How to Stay Active in Edina
The tail end of summer can only mean one thing: It’s time for Edina’s annual Fall Into the Arts Festival, a cornerstone of the community that celebrates the bridge season with more than 235 featured artists and booths full of fantastic work. This year’s two-day run (September 7-8) marks the event’s monumental 20th anniversary, signaling the strength of a longtime partnership between the Edina Crime Prevention Fund — a supporter of police safety programs and equipment — and such like-minded local organizations as the Edina Chamber of Commerce, Edina Art CenterandCentennial Lakes Park.
It’s not the only incredibly popular event or public activity hosted at Centennial Lakes Park, either. Depending on the time of year, it also offers everything from paddle boats and promenade walks to putting greens surrounded by ponds, sand traps, boulders and planter beds. And then there’s what happens over the winter: when a 10-acre lake is turned into a shiny ice rink for skaters of all skill levels and ages.
Looking for even more ways to stay active in Edina? Here’s a short list of local businesses and outdoor spaces that keep the south Minneapolis suburb moving….
Lift some weights (and your spirits) at Life Time’s most luxe gym.
Life Time didn’t just open another place to work out when the Chanhassen-based gym chain unveiled its Southdale Center location in late 2019. Aside from having more than enough well-maintained machines to keep that heart rate kicking, the $43 million, 204,000-square-foot space includes a beach club, pro-level basketball and pickleball courts, and a sauna, whirlpool and steam room for winding things down at the end of the day. Join the waitlist for new members here.
Tackle some bike trails.
The wetlands and woodlands stretch of the Nine Mile Creek Regional Trail that connects Edina to Hopkins, Minnetonka and Richfield isn’t the only pedal-to-the-pavement option within the city. Braemar Park recently opened several new stretches of a mountain biking system that will weave its way through eight miles of meticulously restored nature once it’s fully wrapped. Be sure to follow Edina Parks and Recreation’s Facebook page or Better Together Edina for the latest trail maps and segment closures due to construction or weather conditions.
Hit a hole-in-one.
Speaking of Braemar Park, its Championship 18 became the first public course of its kind within Minnesota in more than a decade when its fresh open fairways, six tee boxes, and dynamic bunker designs were opened in 2019.
According to Braemar Golf Association board member Pacy Erck, the $7.5 million project is “beautifully built for every type of player.” That goes for everything from hundreds of newly planted trees and wetlands to lovingly restored oak savannah.
It’s not Braemar’s only draw for golfers, either; the park also includes the Academy 9 Par 3 course, an enlarged putting green, a slick practice space, and a dome for year-round driving. Book your time at the tee over at braemargolf.com, and stock up on stellar gear at such nearby shops as Club Champion and PXG.
Entertain the entire family indoors.
On rainy days and cold nights, Edina offers indoor, open skating at Braemar Arena and the ultimate playground experience at Edinborough Park. The latter has been keeping young kids busy since 1993 with a 42,000-square foot facility that’s filled with more than 2,000 plants; a padded, netted and enclosed toddler area; and an incredibly popular Adventure Peak facility that includes a canyon, several different slides, a 30-foot lookout, and a seemingly endless array of climbing and crawling options for kids of all ages.
Need a break without the kids? Hour-long pickleball and lap lane reservations are also available at Edinborough Park here.