News Flash

OVAL opening delayed due to warm temps, Cedarholm Golf Course still open

Roseville Parks and Recreation staff are making some scheduling adjustments in response to this week’s unseasonably warm temperatures.

Cedarholm Golf Course will remain open this week. Come out and enjoy our community's beautiful 9-hole golf course. Please make a tee time by booking online. Golfers may also call our Pro Shop to make reservations at 651-633-8337.

Unfortunately, th...

Roseville Celebrates Award for Excellence in Natural Resources Management

Nature lovers can explore forests, prairies, wetlands, and shoreline habitat all within the City of Roseville’s 680 acres of parks and open space.

That’s by design! Parks and city leaders have prioritized habitat restoration and preservation for more than a decade.  

Now, Roseville Parks and Recreation has been recognized for its Natural Resources Management Plan with an a...

New art class designed for adult nature lovers sparks creativity

A new class is inspiring a group of residents to explore the wild beauty of Roseville's Parks and then channel those observations and the emotions they evoke into works of art.

“Art Night in Nature” is offered at the Harriet Alexander Nature Center about one Saturday a month for adults interested in exploring their creative side. 

The class is taught by mixed media artist and retired art teacher Sheila Elie, who now moon...

Roseville Parks irrigation expert has deep roots in the community

Roseville Parks and Recreation staffer Michael Gauger keeps Roseville’s parks and playing fields lush and green all summer long.

Michael maintains the city’s 16 irrigation systems, which include more than 250 water valves and more than 1,400 irrigation heads. He also works on the park’s electrical systems and other projects. 

“Working outside m...

Roseville gymnast now guides young athletes

Ali Handford understands the practice and perseverance required to compete as a gymnast. She was on Roseville Parks and Recreation’s competition team for 6 years. Her strongest event was the uneven bars.

Ali now relies on that experience to coach gymnastics for Roseville. 

“It’s cool to see gymnastics through both of those lenses. I love being around kids, and I love seeing them try new skills,” Ali said.  

Al...

Longtime dance instructor helps her students tap into community

On Friday mornings for the past 30 years, Angel Benes has taught senior adult tap dance for Roseville Parks and Recreation.

Angel demonstrates the proper tap and brush steps to her students and teaches them playful dance routines to crowd-pleasing classics including “Big Spender” and “Mack the Knife.” 

But this group of women, wh...

Figure skating coach who learned to skate in Roseville guides a new generation

Vanessa Anderson first ventured onto the ice at the Roseville Skating Center at the age of three. The young figure skater charmed the crowd at her first Roseville Ice Show, performing to “Teddy Bear” by Elvis Presley.

“I fell in love with the sport. I made a bunch of friends. It was my second home growing up and a big part of my childhood,” said Vanessa, who skated competitively through high school 

She’s now teaching a new generation, including her own 8-year-...

Love of nature sparks passion in Roseville volunteer

Stop by the nature center or arboretum at Roseville’s Central Park, you’re likely to run into Bill Kroona, planting flowers, trimming trees, or helping out with a community event.

Bill is a longtime Roseville resident and one of the city’s more dedicated volunteers, who specializes in nurturing our community’s natural areas.  

“I’ve always had a passion for gardening and nature,” said Bill, who studied forestry in college, ...

Rosefest Golden Rose Medallion discovered at Keya Park

Congratulations to college students Julia and Lauren, who found the 2025 Rosefest Golden Rose Medallion on the playground at Keya Park.

The pair of Roseville roommates discovered the medallion, worth more than $1,200 in prizes, on Wednesday after deciphering the first two clues.

The clue that day referred to “the heart of Roseville,” which helped them narrow their searc...

Roseville Rolls Out a New Puppet Wagon!

Roseville’s crew of zany puppets has a new souped-up ride for a fresh season of storytelling and fun!

The Roseville Parks and Recreation Department has unveiled its new Puppet Wagon. A generous donation from Friends of Roseville Parks helped cover the cost of the new vehicle.  

The new puppet wagon is fashioned from a used converted box truck cove...

Childhood Gymnastics Class Springboards a Lifelong passion

Kristy Phillipi’s parents enrolled their 3-year-old daughter into the City of Roseville’s gymnastics program because they thought it would help her develop balance, strength and the fundamentals needed for other sports.

Quickly, Kristy realized gymnastics was “her sport.”

"I fell in love with it,” said Kristy, who went on to win state championships as part of both the Roseville Area High School and club teams.  

Today, Kristy is ...

