There's a building behind Super One Foods in Baxter that used to sell shoes. Starting this April, it's going to feed families.

The Lakes Area Food Shelf has purchased a 5,000-square-foot facility at 7837 Excelsior Road in Baxter to bring food access directly into the Brainerd-Baxter community.

In 2025, LAFS saw a 50% increase in shoppers. Some were driving 50 miles round trip just to fill their grocery bags. This expansion changes that.

Read the full story and learn how you can help →

There's something magical about watching your dentist, your realtor, or your neighbor from down the street attempt a cha-cha in sequins — all to raise money for affordable housing.

Dancing with the Lakes Area Stars is back on Friday, April 10 at the Gichi-ziibi Center for the Arts in Brainerd. Every dollar raised goes directly toward building safe, affordable homes for families in our community.

VIP tickets are sold out, but General Admission is still available — online until noon on April 10, or at the door.

Get the details and buy tickets →

Spring is here, and that means one thing for lake country: it's time to start looking at the water again.

The Brainerd Dispatch and Pine and Lakes Echo Journal are collecting your best lake photos for their annual community photo feature. The best ones could be published in the 2026 issue of Love of the Lakes Magazine.

Sunrise over a glassy lake. A fishing line in the mist. A kid's feet hanging off a dock. Your golden retriever with a very fishy expression. Whatever makes the Brainerd Lakes Area special to you — we want to see it.

📅 Deadline: Midnight, April 15, 2026

Submit your photos here →

Weather Forecast

🌤️ Brainerd Lakes Area Weather — April 7 through April 13

⛅ Tuesday, April 7 — High 50°F / Low 30°F — Partly cloudy, pleasant

⛅ Wednesday, April 8 — High 48°F / Low 32°F — Partly cloudy

🌥️ Thursday, April 9 — High 46°F / Low 30°F — Mostly cloudy

🌧️ Friday, April 10 — High 52°F / Low 38°F — Rain likely, 60%

⛅ Saturday, April 11 — High 55°F / Low 40°F — Partly sunny

☀️ Sunday, April 12 — High 58°F / Low 42°F — Mostly sunny

⛅ Monday, April 13 — High 56°F / Low 38°F — Partly cloudy

Spring is slowly arriving! Expect milder temperatures this week with a chance of rain Friday. Perfect weather for the Dancing with the Stars event on Friday evening. Forecast source: Open-Meteo.

Upcoming Events

📅 Upcoming Events in the Brainerd Lakes Area

🎓 CLC Foundation Hats Off for Student Success
📅 Thursday, April 9 | 📍 Central Lakes College, Brainerd | 🕔 5:00–8:00 PM

💃 Dancing with the Lakes Area Stars
📅 Friday, April 10 | 📍 Gichi-ziibi Center for the Arts, Brainerd | 🕡 6:30 PM doors, 7:00 PM show

🎵 Grassroots Concerts: Pieta Brown
📅 Friday, April 10 | 📍 Live Well Nightclub and Coffee Bar at the Journey Church, Nisswa | 🕖 7:00 PM

👑 Miss Nisswa Scholarship Pageant
📅 Saturday, April 11 | 📍 Nisswa Elementary School | 🕖 7:00 PM

🍽️ Denim & Diamonds Dinner, Auction & Raffle
📅 Saturday, April 11 | 📍 Whitefish Lodge & Suites, Crosslake | 🕔 5:00–10:00 PM

📸 Love of the Lakes Photo Contest Deadline
📅 Wednesday, April 15 | Submit at brainerddispatch.com

🗓️ Find even more events at LakesAreaEvents.com — your complete guide to what's happening in the Brainerd Lakes Area.

Thanks for reading Lakes Area Buzz today! If you found something helpful, pass it along to a neighbor or friend — you never know, it might just make their day!

See you next Tuesday! 🐝