MINNEAPOLIS — At the Field and Festival Holiday Market in Minneapolis, flavors from around the world are on display. This holiday season, Palma Delights founder and owner Alyaa Sonbol is bringing a taste of the Middle East to Minnesota.

“All of these [desserts] are based off of my background, which I’m very proud of because it brought me to thinking of this and coming up with this idea,” Sonbol said. The full-time architect and mother of two moved to the United States from Egypt at 11 years old.

Sonbol’s vendor stall is filled with a variety of vegan and gluten-free chocolate-covered desserts, which she creates in her home kitchen using various ingredients such as dates, figs and various nuts.

Working around the clock to bring her business to life, Sonbol officially created Palma Delights six months ago. “When it got to my own health, I had to figure something out for myself.”

Sonbol navigates life with an autoimmune disorder. “It is very challenging, to be honest,” she said. “I myself don’t even know what to eat sometimes.”

Knowing others suffer from the same challenges, Sonbol set out on a mission to make sweets that are safe to consume for people with auto-immune diseases. “We like to have our sweet tooth like everybody else,” she chuckled.

Palma Delights was one of 40 vendors featured at Sunday’s market. 

“For me, the most rewarding part is just to see that journey for those people, knowing that we’re providing real economic impact for not just the artists, but the whole community,” said Minneapolis Craft Market founder Hayley Matthews-Jones.

Originally from London, Matthews-Jones moved to Minnesota in 2008 and founded Minneapolis Craft Market in 2015.

“I was here for a few years and kind of looking for that weekly artist market type of outlet that is so common in London and most of Europe,” she explained. “I kind of spent a while waiting for someone else to build that, and when no one did, I figured, ‘I know what this should look like.'”

Nearly a decade later, Minneapolis Craft Market now hosts various markets around the Twin Cities. From soaps to jewelry, hats, crafts and beyond, these markets are ensuring the holiday spirit is alive in Minneapolis. “I love it,” Sonbol said. “Serving people is always a good thing for me.”

MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota United fans packed Brit’s Pub to watch the Loons take on the L.A. Galaxy in the semifinals.

The Galaxy are favored to win, but Loons fans told KARE 11 to never underestimate the underdogs.

“I think as things are lining up in this MLS Cup some of the underdogs are winning games if you look across the East none of those top seeds are in it anymore,” said James Mitchell.

He said if Minnesota beats Los Angeles they would play Seattle next, giving them an opportunity to try and beat Seattle in their house. He said if all goes well there’s a change the Loons could host a home cup final in December.

Mikaela Bush has been cheering this team on since 2017. She went to the inaugural game with her dad and remembers the snow and the loss.

Bush has loved watching this team grow over the years and loves all of the volunteering the players do in the community. She’s proud her team has made it this far.

“We didn’t have a coach in the beginning of the season, there’s been player changes, so just starting from the home opener in March to where we are not it’s night and day,” Bush said.

Ellen Livscheets said watching the Loons play is electric, especially at Brit’s Pub.

“Watching them play in this pub house is so much fun is so much fun the energy is insane, and Minnesota fans are always Minnesota fans, and they come through even in the bad times and the good,” she said. “I just love this team so much, and they deserve a win after everything they’ve been through.”

ST PAUL, Minn. — Four years ago, St. Paul put $50 into college savings accounts for children born after January 1, 2020. Now, that program is expanding as those kids reach school age. 

“We are sending our young people a clear message,” said Mayor Melvin Carter during the launch event on Saturday morning. “We believe in you enough to invest in you.”

Community partners joined Carter to launch CollegeBound Elementary, an extension of the Collegebound initiative, at Bremer Bank’s Midway location. The program expands the program eligibility, allowing all families with children entering a St. Paul Public School Pre-K classroom to opt-in to a college savings account regardless of address or birth year. 

The launch event doubled as the program’s first Family Deposit Day, where families who contributed to savings accounts earned a $25 bonus.

According to a press release, over 14,000 children have been enrolled in these starting-at-birth savings accounts that have accumulated more than $3 million to date. CollegeBound Elementary will also give students opportunities to engage in activities in and out of classrooms, earning up to $350 in additional bonuses, as well as access to educational tools centered on wealth justice.

“This program is really about hope,” one parent of a CollegeBound child said. “Every time we come and save money, we are injecting hope into Malachi’s future.”

The City says that the Financial Empowerment has been working with St. Paul Public Schools since 2022 to help instill post-high school aspirations for CollegeBound children as soon as they reach school age.

Bremer Bank has been the City of St. Paul’s financial partner for this program since its inception. 

“Bremer has been the proud financial partner of CollegeBound Saint Paul since its inception, and the tremendous growth of the program is inspirational. This pioneering program is helping to improve access to higher education for families across this community,” said Bremer President and CEO Jeanne Crain in a release.

St. Paul plans to expand CollegeBound Elementary to charter, private, and home schools within the city in future years.