What’s Chanhappenin’ This Week
⛅ Weather: Hot and mostly dry, with a chance of rain moving in Thursday
❓Trivia: Who's Chanhassen's 3rd-largest landowner?
📰 Community News: A Goddard School field trip, Stevie Ray's rooftop fundraiser, and Guys and Dolls closing at CDT
☕ Business Spotlight: The O.G. Coffee & Wine Bar
🗓️ Upcoming Events: The Community Center groundbreaking, a roundup of library events, and Stevie on the Roof
⭐ Businesses Worth Checking Out: J. Killian Consulting
🎉 Giveaway: A $25 Tono Pizzeria gift card and 2 day passes to the Arboretum
🔎 Get Featured: Want your business or event noticed?
♾️ Weekly Events: Live music, games, & more
Hey Chanhassen! This week's Business Spotlight takes you inside The O.G. Coffee & Wine Bar, Chanhassen's only local, independent coffee shop. We've also got a new giveaway running (scroll down for your shot at a $25 Tono Pizzeria gift card and 2 day passes to the Arboretum), plus everything on the Community Center's groundbreaking, Stevie Ray's wild week living on a rooftop, and your last chance to catch Guys and Dolls before it closes at Chanhassen Dinner Theatres.
Also, if you're in the market for some new cookware, be sure to check out today's sponsor, Made In Cookware. Non-toxic, made to last, trusted by millions. We pushed this all the way to the bottom, so you don't have to look at it if you don't want to!
📸 Found: Photo Album
A photo album was found on West 78th Street, near the Chanhassen History Center. If it's yours — or you know whose family it might belong to — send an email to [email protected] and we'll help get it back to its owner.
Weather This Week
Chanhassen Trivia
Chanhassen's largest landowners include the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum and Lake Minnewashta Regional Park — in that order. Who's #3?
Scroll down for the answer
Community News
Goddard School Visits the History Center · Children from The Goddard School spent a morning exploring Chanhassen's past on a field trip to the Chanhassen History Center. Paula Atkins, president of the Historical Society, shared photos from the visit — a fun reminder that local history is only a short walk away, no matter how young you are.
Stevie Ray Is Living on a Roof for a Week · In what might be the wildest fundraiser Chanhassen has seen, Stevie Ray of Stevie Ray's Improv Company will live in a tent on the roof of the Chanhassen Dinner Theatres for a full week — September 20–26 — to help raise $250,000 for the non-profit's work with emerging artists. The whole thing livestreams on YouTube, with challenges, guest interviews, and viewers invited to challenge Stevie to stunts along the way. Watch live · Donate
Guys and Dolls Closes September 26th · Chanhassen Dinner Theatres' run of Guys and Dolls wraps up on the Main Stage on September 26. Dinner and the show are included in admission. Buy tickets
Paisley Park Hosted the Global Release of Prince's "Timeless" · On Friday, August 28, Prince's estate held a sold-out release party at Paisley Park for Timeless, ten unreleased tracks pulled from his vault spanning nearly five decades. Estate co-managers took fan questions, musical guests like Jimmy Jam and Shanice Wilson stopped by, and the night turned into an all-Prince dance party that ran past 1 a.m.
The City Is Hiring Rink Attendants for Winter · Chanhassen Parks and Recreation is looking for seasonal Rink Attendants to supervise the city's outdoor ice rinks and warming houses, enforcing park rules and safe recreation practices. Pay runs $14.63–$15.52/hour, and applications are open through November 1. Apply here
Business Spotlight
The O.G. Coffee & Wine Bar
Grab a latte, pour a glass of wine, settle in. That's the idea behind The O.G. Coffee & Wine Bar, and it's exactly what owner Julie Jost set out to build when she opened the doors in January 2025.
Julie's story with coffee started in California, where she worked at a coffee shop while in college. She worked her way up to store manager and helped open a second location, and that's when the morning-routine magic of a coffee shop really got her. She carried that spark through a corporate career that lasted until 2023, before finally opening her own place, right here in Chanhassen.
The O.G. is the only local, independent coffee shop in town. Everything else is a chain. That independence shows up in small ways too. One of Julie's favorite compliments is when customers ask if the in-store music is a Spotify playlist. It's not. Every playlist is hand-curated, in-house.
Being female-owned matters to Julie, and it shows in how she runs things: The O.G. makes a point of partnering with other female-owned and local businesses whenever it can. It's part of a broader philosophy the whole place is built on: in a world where it's easy to feel disconnected from each other, The O.G. wants to be somewhere that pushes back against that, one regular's name and order at a time.
Beyond coffee and wine, The O.G. has become a genuine community hangout. Stop by on the fourth Sunday of every month for bingo night, with prizes from local businesses around Chanhassen. And keep an eye out this winter: The O.G. is bringing back a Jingle Bar every weekend in December. (More details soon.)
The O.G. was recently named Best Coffeehouse in Restaurant Guru's 2026 awards, further cementing why it's become a go-to gathering spot.
