LOCAL 10: Rivertown Days, Blood Drive and Weekend Plans
The Mississippi River gently flows through Hastings, Minnesota on a warm, steamy Friday night during Rivertown Days in 2026. Photo by Ashley Media
Saturday’s reviewed local brief covers Rivertown Days activities, a community blood drive, the aquatic center reopening, youth registration, school-supply needs and more.
Weather companion
Hastings will be sunny and warm on Saturday, July 18, with a high near 89°F, a light north wind and patchy wildfire smoke developing after noon. Saturday night will be mostly clear near 66°F, with more widespread smoke mainly after 1 a.m.; read today’s Hastings Weather + On This Date for the complete planning forecast.
Saturday is built around Rivertown Days, but the festival is only part of today’s useful local picture.
Residents can also donate blood, return to the Hastings Family Aquatic Center, prepare for Sunday’s hockey registration and help local students get ready for school.
Here are the ten Hastings-area updates selected for Saturday, July 18, 2026.
Top 3 Today
1. Rivertown Days brings a full Saturday of events across Hastings
Rivertown Days 2026. Image by Ashley Media
The free Rivertown Days Arts & Crafts Fair runs from 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Saturday, July 18, at Jaycee Park. Downtown festival gates open at 11 a.m., with music, food trucks and carnival activities continuing until 11 p.m.
A wristband is required inside the main downtown festival area. The Arts & Crafts Fair and several activities elsewhere in Hastings do not require a downtown wristband.
Free park-and-ride transportation is available from Fleet Farm. Review the official Saturday Rivertown Days schedule before leaving home, especially when coordinating events at different locations.
Current official materials contain conflicting gate-price information and transportation transition times, so those details are not included here.
2. Hastings Arts Center blood drive welcomes Saturday donors
An American Red Cross blood drive runs from 9 a.m.–3 p.m. Saturday at the Hastings Arts Center, 216 E. Fourth Street.
Eligible donors may make an appointment or walk in. The latest Hastings Arts Center update said walk-ins were welcome amid an emergency blood shortage.
Appointment availability can change throughout the day. Donors can review the official blood-drive event information before arriving.
3. Hastings Family Aquatic Center reopens Saturday
The City of Hastings says the Hastings Family Aquatic Center will reopen Saturday, July 18, following Friday’s scheduled maintenance closure.
The center is expected to resume its normal operating schedule. The City’s preserved notice did not list Saturday’s specific hours, so visitors should review the official City reopening notice before making plans.
Quick Hits
AI infographic by HastingsNow.com
4. Hastings Hockey registration opens Sunday at 6 a.m.
Registration for the upcoming Hastings Hockey season opens at 6 a.m. Sunday, July 19.
Families should carefully review their payment-plan choice before completing checkout. The association’s website still displayed 2025–26 information during Friday’s review, so families should check the Hastings Hockey registration page when the new registration period opens.
5. Hastings Family Service seeks school supplies by August 11
Hastings Family Service is collecting school supplies for local students through Tuesday, August 11.
Donations may be delivered to 301 Second Street East from 9 a.m.–4 p.m. on weekdays or 10 a.m.–3 p.m. on Saturdays. Residents, organizations and businesses can review the current school-supply donation information before purchasing items.
6. Hastings Bus Company is hiring school-bus drivers
Photo by Ashley Media. AI enhanced by HastingsNow.com.
Hastings Public Schools says its transportation partner is hiring part-time school-bus drivers for the upcoming school year.
The opportunity includes flexible hours and paid commercial driver’s license training. The preserved local announcement did not state the starting wage or exact route schedule, but interested applicants can review the Minnesota Coaches employment page for current openings and application information.
7. Hastings Mountain Bike Team welcomes new riders and coaches
Hastings Mountain Bike Team practice begins Monday, July 20.
Interested youth riders may try one practice using a single-day waiver, and the coed team is also seeking additional adult coaches. Racing is optional.
The announcement did not provide Monday’s practice time, location or complete grade requirements. Families and potential coaches should use the Minnesota Cycling Association team finder to connect with the Hastings team and confirm eligibility.
8. Rivertown Days discount offered for Black Dirt Theater’s “Matilda”
Black Dirt Theater is offering $2 off each ticket purchased with code RTD2026 through midnight Sunday, July 19.
Performances of “Matilda” begin Friday, July 24, at Hastings High School and continue through Saturday, August 1. Theatergoers can review the official performance schedule before choosing a show.
The production schedule appears on the official theater page. The temporary discount was announced separately through Black Dirt Theater’s first-party social account.
9. Free Lock and Dam No. 2 tours run Saturday
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will offer free, self-guided tours of Lock and Dam No. 2 from 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Saturday.
Tours begin at 1350 Lock and Dam Road and are open to the public. The official Rivertown Days schedule confirms the time and location but does not provide detailed accessibility, security-screening or entry information.
10. Hoot, Scoot & Boogie plays Stage 61 Saturday
Hoot, Scoot & Boogie is scheduled to bring 1990s country music to Stage 61 at 5 p.m. Saturday during Rivertown Days.
The performance takes place inside the downtown festival area, where a Rivertown Days wristband is required. Check the official Saturday music schedule for the complete lineup.
If you only click one
Start with the official Rivertown Days Saturday schedule. It provides the broadest planning value for residents coordinating downtown music, the Arts & Crafts Fair, transportation and activities happening at several Hastings locations.
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