Rosefest 2025 - A Celebration of Roseville!

Our city’s signature celebration will run from June 23-29 and will include the Rose Parade, Run for the Roses, Taste of Rosefest, entertainment, and much more! Don't miss Party in the Park and fireworks finale, which will be held on Saturday, June 28!

Monday, June 23

33rd Annual Rose Parade6:15pm A Roseville tradition like no other!

Tuesday, June 24

Touch-A-Truck & Kids Garage Sale 5-7pm Central Park Dale Street Athletic Fields – Sensory-Friendly event from 5-5:30pm

Golden Rose Medal...

U of M basketball coach, state champion runner to lead 2025 Rose Parade

University of Minnesota Men’s Basketball Coach Niko Medved and Minnesota Cross-Country State Champion and All-American Robert Mechura will serve as grand marshals for the 2025 Rose Parade.

Both men grew up in Roseville, graduated from Roseville Area High School, and have accepted the Rose Parade Committee’s invitations to represent their hometown.  

The pair will lead the parade, which will include nine marching bands with...

Rose Parade: Battle of the Bands!

Nine marching bands made up of nearly 700 high school students will compete for top honors at this year’s Rose Parade, which kickstarts Rosefest 2025.

Upbeat songs, fancy footwork, exciting props, and other creative flourishes will delight the crowd. Behind the scenes, a panel of eagle-eyed and keen-eared judges from the Tri-State Judging Association will be scoring all elements of the performances. &am...

Northwestern students help with buckthorn removal

Students from the University of Northwestern dived into some important restoration work at Langton Lake Park on Thursday.

Student volunteers cut and removed invasive buckthorn at the 53-acre park on the north side of the city as part of their school’s Day of Prayer and Service.  Removing the invasive trees is part of a larger Natural Resources Management Plan, which...

Roseville Mom Finds Sweet Success Making Maple Syrup, Teaching Others the Craft

Amy and Tony Perkins moved into their mid-century Roseville home in 2015, surrounded by a huge yard with five majestic maple trees. Former middle school French teacher Amy later realized those trees had untapped potential.

"Both of my kids attended early childhood education and preschool at nearby Tamarack Nature Center. One year I went through their maple curriculum three times in a row,” Amy explained. “By the third time, I was like: This isn&...

Dates Set for Rosefest 2025!

Celebrate the start of summer with friends and neighbors at Rosefest 2025!

Our city’s signature celebration runs from June 23-29 and will include the Rose Parade, Run for the Roses, Taste of Rosefest, theatrical and musical entertainment, and much more!?Party in the Park on Saturday, June 28 will feature live bands, inflatables,...

Spring Tree Sale Opens March 7

Back by popular demand, The City of Roseville is hosting a Spring Tree Sale! The sale is a win-win for residents, the community, and its nonprofit partner.

The city, in partnership with the nonprofit Tree Trust, will offer nine species of trees to residents at discounted prices. Species available are: 

• Serviceberry 
• Redbud 
• Ironwood 
• Whitespire Birch 
• Bur Oak ...

City Moves Forward with Plan to Restore, Preserve Wild Spaces

The City of Roseville is moving forward with a new long-range plan to ensure that our parks remain healthy, beautiful, and biologically diverse spaces for all residents to enjoy.

The City Council approved the Natural Resources Management Plan in November, which calls for the preservation and restoration of forested areas, wetlands, and prairie including oak savanna in Roseville’s nearly 680 acres of parks and open space....

Caution: Thin Ice at Central Park

Central Park visitors need to be aware of thin ice on Bennett Lake this winter.

The City of Roseville uses an underwater aeration system to support the fish population throughout the winter months. The system increases the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water, which supports the lake’s sunfish, bluegills, and bass popula...

Seasonal Lights Bring Back the Sparkle at John Rose MN OVAL

After a 5-year hiatus, the City of Roseville is excited to announce the return of seasonal lights at the John Rose MN OVAL.

City leaders would like to thank the Friends of the OVAL Foundation, their presenting sponsor McGough Construction, and other donors who contributed to make relighting the OVAL possible.? 

“The OVAL is already a one-of-a-kind skating experience, b...

Central Park Light Fixtures Darkened After Copper Theft

Thieves targeted Roseville’s Central Park over the weekend stripping copper wiring from 27 outdoor light poles and the circuit between them.

The theft was reported on Saturday, November 16. The thieves stripped fixtures that illuminate the trail around Lake Bennett, which is located between Lexington Ave. and Victoria St. Lighting will not be useable until repairs are completed.

