WAYZATA — The lakeside season kicks off with a family-friendly celebration on Saturday, May 3, as the Wayzata Conservancy hosts Spring Splash, a free community event from 10:00 a.m. to noon at Panoway Plaza on Lake Street.
Set along the shores of Lake Minnetonka, the event will feature hands-on activities, previews of local summer camps, and treats from McCormick’s and Ben & Jerry’s. Highlights include a make-your-own tie-dye station, interactive booths from the YMCA, Three Rivers Park District, and Wayzata Community Ed, plus live performances from youth dance troupe Dance Esteem.
More than just a seasonal sendoff, Spring Splash offers a glimpse into Wayzata’s civic vision, highlighting plans to restore one of the city’s last surviving railroad-era landmarks: the Section Foreman House.
Constructed around 1902, the house once served as living quarters for the railroad foreman who oversaw track maintenance along this historic stretch of the Great Northern line. It stands today as a quiet witness to the city’s working-class heritage—and as a symbol of what’s to come.
Currently in the fundraising stage, the Wayzata Conservancy plans to restore the building and repurpose it as the Sandvold Lakeshore Learning Center—a future destination for STEM education, environmental programming, and community events on the waterfront.
“Spring Splash is about coming together,” said Peter Hitch, executive director of the Wayzata Conservancy. “We’re inviting the community not only to enjoy a great day at the lake, but to help us shape the future of this shoreline—where learning, history, and lake life intersect.”
The Section Foreman House, located just west of the Depot, forms one end of the larger Panoway on Wayzata Bayproject. On the opposite end stands the historic Wayzata Depot, a preserved reminder of the town’s grand rail-era beginnings. These two structures—each with deep roots in the city’s railroading past—bookend the Panoway and tell the story of Wayzata’s growth from trackside village to lakeside destination.
With the new Lakewalk now connecting them, Panoway is more accessible than ever—offering residents and visitors alike a chance to stroll the shoreline and experience Wayzata’s evolving blend of legacy and public space.
Spring Splash is free and open to the public. No registration is required.
For more information or to support the Section Foreman House restoration, visit: WayzataConservancy.org
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