There is so much ahead for the summer months in Austin, and I want to share with you some dates that you should mark on your calendar.

On June 4-5, there will be the eighth Annual Flea Market held at the Mower County Fairgrounds. The hours will be 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is free, and so is parking. This is sponsored by and as a fundraiser for the Fair. Vendor spaces are still available. Call 507-433-5605 or e-mail mowfair@smig.net.

Wednesday, June 8 is the date of the fourth session of “Cooking Tips and Trends” at the Hormel Historic Home. Sponsored by the HHH, Austin CVB and Community Education, this class will feature chef Jack Erwin, back by popular request. The theme will be “Produce on the Grill & Beyond” The class will be held outside, weather permitting, and chef Jack will present from a large charcoal grill in the beautiful Peace Garden. Heidi Harabi of the Austin Farmers Market will also present a segment, and several Farmers Market vendors will be on hand. The Vendor Expo will be from 5 to 6 p.m. and 8 to 9 p.m., while the class session will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Contact the HHH at 433-4243 for more information.

Saturday, June 18 is the second Annual Austin Family Fun Day. This event is sponsored by the attractions of Austin, Austin CVB, and local Chamber of Commerce, too. The following attractions will have no admission charges and will be open during the hours of 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.:

Mower County Historical Society, Historic Paramount Theatre, Hormel Historic Home, The Hormel Institute, Spam Museum (which will be open regular hours of 10 a.m to 5 p.m. and will be serving Spam samples — during event hours), and the Jay C. Hormel Nature Center. The Nature Center is also hosting their Summer Solstice Ecoblitz and they will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. that day. Pre-registration is required for Ecoblitz activities. Come to Family Fun Day with your kids, grandkids, and others and bring a camera and make lots of fun memories in our featured Austin attractions, all for free.

Before we know it, we will be talking about the Fourth of July and all of the exciting events that go along with that celebration. July is shaping up to be one of our busiest months ever at the Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau. We have several major incoming conventions that month, including the Milwaukee Railroad Historical Association group, the Southern Minnesota Tourism Association, and the Model T Club.

Don’t forget, another major Austin event will be the MS The Ride Across Minnesota bike ride that will bring a thousand-plus bike riders here on July 26 and 27. We still are in need of many volunteers for this fundraiser for multiple sclerosis. A big need yet is host homes for a few of the riders who don’t care to camp at Todd Park nor plan for a hotel stay. We have six riders (one married couple, and four singles) in need of Austin families willing to provide a bedroom for the one overnight. Host homes do receive compensation, which is typically donated back to the MS fundraiser in host cities. If you are interested in being a host home for a rider, or can help us in any way with the TRAM event, please call me at 437-4563.

For the full listing of all upcoming activities in and around Austin, please check out our Calendar of Events on our website at www.austincvb.com. Please check out our Facebook page as Austin Convention & Visitors Bureau, too. As always, you can call us at the Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau office for events and information at 437-4563. Let us know what is happening with your group or organization, so we can help promote it to our visitors. Make the most of all Austin has to offer.