration required – Call 651-437-4359 or register ONLINE HERE.

Location: 12805 St. Croix Trail S., Hastings, MN 55033

Program Fee: $15 per person / $10 for ‘Friends of CNC’

Join CNC Orchardist Sam Behrends for a hands-on pruning workshop in the CNC orchard. Pruning techniques will be briefly covered indoors, then participants will move outside to the orchard to try their hands at the pruning techniques they just learned. Participants are encouraged to bring their hand pruners and loppers, a limited quantity are available to use. Sanitization of tools is required, sanitizer will be provided. Participants should be prepared to be outside in the weather of the day. Participation in the Apple Tree Care workshop ahead of time is encouraged, but not required.

Program is offered: MN – Sunday, March 23rd and 30th

Pre-registration required: Register Online or RSVP to Jen Vieth at [email protected].

Location: Online ZOOM presentation – Link sent upon registration

Program Fee: This event is FREE, but donations to one or both of the non-profit organizations are encouraged.

Co-hosted by the Minnesota Ornithologists’ Union and Carpenter Nature Center

Learn about Minnesota birds from the comfort of your home! Join MOU and CNC online for presentations from regional bird experts, passionate birders, and educators. Presentations are 20-25 minutes each with 5-10 minutes of Q&A. Pre-registration for this event is required to receive the zoom link.

Pre-registration required – Call 651-437-4359 or register ONLINE HERE.

Location: 12805 St. Croix Trail S., Hastings, MN 55033

Program Fee: $15 per person / $10 for ‘Friends of CNC’

Join CNC Orchardist Sam Behrends for a hands-on pruning workshop in the CNC orchard. Pruning techniques will be briefly covered indoors, then participants will move outside to the orchard to try their hands at the pruning techniques they just learned. Participants are encouraged to bring their hand pruners and loppers, a limited quantity are available to use. Sanitization of tools is required, sanitizer will be provided. Participants should be prepared to be outside in the weather of the day. Participation in the Apple Tree Care workshop ahead of time is encouraged, but not required.

Program is offered: MN – Sunday, March 23rd and 30th