Do local businesses still own Main Street in Minnesota’s rural communities? Or are national chains and large corporations changing the fabric of what it means to be a small town?

That’s the question MPR News host Kerri Miller posed during her most recent Rural Voice town hall, held Sept. 28 at The Broadway event center in downtown Albert Lea, Minn.

Business owners and community leaders agreed that keeping local businesses local is key to maintaining small town feel and charm. But doing that is no small feat.

Business owners say they work long hours, money is always tight and even if the business is a success, figuring out how to grow sustainably is a challenge.

Organizations designed to support local businesses, like the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation, say it’s a story they hear a lot. They pointed to the critical role community support and innovative financing models play in sustaining rural businesses.

Isaac Thompson grew up in the Twin Cities dreaming of becoming a professional violinist. His career took him off the stage and into arts leadership — and eventually brought him back home to lead the Minnesota Orchestra, the same institution that inspired him as a kid.

MPR News host Angela Davis talks with Thompson about his first year as CEO of the orchestra and his vision for making classical music more accessible.

Guest:

• Isaac Thompson is the president and CEO of the Minnesota Orchestra, a role he began in October 2025. He previously served as president and CEO of the Oregon Symphony and held leadership roles at the New York Philharmonic, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra.

Isaac Thompson serves on the Minnesota Public Radio Board of Trustees.

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Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.    

Generations of children have run and climbed their way through the Minnesota Children’s Museum.

They've shopped for plastic food at the pretend farmers' market, launched ping-pong balls, whooshed down the giant spiral slide and blown bubbles at the wacky car wash.

MPR News host Angela Davis talks with the museum’s president Dianne Krizan about how the museum is doing following its post-COVID attendance slump, why play is so important for kids and how the museum is trying to help address anxiety in young children.

Guest:

• Dianne Krizan is the president of the Minnesota Children's Museum and a champion for children's wellbeing and play. The museum announced earlier this fall that she'll be retiring in June 2027 after leading the St. Paul institution for more than 17 years.