A Chanhassen Resident Fighting the Male Loneliness Epidemic

Hey Chanhassen! We've got a lot packed into this one.

We're hiding a $25 Tono Pizzeria gift card somewhere in Chanhassen this week, and the only way to catch the clue is by following our new Instagram — go give us a follow before you forget. Our referral program also just got a serious upgrade, with real local prizes for spreading the word. Avienda's grocery store has finally been announced (spoiler: it's a name you know, with a twist), and this week's Business Spotlight introduces you to a Chanhassen guy on a mission to fight loneliness one blacksmithing class at a time.

Also, be sure to check out today's sponsor, Pique.

What’s Chanhappenin’ This Week

⛅ Weather: Warm all week, with rain chances rising midweek and a soggier Thursday — clearing up again by the weekend

❓Trivia: How much maple sap does it take to make a gallon of syrup?

💰 Treasure Hunt: Will you be this week’s winner?

🔨 Business Spotlight: The Gentlemen's Workshop

🔎 Get Featured: Want your business or event noticed?

📰 Community News: Avienda's grocery store revealed, Community Center groundbreaking, and more

🎁 NEW Referral Rewards: Get paid!

🗓️ This Week in Chanhassen: Pop-up splash pad, Dance for Fun open houses, & the Community Center groundbreaking ceremony

📜 A Little Bit of History: Chanhassen's first settler

📷 Historic Photo: Joseph Vogel

♾️ Weekly Events: Live music, games, & more

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Weather This Week

Chanhassen Trivia

🍁 Chanhassen's name comes from the Dakota word for "sugar maple." Roughly how many gallons of maple sap does it take to boil down into just one gallon of maple syrup?

Scroll down for the answer

Gift Card Treasure Hunt

💰 We're hiding a $25 Tono Pizzeria gift card somewhere in Chanhassen this week — and it's yours if you find it first.

Somewhere within Chanhassen city limits, on public property, we're tucking away a gift card just waiting to be found. First person to spot it keeps it.

The catch? We're only dropping the clue on social media — so if you're not following along there, you'll miss it.

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook now so you don't miss the clue when it drops. Good luck, Chanhassen. 👀

Follow on Instagram
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Business Spotlight

The Gentlemen's Workshop

Ever feel like it's harder to make friends as an adult than it was in your 20s? Chanhassen resident Travis Robertson felt the same way — so he did something about it.

The Gentlemen's Workshop is a free social club for men, built around one simple idea: guys have plenty of friendships, we're just not always great at activating them. So Travis plans the events for you. Think Intro to Blacksmithing, chainsaw ice sculpting, DJ lessons, and knife skills taught by an actual Navy SEAL — the kind of hands-on, slightly-out-there experiences designed to make you (in Travis's words) "wiser, more intriguing, or possibly harder to kill."

Travis started The Gentlemen's Workshop back in 2015, stepped away for a while during some hard years, and brought it back this year after realizing firsthand how much creating real memories with the people around you matters.

Membership is free, and events vary in price. Next up: Intro to Blacksmithing on August 30th at Northstar Forge in Carver.

Curious? Check it out at thegentlemensworkshop.com and go make some new friends who can also, apparently, handle themselves in a knife fight.

Follow along: Instagram · Facebook Group

Get Featured

Own a Chanhassen business, or have an upcoming local event? We've made it easier than ever to get in front of over 1,100 neighbors.

🏪 Business Spotlight — Tell us your story and get considered for an upcoming issue.
Submit your business →

🗓️ Event Submission — Hosting an event in Chanhassen or nearby? Share the details and we’ll get it in front of the community.
Submit your event →

Takes just a couple minutes. No cost.

Community News

www.coborns.com

Coborn's Named as Avienda's Grocery Anchor · The development team behind Avienda held a public meeting last week to unveil an updated site plan, and the headline news is the grocer: Coborn's Market & Table will anchor the development, bringing a newer store concept they've already rolled out successfully in Plymouth — think a food-hall-style setup with a spot called The Buttered Tin mixed in alongside the usual grocery aisles. The updated plan heads to the Planning Commission in September and City Council for final sign-off in October.
Community Center: Bid Package #2 Approved, Groundbreaking Set for Aug. 31 · Contractors submitted 145 bids across 44 work categories for the final phase of construction, and the Council gave it unanimous approval this week. Total project cost now stands at $82.47 million. The building is expected to be substantially finished by late summer 2028. One change worth noting: a private restaurant that was part of earlier plans got cut in favor of more community space and a catering kitchen. The City of Chanhassen is inviting residents to the official groundbreaking ceremony — Monday, August 31 at 4pm, 1351 Bluff Creek Blvd.
Pleasant View Road Headed to Final Design · After a public hearing, Council gave the green light to move this 1.8-mile rehab project forward — resurfacing and safety fixes rather than a full rebuild, keeping the road's country feel intact. Drivers can expect new speed-feedback signs, a reworked Horseshoe Curve, and a few added curb bump-outs. A $340K trail that was on the table got scrapped after neighbors pushed back. If you own property along the route, budget for roughly $5,300 in assessments; crews are slated to be out there May through October 2027. Full recap
Chanhassen Tops the Scale in Regional Food Drive · Out of everyone who took part in this year's Night to Unite Multi-City Food Drive Challenge, Chanhassen brought in more food by weight than any other city. Chaska took home the overall win once food and cash donations were combined. Between Chanhassen, Carver, Chaska, and Victoria, the drive pulled in 6,685 pounds of food and $4,891.10 for Bountiful Basket Food Shelf.
Skip the Parking Lot, Take the Shuttle · SouthWest Transit's shuttle to the Renaissance Festival and State Fair is running again — daily, all day, no parking to fight over. Their BOGO deal is also back, so two people can ride to both events for the price of one ticket. Grab the deal here.

