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Frequently Asked Questions
Back to Basics is the premier sustainable living event of north-central Minnesota! It combines workshops, vendors/exhibitors, a keynote, lunch, door prizes, and more to bring roughly 400 people together to share ideas on a wide variety of topics related to sustainability and resiliency. In addition to 40+ workshops, this event includes a large vendor area with 50+ booths providing educational materials, services, and locally made/grown goods of a sustainable nature. The keynote event and vendor area are open to the public for free. Participants who want to take workshops must register--please see buttons below.
Saturday, February 11, 2023, 8 am to 5 pm at
Pine River-Backus School
Pre-registration closed Thursday, Feb 9 at noon; walk-in registration begins 8 am Saturday.
Select a Category Below to Find Out More
Back to Basics
About
Back to Basics is the premier sustainable living event of north-central Minnesota! It combines workshops, vendors/exhibitors, a keynote, lunch, door prizes, and more to bring roughly 400 people together to share ideas on a wide variety of topics related to sustainability and resiliency. In addition to 40+ workshops, this event includes a large vendor area with 50+ booths providing educational materials, services, and locally made/grown goods of a sustainable nature. The vendor area is open to the public for free.
When & Where
Saturday, February 11, 2023
Pine River-Backus School
For more info, click here:
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Back to Basics this year?
Back to Basics kicks off with a virtual keynote and virtual workshops Saturday, January 22, 2022. In-person workshops will be offered weekday evenings between January 24 and February 25. An outdoor Spring Fair happens Saturday, May 21 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Where is Back to Basics?
The virtual keynote and workshops will be accessed through a registration link. That link will give participants access to the workshops and keynote between January 22 and February 6 to view at their leisure at any time during that period. Evening in-person workshops will be held at the Pine River-Backus Schools, 401 Murray Avenue, Pine River, MN 56474. The outdoor Spring Fair will take place at the Lakes Music & Events Park, which is a half-mile north of Pine River on Highway 371. The address is 2591 Bluegrass Blvd SW, Backus, MN.
Do I have to register ahead of time?
To attend the outdoor Spring Fair, you do not need to register in advance--simply show up and enjoy! To become a vendor at the Spring Fair, please apply here.
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Is there an option for kids?
Outdoor activities for kids will be part of the outdoor Spring Fair on Saturday, May 21.
I am presenting a workshop or vending at the Spring Fair. Where can I find more information about what is needed of me?
Please make sure to read through our Presenter Guidelines and/or our Vendor/Exhibitor Guidelines.
Questions about B2B? Contact b2b@happydancingturtle.org
Sponsors
We would like to thank our 2022 Back to Basics Sponsors--we could not do it without you! If you would like information about becoming a sponsor or supporting our event in other ways, find more information here.
Back to Basics is the premier sustainable living event of north-central Minnesota!
Spring Fair​
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Takes place outdoors Saturday, May 21 at Lakes Music & Events Park in
Pine River from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. -
No admission or registration fees to attend
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Food for purchase available
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Vendors & exhibitors
Schedule of Events
Booths open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
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Mini-Workshops
​11am Rain Garden Design
with Native Plants -- Ross Brink
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12pm Building Soil Health in Your Field or Garden
-- Anna Cates & Jim Chamberlin
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1pm Natural Resource Conservation Service Rainfall Simulator & Conservation Assistance Opportunities
-- John Brezinka
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2pm The Importance of Outdoor
Play -- Kim Norman
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Nature Storytime with Craft
​10:30, 11:30, 12:30 & 1:30
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Family activities & games throughout the day including Soulful Horse and Wondertrek Children's Museum. Babinski's Adoption Event 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
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Vendors/Exhibitors registered as of May 13, 2022
Balsam Moon Preserve
Beautiful World MN
Becky Steinhoff Artist
Board Girl Studio
Brenda Mason Inc.
Canvasback Sugar Shack
Cass County Aquatic Invasive Species
Cass County Faith in Action
Cass County Falls Prevention Task Force
Clean Energy Resource Teams
Crow Wing Food Co-op
CynthiaRose Sound Art
Earth Is Our Home Environmental Solutions
Grampa G's
Guiding Spirit Journeys
Ideal Green Market Cooperative
Island Lake Farm
Kale & Chamomile's Cosmic Creations
Lakes Blue Grass (PRAF)
Language of the Heart, LLC
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LuAnn Gravelle
Magic Summer Minifarm
Mann Lake Ltd Beekeeping
Northern Waters Land Trust
Ole Lake Farm
PAF Mill, LLC
Pine River Mittens
Pine River Seed Library
Pine River Watershed Alliance
Plant Magick
Rad Tangibles
REAL Solar, SBC
Ricky Tics
Sena Bergerud
Serenity Now Yarn & Alpaca Shop
Sustainable Farming Association - Central Chapter
Tony Noordmans
Wheels and Things LLC
Wild Iron Images
Will's Antler Creations
Become a vendor for the Spring Fair! Click here for details!
Beautiful World MN
Becky Steinhoff Artist
Board Girl Studio
Brenda Mason Inc.
