It won’t take much effort to find something to do in the area this weekend.

Friday, July 13, 2001

It won’t take much effort to find something to do in the area this weekend. Here are a few ideas:

Say hey in Hayfield

Hayfield celebrates with its annual Hey Days event this weekend. While the four-day event kicked off Thursday night, there’s more tonight and throughout the weekend. There’s a carnival again after 5 tonight with a street dance performance from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. by the Killer Hayseeds. Tournaments will take place Saturday, as well as tractor pulls and a mud bog. Music on Saturday is the Smokin’ Coyotes from 6 to 9 p.m. and the Dweebs from 9:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Saturday. On Sunday, there’s an 11 a.m. community worship service, a 2 p.m. parade and firefighters’ water wars. Call (507) 477-3535 or (507) 477-2626.

Want to see stars?

Each year, the Solafide Observatory holds a star party for amateur astronomers who camp out for two days. The public is invited both evenings to share the viewing of the heavenly bodies. And it’s free, too. To attend the 10th annual event, take Fourth Street SE to County Road 29 south to 42nd Avenue SE. Go west on 42nd Avenue and look for the dome-shaped building on the north side of the road. Call the J.C. Hormel Nature Center at 437-7519 or Keith Snyder at 433-1903.

Join the relay

In communities all across the country, persons who have died of cancer are remembered in events to raise funds for cancer research. These Relay for Life events are staged by American Cancer Society groups on a local basis. This year’s Relay for Life takes place in Austin this weekend, starting with a cancer survivors’ picnic at 5 p.m. today at Mill Pond and finishing up with closing ceremonies at 8 a.m. Saturday. The all-night event is highlighted with the lighting of luminaries along Mill Pond at 8:30 p.m. A total of 35 relay teams will participate in this year’s event. Call Kathy or Gary Grant at 433-5180.

Ride your bike

Prairie Visions’ third annual Shooting Star Trail bike ride begins at 8:30 a.m. Saturday from St. Peter’s Church in Rose Creek. Persons taking part in the ride have their choice of a 19-mile exerciser, 30-mile workout, 52-mile farm and city tour or a 6-mile fun ride. All rides are on blacktop county roads with low traffic. There is an entry fee to participate. Call 433-7571 or 433-9615.

Get listed: Want to have your event listed in next Friday’s Weekend Watch? Drop off the information at our offices at 310 Second St. NE; mail it to Weekend Watch, Austin Daily Herald Newsroom, P.O. Box 578, Austin, Minn. 55912-0578; fax to 437-8644; or e-mail to chuck.gysi@austindailyherald.com.