Roseville Polic...

Roseville Welcomes Sunset Park

The City of Roseville’s newest green space will be called Sunset Park referencing its location on the western edge of the city.

The City Council approved the name at a joint meeting with the Parks and Recreation Commission on Sept. 16. 

The City is developing the new neighborhood park as part of the city’s ongoing commitment to providing public green space within walking d...

Public Art Coming to Harriet Alexander Nature Center

Nationally acclaimed Mosaic Artist Lori Green has been working on several mosaic cairns made up of thousands of individual tiles.

Each cairn features plants and animals that represent the marsh, prairie, and forest that make up Central Park's 52-acre nature preserve, Harriet Alexander Nature Center (HANC).

Cairns are eye-catching landmarks built to mark trails and significant locatio...

Thank you for joining us for Rosefest Party in the Park + Fireworks on June 29. See you next year!

Rosefest 2024 was a huge success. Thousands participated in more than a dozen events this year including the Rose Parade, Run for the Roses, medallion hunt, live music, golf, pickleball, disc golf tournaments, and an epic party at Central Park!

Festivities kicked off Monday, June 24 with the 32nd Annual Rose Parade featuring marching bands from across the state as well as dozens of local nonprofits, businesses, and community boosters. 

The fun continued on Tuesday with the Touch-A-Truck ...

Meet the 2024 Golden Rose Medallion Hunt winners + this year's clues decoded!

Adventure-loving siblings Brooke, James & Zeke scoured eight parks in search of this year's medallion. On day three, these young seekers discovered it tucked inside the epic adventure tale "Treasure Island" in Pioneer Park!

The Roseville family has won a prize package valued at more than $1,200.  Thank you to local community businesses who contributed to this fun family event as part of Rosefest 2024!

This is the second year the siblings searched for the medallion.&a...

Longtime Roseville Big Band director to make his final curtain call

Roseville Big Band leader Glen Newton is retiring this summer after leading the group for nearly 35 years.

Roseville Big Band leader Glen Newton was tapping out tunes on the piano before most youngsters could read. 

Glen’s mother taught her precocious son to play at age 4.

“We had two pianos in the house. Mom and I played two-piano numbers together a lo...

Meet the 2024 Rose Parade Grand Marshals!

This year, longtime volunteer Lorraine Hansen and retired Roseville Parks and Recreation Director Lonnie Brokke will lead the 32nd Annual Rose Parade starting at 6:15 p.m. on Monday, June 24. The parade officially kicks off Rosefest 2024!

Lorraine Hansen booked the bands adding music and fun to Rose Parade

For more than three decades, Roseville resident Lorraine Hansen worked behind the scenes to weave more melody and movement into Rosefest’s Annual Rose Parade. 

Hansen served as th...

New campsite play area opens at Harriet Alexander Nature Center

Explore the basics of camping - minus the bugs!

A new indoor campsite play area is now open at Harriet Alexander Nature Center. 

The interactive play area includes a full-size tent, sleeping bags, a play campfire, foam logs, toy lanterns, binoculars, camping gear, and even play s’more...

Help Name Roseville’s New Park

The City of Roseville is building a new park on the western edge of the city and residents are invited to help name this new community green space.

The Roseville Parks and Recreation Commission is seeking name suggestions for the .8-acre neighborhood park at 2381 County Road B. The Parks and Recreation Commission will compile a list of suggestions and recommend a new park name to the City Council lat...

OVAL Named the Best Ice Skating Rink in the Nation!

Roseville’s own John Rose Minnesota OVAL went head-to-head with some of the most iconic ice rinks in the country - and we iced the competition!

The OVAL is the winner in the 2023 USA TODAY 10Best Readers' Choice travel award contest for Best Ice Skating Rink. 

The OVAL finished first, beating out 9 other nominees there were selected by an expert panel. The public was then asked to vote fo...

Ask a Naturalist: How do different animals survive our harsh Minnesota winters?

Did you know Harriet Alexander Nature Center (HANC) has a team of naturalists who lead tours, host hands-on classes, and help make visits more educational and enjoyable?

We asked Nature Center Supervisor and Naturalist Deon Haider, how do different animals survive our harsh Minnesota winters? 

Deon: It depends on the type of animal. Reptiles like Frank, our nature center’s resident painted turtle, are cold-blooded...

