Backus Community Center

09/01/2026

📅 September 2026 at the Backus Community Center!

The heart of International Falls is buzzing this month! Take a look at everything happening at the Historic Backus Community Center — where all generations celebrate arts, culture, recreation, wellness, and lifelong learning. 🎶🤝

Here's a peek at what's on the calendar:

🇺🇸 Labor Day — Office & Building CLOSED Monday, Sept. 7
📖 Bible Studies all month — Women's (Tuesday mornings), Friday mornings, and Wednesday evenings with Lois/Hoa
🎻 Rainy Lake Community Orchestra — Monday evenings at 5:30 PM
💙 Grief Support — Monday evenings at 6:00 PM
🃏 Bridge — join us for a game (see dates!)
🎖️ Veteran's Lodge — open weekly, Tuesday through Thursday

✨ Special Events:
• Head Start Open House — Thurs., Sept. 3
• Head Start Parents Comedy Night — Fri., Sept. 18
• Life Line Screening — Sat., Sept. 26 (8:00 AM–5:30 PM)

📍 900 5th Street, Int'l Falls, MN
📞 (218) 285-7225 | 🌐 www.backusab.org

There's something for everyone — we hope to see you here! ❤️

08/28/2026

Have a good year, students from K through 12!

08/28/2026

That's the amazing Rick from Duluth, finishing the 2nd to last gym floor of his entire career, before he retires this summer. Thanks to him, the Backus Gym floor will be beautiful and protected again, for another couple of years. Maintenance and restoration is important, so thank you for your patience while we let this floor coating cure over the next week!

08/27/2026

🎨 August 2026 Art Class — A Success!

A big thank you to instructor Bruce Trask and everyone who joined our "Artistic Understanding" all-ages art class this month! From painting to drawing, our community artists created some wonderful work in the studio.

Student work will be on display for viewing at Backus in Conference Room 101 starting next week — stop by and see what our talented participants created!

This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund, through a grant from the Arrowhead Regional Arts Council.

08/27/2026

Attention Backus members: Our gym floor is receiving a much-needed recoating today. Please note the gym floor should NOT be used at all until next Thursday, September 3. Thank you for your patience and understanding!

08/19/2026

What a night! 👟 We were honored to host United Way of Northeastern Minnesota's Step Into School 2026 last week here at the Backus Community Center.

A record 94 Koochiching County students joined us for dinner and games before riding a fire truck over to Ronnings to be fitted for brand-new athletic shoes of their choosing — plus new socks, Girl Scout cookies, and back-to-school haircut certificates.

Because of United Way, their sponsors, and dozens of community volunteers, 94 local kids are starting the school year with shoes, supplies, and the confidence they need to succeed. We're proud to be part of it. 💙

📸 See all the photos and give them a share: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1509796297858284&type=3

A record 94 Koochiching County students had some fun while preparing for the school year through 's Step Into School program August 12, 2026.

Participants joined together for dinner and games at Backus Community Center then rode in a fire truck to Ronnings where they were fitted for new athletic shoes of their choosing. The program also provided brand new socks, Girl Scouts cookies, and certificates for back-to-school haircuts.

Thank you to those who made this special night possible: Old National Bank Foundation, Midco Foundation, Essentia Health, PCA, International Falls Rotary, TruStar Federal Credit Union, Border Bank, Rainy Lake Gazette, Sanford Health, House of July Salon & Studio, International Falls Fire Department, International Falls Police Department, Koochiching County Sheriff's Office, and community volunteers.

Special shout out to our hosts at Backus and Ronnings; Ronnings also provided a generous discount on shoes purchased!

08/16/2026

08/11/2026

Backus Community Center is now accepting applications for a part-time Office/Kitchen Assistant. This position offers 20-30 hours per week.

We are seeking an individual who has experience working with volunteers and managing events, demonstrates a positive and collaborative attitude, and possesses strong basic computer skills. Proficiency in Microsoft Word and Excel is preferred. Excellent written and verbal communication skills are essential. The ideal candidate will be able to prioritize tasks effectively, stay organized, and manage time well.

The Position provides a chance to use creativity and the opportunity to work in a public-facing role for an organization that is an important part of the community.

Application and job description are available at the Backus office. Please submit a completed application, resume, and two letters of support to:

Hoa Sobczynski
Backus Community Center
900 5th Street International Falls, MN 56649