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Hey Chanhassen! This week we're spotlighting a Chanhassen restaurant that's reinventing one of America's most iconic foods — gourmet hot dogs you have to try to believe. Old St. Hubert's needs the community to show up on June 5, and we'll tell you exactly why. We're digging into the story of a German immigrant who arrived in Carver County with a bag of seeds and changed American farming forever. Plus a trivia question about one of Chanhassen's most well-known parks. Here's what's chanhappenin'.
This 32-acre Chanhassen park was acquired in 1989 and developed into a youth athletic complex in 1998. Today it features 3 ball fields, 3 soccer fields, a playground, trails, and a 9-hole disc golf course. What park is it?
Scroll down for the answer
Old St. Hubert Church — Show Up on June 5
The St. Hubert story has arrived at a critical moment.
St. Hubert's Parish has agreed to delay demolition plans until after a public meeting on Friday, June 5. That meeting needs to be well-attended and demonstrate real community support. If it does, the Parish will grant an additional two-month window to complete a fundraising feasibility study — assessing whether this community can fund a full restoration through private philanthropy.
The meeting itself is worth showing up for. You'll hear a project update from St. Hubert Parish and the volunteers exploring restoration scenarios, and there will be short workshop activities to engage the community directly. It's also the official kick-off of that two-month feasibility study — so June 5 isn't just a show of hands. It's the starting gun.
Old St. Hubert Church — Public Meeting 📅 Friday, June 5 🕙 10:00AM – 11:30AM 📍 Chanhassen Library, Wilder Room — 7711 Kerber Blvd
If you've been following this story and wondering what you can actually do — showing up on June 5 is the answer.
Dog Park Gourmet Hot Dogs - www.dogparkgourmethotdogs.com
Dog Park Gourmet Hot Dogs — Minnesota's Best, Right Here in Chanhassen
The hot dog hasn't changed much. For decades, the same ballpark staple — same bun, same toppings, same experience. James noticed that. And he decided to do something about it.
Dog Park Gourmet Hot Dogs was built on a simple but ambitious idea: take the spirit of the classic New York-style hot dog cart — fast, unpretentious, made for real people — and bring the food itself into a new era. After months of taste testing, James landed on a formula that works: high-quality meats paired with fresh, house-made blends of gourmet fruit and vegetable sauces that actually complement the meat instead of drowning it out.
The name? Picked to be funny and easy to remember. The menu? Built to match — every specialty dog has its own name, its own personality, and its own combination of flavors designed to surprise you. From "The Mutt" to their andouille and Italian beef, nothing here tastes like what you grabbed at the last ballgame.
It's been working. Dog Park was named Best Hot Dogs in Minnesota in 2024 — and if you've been to Cars & Caves at the AutoPlex this season, you may have already found them. If not, that's reason enough to stop in.
Dog Park Gourmet Hot Dogs · 7828 Market Blvd, Chanhassen · Tue–Fri 11AM–6PM · Sat 11AM–4PM · dogparkgourmethotdogs.com
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Every week we spotlight a Chanhassen business and tell the story behind it — currently read by 790+ subscribers and growing fast, with new neighbors joining every single day.
If you're a locally owned business and want to be considered for a future issue, we'd love to hear from you. From business spotlights to sponsored placements, there are several ways to get in front of the Chanhassen community. Fill out our form at whatschanhappenin.com/get-featured and we'll be in touch.
Chanhassen Public Works Building
SouthWest Transit Community Design Contest — Young artists ages 11–18 who live or go to school in Chanhassen (or Eden Prairie, Chaska, Carver, or Victoria) can submit original artwork to be featured on two SouthWest Transit shuttle buses — one celebrating the State Fair, one the Renaissance Festival. Submissions are due June 12. Enter here.
Yard Waste Drop-Off Now Open — The city's yard waste site is accepting leaves, grass clippings, brush, and wood (no lumber). Fees start at $1/bag or $15 for a standard truck load. Pay at the Public Works office before unloading. Summer hours: Mon–Fri 7:30AM–2:30PM (closes at noon Fridays through Sept. 4). Saturday drop-off dates: June 27, July 25, Aug. 22, Sept. 19, and Oct. 24 from 8AM–noon.
Downtown Celebration at Market Square Shopping Center · Tuesday June 2 · 6:00–7:30PM · Market Square Shopping Center · Free · Help celebrate downtown Chanhassen and support local businesses at this summer kickoff event. Order food from local restaurants, enjoy live music from American Bootleg, and grab a balloon souvenir from The Baron of Bubble. Details & RSVP
Bubbles & Bites in the Azaleas · Wednesday June 3 or Thursday June 4 · Minnesota Landscape Arboretum · A limited-ticket evening in the Azalea Trial Garden featuring chef-crafted appetizers and beverages surrounded by azaleas in peak bloom. Get tickets
Co-Ed Pickleball Ladder League · Thursday Nights June 4–August 6 · 6:00–9:00PM · Chanhassen Recreation Center · $70/player · Ten weeks of co-ed competition offered in partnership with Minnesota Pickleball. Register here
Happenin’ Soon
Fishing with First Responders · Thursday June 11 · Group A 9:00–10:30AM or Group B 1:00–2:30PM · Lake Ann Fishing Pier · Free · Kids ages 5–15 can fish alongside local first responders from the Carver County Sheriff's Office, Chanhassen Fire Department, and MN DNR. Poles, bait, and tackle provided. Register here
Police & Fire Safety Camp · Monday–Thursday June 15–18 · 9:00AM–4:00PM · A 4-day camp for kids entering 2nd–5th grade packed with hands-on safety lessons from local first responders. Topics include fire safety, bike safety, water safety, basic first aid, calling 911, self-defense, internet safety, and more. Special visits from the LifeLink helicopter, police and fire drones, and squad car and fire engine tours. Kids should bring a nut-free bag lunch, water bottle, and sunscreen each day. Registration deadline: Sunday May 31 (refunds available minus $10 admin fee through that date). Register here
Pizza Nights at the Farm · Tuesdays June 23–Sept. 1 · 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
Chanhassen 4th of July Celebration · Thursday July 2 – Saturday July 4 · City Center Park · The city's 43rd annual celebration kicks off Thursday evening with a movie night and runs through the 4th. Note: event layout and parking will be affected by Civic Campus construction this year, but the celebration is still on. Full schedule, food info, and parade route here.
1857 — When Wendelin Grimm and his family arrived in Carver County from Germany, they brought with them a 15–20 pound bag of "Ewiger Klee" — everlasting clover, or what we now call alfalfa. Grimm spent years saving seeds from the plants that survived Minnesota's harsh winters and replanting them the following season. By 1889, Carver County was producing nearly 50% of all alfalfa in the state. Chanhassen farmer A.B. Lyman grew so much of Grimm's winter-hardy seed that his farm became known as Alfalfadale. Today, Grimm Alfalfa is credited by the USDA as the source of all modern alfalfa varieties grown on more than 25 million acres of American farmland — valued at $10 billion annually.
Source: Minnesota Historical Society
A.B. Lyman transports alfalfa seeds from his farm, Alfalfadale (early 1900s)
Bandimere Park
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