Free Saturday-morning sharpening drop-off
Drop knives by 8:30 am Saturday at any store. Pick up by 5 pm. Walk-in; no appointment. Volunteer hours from staff; no charge for kitchen + utility ($8 normally).
EVENTS · WORKSHOPS · COMMUNITY6 WORKSHOPS · 4 COMMUNITY · ROTATING
Workshops at the bench.
Free Saturdays.
Ten workshops a season, taught by the people who run the aisles. Spring planting, chalk-paint demos, knife sharpening, deck-build planning, smart-home electrical, restoration plumbing. Plus the Saturday-morning sharpening drop-off — always free.
AISLE01SAT · MAY 18 · FALCON HEIGHTS
9:00 — 11:30 · MONTHLY · APR — JUN
WK-2025-04
Spring planting clinic · raised beds.
TAUGHT BY MARISOL ORTEGA
Build a 4×8 cedar bed, fill it, plant it. We provide the lumber + soil + tools (you take it home). Marisol walks you through soil prep, native-friendly plant choices, and the U of MN soil-test pickup. Most popular workshop of the year.
- CAPACITY12 spots · book 3 weeks ahead
- PRICE$185 / bed includes materials
- CADENCEmonthly · apr — jun
AISLE02SAT · MAY 25 · ROSEVILLE
10:00 — 12:00 · FIRST SATURDAY · MONTHLY
WK-2025-05
Chalk paint demo · furniture refinishing.
TAUGHT BY LIN PARK
Bring a small piece of furniture (chair, side table, or drawer fronts). Lin walks you through Annie Sloan chalk-paint application, distressing, and waxing. Free if you bought the paint at Holloway; $35 otherwise. Coffee + pastry included.
- CAPACITY8 spots · drop-in if space
- PRICEFree with paint · $35 otherwise
- CADENCEfirst saturday · monthly
AISLE03SAT · JUN 1 · FALCON HEIGHTS
8:00 — 9:30 · BI-MONTHLY
WK-2025-06
Knife sharpening · home cooks.
TAUGHT BY PEDRO HERNANDEZ + BENCH TEAM
Bring 1 — 3 knives. We teach you to maintain them between professional sharpenings — stone, steel, technique. Saturday-morning bench session; we sharpen yours alongside. Coffee + bagels at the back bench.
- CAPACITY6 spots · sign up at the counter
- PRICE$45 includes coffee + sharpening
- CADENCEbi-monthly
AISLE04SAT · JUN 15 · MAPLEWOOD
9:00 — 12:00 · QUARTERLY
WK-2025-07
Build a small deck · plan to permit.
TAUGHT BY RONNIE DIAZ + PERMIT OFFICE LIAISON
Walks you from a sketch on a napkin to a stamped permit application. Bring your property survey. Ronnie marks setbacks; the city permit office sends a liaison. Most attendees leave with a complete plan + ready-to-file permit.
- CAPACITY10 spots · 4 weeks ahead
- PRICE$95 · includes lunch + survey marking
- CADENCEquarterly
AISLE05SAT · JUL 6 · ROSEVILLE
9:30 — 11:30 · QUARTERLY
WK-2025-08
Smart-home electrical · safety + setup.
TAUGHT BY ROBERT KIM
Lutron, Hue, Schlage Encode. Robert walks you through the wire diagrams, safe install (when to call an electrician), and which devices we recommend for which use cases. Hands-on with sample fixtures.
- CAPACITY10 spots · drop-in if space
- PRICEFree · materials extra
- CADENCEquarterly
AISLE06SAT · AUG 10 · FALCON HEIGHTS
10:00 — 12:00 · TWICE / YEAR
WK-2025-09
Restoration plumbing · cartridge clinic.
TAUGHT BY JANELLE PARK
Bring a leaky faucet (or a photo of one). Janelle teaches cartridge identification, replacement, and the small adjustments that fix most pre-1985 fixtures. The most-asked-for workshop; we run it twice a year.
- CAPACITY8 spots · 6 weeks ahead
- PRICE$65 includes parts kit
- CADENCEtwice / year
AISLE07COMMUNITY · PARTNERSHIPS
ALWAYS-ON · NO RSVP
Community
partnerships.
Beyond the workshops, four ongoing community partnerships. Some have been running since 1968 (Saturday sharpening), some are newer (Habitat builds since 2014). All continuous; none seasonal.
Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity
Material donations for every build (15+ houses last year). Volunteer crew weekends through summer; we close the Maplewood store one Saturday a year for a build day.
School wood-shop sponsorship
Two Twin Cities high schools have wood shops. We supply lumber + hardware at cost; staff guest-teach a class twice a year. Started in 2008; ongoing.
Local maker market
First Sunday of every month, Falcon Heights parking lot. Local makers + craftspeople vend; we provide power, tables, and the bathroom. No fee.
AISLE08ROLLING NUMBERS · WORKSHOPS
40+ACROSS 3 STORES
WORKSHOPS / YR
800+2024 ACTUAL
ATTENDEES / YR
$0ALL VOLUNTEER
STAFF FEES
63SINCE 1962
YR · COMMUNITY
