Residents across the city gathered at more than 35 parties Tuesday to celebrate National Night Out. The event is designed to increase awareness for crime prevention in community neighborhoods.

Greg Swan organized his first National Night Out party at Hickory Park for residents in downtown Chaska. He was pleased with the turnout.

“It’s been great,” said Swan.

Clark Bandimere’s 1912 Case Steam Tractor was once a regular visitor to farms across Carver and Scott County.

Today, catching a glimpse of the 10-ton machine is a bit of a special occasion – one Bandimere is happy to participate in. He’ll next be out with his steam tractor at the 47th Annual Old Time Harvest Festival in Jordan, Aug. 6-8. He hooks his Case up to a threshing machine, used to separate wheat grain from husks and stalks.

Thirty-five National Night Out parties have been registered with the Chaska Police Department this year. Check out the list below to see if your neighborhood is participating.

Are you having a National Night Out event that isn't on the list? Please add the party information in the comments section.

Have photos from National Night Out you'd like to share? Email them to [email protected] and we may use them in the newspaper or in an online slideshow.

For three gorgeous summer days, locals packed downtown Chaska and City Square Park to celebrate River City Days. Here are a selection of images from the event. All of these images and more are available for purchase at chaskaherald.smugmug.com.

If it seems as though River City Days is no longer confined to three days at the end of July, you’re not imagining things.

Over the last year, long-time organizer Tim Sebenaler made a concerted effort to expand the annual festivities.

While most of the events are Friday, July 23 to Sunday, July 25, the past week has also been full of activities. “It’s not just a weekend, but also the week leading up to it,” Sebenaler said.

Chaska is preparing for a festive Fourth of July weekend.

For those who are all about the fireworks, the city will put on a “real similar show” to recent years, said City Administrator Matt Podhradsky.

All told, about $11,000 will go into Sunday night’s show, with the city getting 10 percent “more firepower” for buying early. Podhradsky expected 40 to 50 percent of the cost to be covered by donations.

“People tend to see the value in having a show like this,” he said.

Chaska's downtown merchants will hold their semi-annual “Night on the Town” event tonight from 5-8 p.m. The event will feature a variety of special discounts and offers, door prizes, treats and giveaways. A drawing will also be held for a $250 shopping spree comprised of a $25 gift certificate from each of the participating businesses.

She was only the third author ever to have her book selected as one of Oprah Winfrey’s Book Club selections. And while there are plenty of authors that would kill for that honor just once in their lifetime, Jane Hamilton is one of a handful of writers that have experienced “The Oprah Effect” not once, but twice.

“She gave me a million readers for each book,” said Hamilton in a phone interview. “Not even God can do that.”

This year’s local Memorial Day events on Monday, May 31, will follow the same schedule as recent years.

The day will begin with a series of stops at area cemeteries. The first stop will be at 7:30 a.m. at East Union and will continue on to St. Nicholas, Mount Hope, Guardian Angels, Chaska Moravian and Mount Pleasant before finishing up at St. John’s cemetery at 9:30 a.m.