Have you ever wondered why we “deck the halls with boughs of holly” each December or why we light Hanukkah menorahs on midwinter nights? Read on for more about the unknown stories and history behind some of our holiday traditions.

Making apple cider is an annual tradition at Eastman Nature Center, and it is a tradition that goes back thousands of years. Even though hard cider was the drink of choice early in American history, people hardly drink apple cider today, and hard cider is only recently making a resurgence. Why did cider disappear, and how did this affect our parks? 

Did you know that we wouldn't have locally made ice cream, butter, cheese curds and other dairy products if it wasn't for one determined farmer who settled in Carver County in the 1800s? Read on to learn about Minnesota's great dairy tale; alfalfa will never look the same.