Meet the OVAL’s New Ice Technician and Zamboni Driver

Each winter, thousands of ice skaters glide around the Guidant John Rose MN OVAL, North America's largest sheet of outdoor refrigerated ice located right here in Roseville.

Taylor Driesen is the city’s new ice arena maintenance staff member working behind the scenes making sure the experience goes smoothly. 

She is one of three ice technicians, overseeing putting in the ice in mid-November. She maintains and monitors...

New Playground is the Final Touch of Keya Park’s Transformation

One of Roseville's neighborhood parks has a new look and feel to match its new name!

This month, community members, including families and children, and parks staff installed Keya Park's new green, tan and blue play structures.

Keya means turtle in the Dakota language and the playground embraces that theme. The imaginative new pla...

Acclaimed Mosaic Artist to Create Towering Art Installations at Harriet Alexander Nature Center

The mid-morning sun filters into mosaic artist Lori Greene’s colorful Snelling Avenue studio.

Lori gazes down at her latest work in progress on the table in front of her: a beautiful doe and her fawn created with hundreds of precisely placed ceramic tiles.

With the help of a generous donor, the City of Roseville has commissioned the acclaimed mosai...

75 Years of Roseville: The History of The Guidant John Rose MN OVAL

Late Governor Rudy Perpich dreamed of Minnesota hosting the winter Olympics. To make that goal a reality, Minnesota needed world-class sports facilities.

That’s how Roseville's Guidant John Rose MN OVAL was first conceived in the 1980s. Perpich, in pursuit of the 1996 U.S. Olympic bid, urged lawmakers to help fund a series of sport facilities including a state-of-the-art national speedsk...

Volunteer Nurtures the Next Generation of Bluebirds

Peter Evans is bursting with the pride of a new parent as he sets out on a hike through Reservoir Woods to check on some of the park’s newest hatchlings.

The retired teacher is monitoring and tending to a dozen bluebird houses tucked into the grassland areas of the 120-acre natural area. He checks weekly to see which houses have attracted families of bluebirds. He started in the spring counting courting co...

Roseville Parks and Recreation Offers New Inclusion Services Program

The City of Roseville will partner with a Twin Cities nonprofit to ensure children and adults of all abilities can more fully participate and enjoy recreational programs.

Starting this spring, the city has contracted with the nonprofit Reach for Resources to provide individual support services for people with disabilities. The service is free of charge.

“The benefit to residents is that we are offering inclusive ...

Local Groups Bring Roseville Parks and Recreation to the Next Level

For decades, a trio of grassroots nonprofits have worked hand in hand with the city to nurture Roseville’s parks and recreation facilities, helping to fund critical improvements and add creative flourishes to the city’s greenspace.

Stroll the elevated boardwalk through the city’s nature preserve. Take in Roseville’s “Blooming Boulevard,” a breathtaking sweep of 7,000 flowers along Central Park’s Lexington Avenue entrance. Plan a playdate at the city’s new inclusive playground in Cen...

City to Plant 1,500 Trees to Counter Emerald Ash Borer Destruction

The invasive emerald ash borer, a metallic green beetle with a menacing appetite, has doomed millions of ash trees in the United States and in Minnesota.

In response to the pest, the City of Roseville has launched a multi-pronged approach that includes planting 1,500 trees. That’s 40 percent more than the 900 public ash trees in parks and along boulevards slated for removal.

“We are repl...

Keya Park Chosen as New Name for Pocahontas Park

Keya means turtle in the Dakota language and it's now the new name for a Roseville neighborhood park.

In February, the City Council voted to rename the 5.7-acre park, formerly called Pocahontas Park, after two years of analysis and robust community engagement. 

Keya (pronounced Kay–Ah) nods to both the land's history and its wildlife. The entire T...

MN OVAL Gets Major Renovations Ahead of 2022 Season

Construction is nearly complete on a $3.9 million planned renovation project at the Guidant John Rose MN OVAL, just in time for the opening of the rink’s 29th season on November 18, 2022.

The project is being funded with State of Minnesota Capital Investment dollars and was developed to update elements of the OVAL that had outlived their useful life. “These renovations ensure that the MN OVAL will continue to be a special recreat...

Help Rename Pocahontas Park

This final list of names for Pocahontas Park has been compiled from a variety of engagement methods throughout the summer and the Roseville Parks and Recreation Commission is seeking feedback from the community.

Click here to view a list of the names that have been suggested.

Please review the list and provide the Commission with feedback on which name(s) you would recommend for the park and why. 

The following elements could be useful for park naming:

• Natu...