Cass County Aquatic Invasive Species
Cass County Faith in Action
Cass County Falls Prevention Task Force
Crow Wing Food Co-op
CynthiaRose Sound Art
Earth Is Our Home Environmental Solutions
Guiding Spirit Journeys
Ideal Green Market Cooperative
Island Lake Farm
Kale & Chamomile's Cosmic Creations
Lakes Blue Grass (PRAF)
Language of the Heart, LLC
LuAnn Gravelle
Magic Summer Minifarm
Mann Lake Ltd Beekeeping
Old Tamarack Farm
Ole Lake Farm
PAF Mill, LLC
Pine River Mittens
Pine River Seed Library
Pine RIver Watershed Alliance
Plant Magick
Rad Tangibles
REAL Solar, SBC
Ricky TIcs
Sena Bergerud
Sustainable Farming Association - Central Chapter
Tony Noordmans
Wheels and Things LLC
The vendor fair is a favorite at Back to Basics! For 2021, our sustainably-focused vendor fair went virtual so you can stock up on locally grown and handmade goodies. Connect with knowledgeable people and organizations who want to help you live more sustainably. Get to know their stories through the videos below. Head over to their websites for an abundance of educational materials, services, locally made/grown goods including delicious foods, natural personal care products, handmade home decor, clothing, and more! This fair will be available through December 1, 2021.
Back to Basics
Vendor/Exhibitor Fair
Serenity Now Yarn & Alpaca Shop
The Serenity Now Yarn & Alpaca Shop is your new go-to shop for yarn, crafting supplies and alpaca goods! They carry yarns of all types including alpaca. You may also take classes and learn new hobbies. The owners, Esther and Dave, live on the Alpaca farm and Esther's own handspun yarn and woven rugs are available for sale.
Free shipping during February! See website for details.
Located in Pine River, MN
The 2021 Vendor Fair is still open!
Even though Virtual Back to Basics 2021 is over, the Vendor Fair is still live and will remain up through the fall! Connect with our vendors to find new products and services to help you live a more sustainable lifestyle. Show your favorite B2B Vendor some love and do a little online shopping. Check back often, as many vendors frequently add new products or offer promotions!
Questions about B2B? Contact b2b@happydancingturtle.org
Back to Basics hosts the largest (50+ booths) sustainably-focused vendor fair in the region! Don't miss this opportunity to stock up on locally grown and handmade goodies all while chatting with knowledgeable people and organizations who want to help you live more sustainably. Come shop and learn with us! There will be an abundance of educational materials, services, locally made/grown goods including delicious foods, natural personal care products, handmade home decor, clothing, and more! The vendor fair is free and open to the public all day (8am-5pm) on Saturday, February 15th.
Select a Category Below to Find Out More
Back to Basics is the premier sustainable living event of north-central Minnesota! It combines workshops, vendors/exhibitors, a keynote, lunch, door prizes, and more to bring roughly 400 people together to share ideas on a wide variety of topics related to sustainability and resiliency. In addition to 40+ workshops, this event includes a large vendor area with 50+ booths providing educational materials, services, and locally made/grown goods of a sustainable nature. The vendor area is open to the public for free. School-aged (K-6) children’s programming runs concurrently so bring the family and enjoy the day together!
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Back to Basics this year?
Back to Basics will be on Saturday, February 15th, 2020. The event begins at 8am and is finished by 5pm.
Is Back to Basics the same weekend every year?
We partner with the Pine River-Backus Schools to host Back to Basics. The event takes up many classrooms, the gyms, and the cafeteria. In order to use the facility, we have to plan the event around their sports/school schedule, so we need to be flexible! Thank you for your understanding! We do our best to avoid other events with the limited options we have.
Where is Back to Basics?
Back to Basics is located at the Pine River-Backus Schools, 401 Murray Avenue, Pine River, MN 56474. Once you approach the school, there will be signs to follow.
Do I have to register ahead of time?
No, you do not have to register ahead of time, but workshops are limited in capacity. Registering in advance is the best way to ensure you are able to attend the workshops you are most interested in, however, you can do "Walk-In Registration" starting at 8am at the event.
Do I choose my workshops at registration?
Workshops are hosted in the school's classrooms, which can each hold a certain maximum number of people. Registering for workshops in advance helps the event run smoothly. We cap each workshop to ensure everyone attending has a place to sit and we won't have to turn people away at the door to go find another workshop the day of the event. It also helps our presenters prepare enough materials for their workshops, as many of them are hands-on.
Can I attend part of the day?
While we would LOVE for you to attend for the whole day, we understand that an 8-5 event for some folks is just not possible! The keynote address and the vendor area are open to the public for free - feel free to stop by! If you'd like to just take a couple of workshops, you have the option to register "Ala Carte" as a sort of "build your own day" option. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask!
Is there an option for kids?
We offer a Kindergarten through 6th Grade Kids' Program that runs all day at the event. Children that are in 7th grade or above are welcome to register as adults and attend workshops!
Can I register for all five workshops and lunch?
With only a 20 minute break between sessions and such a large school, we do not feel confident that our participants will be able to get to the cafeteria, acquire their lunch, have time to enjoy it, and make it to their next session on time. It is very distracting to our presenters when folks are coming in late to their presentations. Instead, you are welcome to attend all five workshop options, but you will need to bring your own lunch to eat IN BETWEEN workshop sessions at your leisure.
Why is the class I wanted to attend closed?
Because we partner with the school and our workshops take place in school classrooms, there is a very defined maximum capacity of each room. We want folks to be comfortable at the event and have a place to sit. We decide workshop maximums based on two things: the size of the room and the amount of chairs AND the presenter's preference. Some presenters require a smaller maximum for their workshops. We will update the workshop list online and our online registration platform when workshops have met capacity.
I am presenting a workshop or vending in the fair. Where can I find more information about what is needed of me?
Please make sure to read through our Presenter Guidelines and/or our Vendor/Exhibitor Guidelines.
Sponsorship Opportunities
Are you interested in sponsoring Back to Basics? With a variety of levels, we’ve got the right opportunity for you.
