Local Democrats will soon have new headquarters.

The Mower County DFL Party will host the grand opening July 10 of its party headquarters at Oak Park Mall in Austin. The event will double as the annual picnic, with hot dogs, brats and chips served from 4:30 to 7 p.m. The Mower DFL encourages all to come join the celebration. The monthly party meeting will follow.

“The idea is to let people know that we’re there,” said Wanda Lunning, Mower County DFL co-chair. She said a free will donation will be accepted during the event.

Volunteers will staff the headquarters until the end of the election cycle in November and will be available to answer questions, take donations, and assist constituents in supporting local, state and national candidates. They’re willing to speak to anyone who would like to stop by, regardless of whether they support the DFL, Lunning said.

“If they want to discuss politics, we are certainly willing to discuss politics,” she said.

While the headquarters is not required to be open the same hours as the mall, Lunning said it will focus on having volunteers available as much as possible as elections draw nearer.

The Mower DFL has also planned events during the upcoming months to educate voters on ballot issues, candidate positions, and the DFL party platform. Volunteers will also operate a DFL booth at the Mower County Fair, where they can provide general DFL and candidate information to the public.

Lunning said the meeting, which starts at 7 p.m., will be brief and focus on filling three positions in the party. Those who come for the grand opening and picnic are welcomed to stay for the meeting.

“The Mower County DFL Executive Committee has two openings for female directors and one female director vacancy,” she said. The openings have been available since the county DFL convention in March, while the vacancy designates a gap left by someone who resigned from director position after the convention.

In line with the party’s Affirmative Action Statement, special consideration will be given to interested females that are young or from Mower County minority groups, Lunning said. Interested females must be 16 or older and willing to exclusively support endorsed democratic candidates. Contact Lunning at 507-219-0331 or welunnin@msn.com or talk to any executive board member at the event to get involved.