Why does Ace Hardware put a sale in a five-gallon bucket? At Hometown Ace Hardware in Hastings, Minnesota, a simple $5 bucket opens the door to 20% savings on qualifying items—and a much bigger story about charity, community and generosity. HastingsNow traces Ace’s Miracle Bucket tradition to 2013, investigates the still-mysterious origin of the bucket sale itself, and asks one surprisingly meaningful question: What good can come out of a bucket?

Step onto the planked Spiral Bridge, breathe the scent of fresh‐baked bread downtown, and feel the jazz-age optimism that pulsed through Hastings in 1925. Our immersive feature paints a vivid, fact-rich portrait of faith, schooldays, river commerce, and community spirit that still echoes along the Mississippi today.