📍 600 Market Street, Suite 110, Chanhassen, MN
🌐 ogcoffeewine.com
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Upcoming Events
Community Center Groundbreaking Ceremony
Mon, Aug 31, 4 PM · 1351 Bluff Creek Blvd · Free
After three years of planning and a few starts and stops, the city breaks ground on the new Community Center.
Stevie on the Roof
Kicks off Sun, Sept 20 at noon · Chanhassen Dinner Theatres · Free to watch
Stevie Ray of Stevie Ray's Improv Company moves onto the Dinner Theatres' roof for a full week — 24 hours a day, rain or shine — to raise $250,000 for the non-profit's work with emerging artists. Stop by the parking lot for the kickoff, or catch challenges, interviews, and antics livestreamed all week. Watch live · Donate
Barnyard Boogie
Fri, Sept 18, 5:30 - 7PM · Chanhassen Rec Center · $7/person (kids under 1 free)
Petting zoo, a craft, dancing, and a bounce house for little ones and their grownups. More info here
At the Chanhassen Library This Month · A handful of free events at the library through September:
CHANchats: Coffee with Communities of Belonging — Saturdays through Sept 26, 10–11 AM
Master Gardener Help Desk — Saturdays through Sept 26, 10 AM–1 PM
Family Caregiver Support Consultations — Thu, Sept 10, 4–5:30 PM
CHANforum: Preparing Your Finances for a Potential Disaster — Sat, Sept 12, 10 AM–12 PM
Flax to Linen: From Seed to Fiber — Sat, Sept 12, 1–2 PM
Chaska Area Quilt Club: "Fall Splendor of Quilts"
Fri–Sat, Sept 25–26 · Chaska Community Center · $10 admission
Around 200 member-made quilts on display, plus a boutique of handmade items, a food truck, and a chance to win the raffle quilt "Winter Botanicals" ($2/ticket). Award-winning quilter Amy Pabst gives lectures both days and teaches two classes; admission includes lectures and the bed turning. More info here
Chanhassen Fire Department Open House
Mon, Sept 28, starting at 5:30 PM · Chanhassen Fire Station · Free
An annual tradition — tour fire trucks, an ambulance, and a squad car, hit the bounce house and spray house, check out the MN State Patrol rollover simulator, and catch a live demonstration at 8 PM. Donations for Southern Valley Alliance welcome (shampoo, paper towels, diapers, cleaning supplies, gift cards). Parking available at Chanhassen Elementary. Details here
Businesses Worth Checking Out
J. Killian Consulting
Struggling to actually use your iPhone, iPad, or Mac? Joanne Killian, originally from Chanhassen, offers personalized, one-on-one Apple product training, in person or virtually via FaceTime or phone. A former Apple employee, she helps people build real confidence with their devices, not just memorize a few steps, easing the anxiety and frustration that so often comes with technology.
Giveaway
We're giving away two day passes to the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum and a $25 Tono Pizzeria gift card!
To enter:
1. Follow us on Instagram
2. Like the giveaway post
3. Tag someone from Chanhassen in the comments
We'll pick a winner at the end of the week — good luck!
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 1,300 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
Trivia Answer
Eckankar. The religion's world headquarters — the Temple of ECK — sits on 174 acres near Lake Ann.
A Little Bit of History
Temple of Eck (2015) - Photo: Chad Davis, licensed under CC BY 2.0
Eckankar's Unlikely Chanhassen Home
Founded in 1965 by Paul Twitchell as "the religion of the Light and Sound of God," Eckankar spent its early decades based on the West Coast before relocating its headquarters to the Minneapolis area in 1986. A year earlier, the organization had quietly purchased 174 acres of land in Chanhassen — and when word got out that a temple was coming, the town pushed back. Some 500 residents signed a petition opposing construction, worried about property values and uncertainty about the group's reputation.
The City Council held firm on the project despite the controversy, and on October 22, 1990, the Temple of ECK was dedicated — an $8.2 million building constructed on the site chosen by Eckankar's spiritual leader, Harold Klemp. With 174 acres to its name, Eckankar remains one of Chanhassen's largest landowners today, trailing only the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum and Lake Minnewashta Regional Park.
Decades later, the tension has faded into routine. The Temple hosts Hu-singing gatherings and welcomes international conferences twice a year, and its 2 miles of prairie contemplation trails are open to any Chanhassen resident who wants to walk them — no membership, and no faith, required.
Referral Program
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.
(referral link in email version only)
Happenin’ Every Week
Monday
The Initials Game at Hackamore Brewing – 7:00–9:00 PM
Tuesday
Live Music at Brindisi's Pub – 6:00–8:30 PM
Wednesday
Trivia Mafia at Hackamore Brewing – 7:00–9:00 PM
Saturday
Live Music at Moe's Char House – 6:00–9:30 PM
4th Sunday of the Month
Free Bingo at The O.G. Coffee & Wine Bar – 2:00–3:30 PM
Clean Cookware for People Who Actually Cook
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