Referral Program

🎉 We just leveled up our referral rewards!

Got a friend, neighbor, or coworker in Chanhassen who needs to know what's happenin' around town? Share your link and start racking up free local prizes:

2 referrals → $5 gift card to The O.G. Coffee & Wine Bar ☕
5 referrals → $10 Chipotle gift card 🌯
10 referrals → $15 to Tono Pizza 🍕 (go big or go home!)

Rewards are reviewed before we send them out, so let's keep it real — we're looking for genuine neighbors, not just names on a list.

The more you share, the more you earn. Let's see who hits 10 first. 👇

(referral link in email version only)

This Week in Chanhassen

Happenin’ This Week

Pop-Up Splash Pad Party · Tuesday August 18 · 5:30–7:30 PM · Market Square Shopping Center · Free · A family-friendly evening downtown with water-themed fun and summer activities. Part of the city's Downtown Summer Lineup, supporting local Market Square businesses during the Market Boulevard Improvement Project construction — a great excuse to cool off, shop local, and grab dinner downtown while you're at it.
Try Before You Join: Dance for Fun Open Houses · Thursday August 20 & Monday August 24 · Chanhassen Recreation Center · Curious about Dance for Fun before committing? Swing by one of the last two open houses before the fall session kicks off September 8. The program leans on more than just choreography — confidence, strength, coordination, and discipline are part of every class — and anyone who signs up for their first class walks away with a free dance bag. See class details
Free Bingo at The O.G. Coffee & Wine Bar · Sunday August 23 · 2:00–3:30 PM · Free · Five rounds of free bingo, with prizes donated by fellow local businesses — gift certificates and goodies, not cash, in the spirit of supporting local. First come, first served and seating is limited, so grab your favorite drink and claim a seat early.
Pizza Nights at the Farm · Tuesdays through September 1st · 5:00–8:00PM · Minnesota Landscape Arboretum · Chef Beth Fisher crafts pre-ordered pizzas with farm-fresh vegetables, greens, and herbs while you relax on the Farm lawns or play yard games. Live music included. Get tickets

Happenin’ Soon

Cars & Caves — British Car Show · Saturday August 29 · 9:00AM–12:00PM · Chanhassen AutoPlex · Free · This month's theme celebrates British marques — MG, Mini, Aston Martin, Jaguar, and McLaren — alongside the usual mix of classic, custom, and exotic vehicles. Explore the AutoPlex's famous garage "Caves" while you're there. Donations benefit a featured local charity. · chanhassenautoplex.com
Community Center Groundbreaking Ceremony · Monday August 31 · 4:00PM · 1351 Bluff Creek Blvd · Free · After three years of planning, referendum approval, and more than a few starts and stops, the city is breaking ground on the new Community Center.

Trivia Answer

About 40 gallons. On average, it takes 40 gallons of sap to make one gallon of maple syrup — though depending on sugar concentration, that can range anywhere from 20 to 100 gallons. Maple sap starts out as mostly water with only about 2% sugar content, which is why it takes so much boiling (and patience) to get to the sweet stuff. 🍁

A Little Bit of History

1852 — The first claim in Chanhassen Township was staked in June 1852 by Joseph Vogel, a German immigrant who'd been living in St. Paul, settling west of Rice Lake near the Shakopee Station. That August, Joseph Kessler followed and settled four miles northwest. The two families became close, and in July 1854, Joseph Vogel married Kessler's sister, Veronica — reportedly the first marriage of a white couple in Carver County.

The town didn't officially become "Chanhassen" until its first town meeting on May 17, 1858, when Clarissa Cleaveland is believed to have selected the Dakota name meaning "the tree with sweet sap," or sugar maple.

Source: City of Chanhassen

Historic Photo