Image taken at Hastings Flower Co. Join Vickie at Hastings Flower Co on November 19th for 20% off storewide at the Jingle & Mingle event. Image by HastingsNow.
City office closures, offers for veterans and the opening of Project Share lead today’s brief, with Thanksgiving help, local music and useful dates ahead.
Wednesday, November 11, 2026 | 10 a.m. Central
By the HastingsNow team
Weather + On This Date
Wednesday brings partly sunny skies and a high near 52°F, with north winds of 5–15 mph and only a small chance of precipitation. Wednesday night turns mostly cloudy with a low around 31°F; find the companion forecast and history feature in Weather + On This Date.
Veterans Day brings a few details worth knowing before heading out in Hastings: city administrative offices are closed, and two local restaurants have announced offers for veterans.
It is also a useful day to think ahead. Project Share donor selection opens at noon, and Friday is the deadline to request a Thanksgiving meal kit from Hastings Family Service. Here are ten updates to help you plan, participate or lend a hand.
TOP 3 TODAY
1. Hastings city administrative offices close for Veterans Day
City of Hastings administrative offices are closed Wednesday, November 11, in observance of Veterans Day, according to the official city calendar.
If you have administrative business with the city, plan for Thursday, November 12, when those offices reopen. The notice applies specifically to city administrative offices.
2. Project Share Adopt-a-Family selection opens at noon
Hastings Family Service’s Project Share Adopt-a-Family selection opens online at noon Wednesday, November 11. Individuals and groups can anonymously choose a family to support with holiday gifts for children.
For households, workplaces or groups looking for a way to help, the donor page is the place to begin. HFS says additional families will be added through early December; this is the donor selection process, separate from the assistance process for families seeking help.
3. Ze’s Diner Hastings announces free meals for veterans
Ze’s Diner has announced free meals for veterans on Wednesday, November 11, as a Veterans Day thank-you.
The offer applies to the Hastings location only. Veterans can find the restaurant’s announcement in Ze’s Diner Hastings’ Veterans Day post.
QUICK HITS
4. Request an HFS Thanksgiving meal kit by November 13
Hastings Family Service asks households seeking a Thanksgiving meal kit to call 651-437-7134 by Friday, November 13. Its Thanksgiving meal-kit announcement lists pickup by appointment on November 23 or 24.
Self-declared income eligibility under The Emergency Food Assistance Program, or TEFAP, is required, and meals are available while supplies last. Read HFS’s food-assistance eligibility information and call to arrange a request.
5. Try mandala painting at Pure Serenity November 12
Inner Wild Woman Studio offers a mandala painting workshop at Pure Serenity Wellness Center, 202 Second Street East, on Thursday, November 12, at 6 p.m.
The $40 registration includes materials, and the organizer says no painting experience is required. Find the class information and registration instructions on Inner Wild Woman Studio’s workshop page.
6. Ann Reed and Joan Griffith perform Friday at Hastings Arts Center
Ann Reed performs with Joan Griffith at Hastings Arts Center on Friday, November 13, at 7:30 p.m. The concert takes place at 216 Fourth Street East.
General admission is listed at $27. If live music fits your Friday plans, visit the official concert ticket page to purchase admission.
7. Adopt-an-Instrument supports Hastings student musicians
Hastings Band Boosters is accepting donations to repair and maintain school-owned instruments and replace worn-out equipment for band programs serving students in grades 5–12.
The ongoing Adopt-an-Instrument campaign includes individual instrument fundraisers, giving community donors a specific way to support the equipment students use to make music.
8. Dugarel’s offers veterans $5 off food November 11
Dugarel’s Bar has announced $5 off veterans’ food orders on Wednesday, November 11, as its Veterans Day thank-you.
The offer is for veterans and applies to food. Read Dugarel’s Veterans Day announcement for the restaurant’s posted offer.
9. Plan early childhood screening for fall 2027 kindergarten
Hastings Community Education encourages families with children entering kindergarten in fall 2027 to arrange early childhood screening.
Screening requires registration. Families can use the official early childhood screening catalog, which includes the 2026–27 program, to review registration information.
10. Carpenter’s Apple Shack lists daily shopping through November 25
Carpenter Nature Center says its Apple Shack will be open 9 a.m.–5 p.m. daily through November 25, offering seasonal produce and food gifts at 12805 St. Croix Trail South, Hastings.
For a holiday-shopping stop, start with the Apple Shack’s seasonal announcement and the center’s official location and hours. The hours listed here are specifically for the Apple Shack.
If You Only Click One
Start with Hastings Family Service’s Project Share page: donor selection opens at noon Wednesday, November 11. It gives individuals and groups a direct way to choose a family and help with children’s holiday gifts.
Add Your Part Through Local Pigeon
Hastings-area businesses, organizations and residents may submit useful updates, clarifications or responses through Local Pigeon. Submissions are reviewed, submission does not guarantee publication, and HastingsNow remains the editor and publisher.
How LOCAL 10 Is Selected
LOCAL 10 is selected for usefulness, timing, local relevance, source diversity and public value. Inclusion is not paid placement and is not guaranteed.
