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MINNEAPOLIS — If it isn’t already, the Eta Aquariids meteor shower should be on your must-watch list in the Twin Cities metro area, especially Thursday and Friday, May 4-5, because an “outburst” is predicted for 2023, according to NASA meteor expert Bill Cooke.

The Eta Aquariids — sometimes spelled Aquarids with a single “i” — are usually a good show because they’re fast, traveling through the sky at around 148,000 miles an hour, and are known for producing fireballs with glowing trains that can last for several seconds to minutes, according to NASA.

But this year, Cooke told Space.com when asked about top picks for shooting star shows in 2023, the shower could produce about 50 meteors an hour, about three times more than usual.

Find out what's happening in Minneapoliswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Whether you’ll be able to see the show during the peak hinges on the weather. Right now, the National Weather Service is calling for partly cloudy conditions on Thursday and rain on Friday. The peak continues through Sunday morning.

The best time to look is before dawn. The Eta Aquariids started in mid-April and continue through May 27.

Find out what's happening in Minneapoliswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The prolific Perseids in August and Geminids in December are Cooke’s top picks, but the Eta Aquariids are easily No. 3 because of the predicted outburst. He said the bright meteors should be a good match against the full flower moon, which reaches peak illumination Thursday.

The potential outburst, or meteor storm as these events are sometimes called, is caused by particles ejected by Comet Halley, the parent of the Eta Aquariids, around 390 B.C. Despite the full moon, “it should be a pretty decent show” because the Eta Aquariids rank about No. 6 in the number of bright meteors and fireballs.

The Eta Aquariids appear to radiate from the constellation Aquarius the Water Bearer, the 10th largest in the sky but still difficult to find with the naked eye because none of its stars are especially bright. The brightest one, Sadalsuud, or Beta Aquarii, is a rare yellow supergiant with a mass almost five times that of the sun. It’s relatively young for a star at 110 million years, and is about 600 light-years away.

Don’t get hung up on trying to find the constellation, though. Meteors can come from any direction. Dress warmly, fill a Thermos with coffee or some other warm beverage, and take a reclining lawn chair and blankets to your dark sky location. Give your eyes at least 15 minutes to adjust to the darkness, then sit back and enjoy.

If all of that isn’t reason enough to get up early, consider this: The Eta Aquariids are the last chance to look for meteors until the Delta Aquariid meteor shower in late July. It runs for more than a month and intersects with the summertime favorite, the Perseids.

Correction: This story has been corrected to reflect that the Eta Aquariids travel through the sky at around 148,000 miles an hour.

A new, family-owned restaurant has moved into the former Bad Waitress spot in Northeast Minneapolis.

Starting Monday, Relish will be open every day from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., serving all-day breakfast, lunch and dinner, plus spaghetti nights on Thursdays and Sundays.

Six family members are teaming up on the casual eatery, which will carry on the diner tradition established in the 700 Central Ave. NE space by The Bad Waitress. It's the family's second business together – Jenni, Rich, Maeta and Skye Horton and April and Jodi Lund are also behind the 13-year-old Coffee Shop Northeast at 2852 Johnson St. NE.

At Relish, the family is aiming for an approachable, affordable menu, with many of the same items available at the coffee shop, like sandwiches, soups, salads. The restaurant will also lean into Italian family recipes, so expect fresh pastas and simple proteins. The twice weekly spaghetti nights honor the family's longtime tradition.

"When we were growing up, the family would get together on Thursday nights and have spaghetti," said Skye Horton, who's helped several other groups open restaurants, most recently Purpose Restaurants and Bricksworth Beer Co.

A buildout wasn't necessary. Changes made to the space were done by the family, with help from Mammoth Designs and Missy Dodge.

The Hortons and Lunds also carried over aspects of the coffee shop's colorful decor for some continuity.

"We wanted a really bright and vibrant space," Skye Horton said. "We went with hot pink and bright teal."

Relish features some of The Bad Waitress' signature red furniture, but its mural was wallpapered over.

The Bad Waitress launched nearly 20 years ago on Eat Street in the Whittier neighborhood and opened its second location in Northeast in early 2017. The Bad Waitress exited Central Avenue in 2020 and was briefly replaced by Central N.E., a collaboration between The Bad Waitress owners Andy and Mary Cohen and St. Paul-based Morrissey Hospitality. Its original location on Nicollet Avenue closed earlier in 2023.

Down the street from Relish, vintage shop Moth Oddities is reopening Saturday in its new, much bigger storefront.

MINNEAPOLIS -- Allergy season is in full swing this spring. For some, this wet weekend is providing some relief.

WCCO's Allen Henry has a look at why this allergy season could be the toughest in years.

For some, this weather is the perfect time to get back outside -- not too cold still, and not too hot yet.

"It's fun to see everything budding now and it's fun just seeing everyone out -- people on walks, walking dogs. It's been awesome," said Linnea Anderson of St. Louis Park.

But allergy doctors say with all of that snow melted, there's something else in the air sending allergies into overdrive.

"Lots of nutrients with all that water, we're seeing a lot of these tree pollens really, really high levels right now," said Dr. Doug McMahon with the Allergy and Asthma Center of Minnesota. "These are basically maximum peak tree pollen levels already this time, even though it's just really starting to warm up right now."

"I do tend to get some allergies every once in a while, but, yeah, I mean, that certainly comes with it. And I mean, when you weigh that and the Minnesota weather, Minnesota weather wins still. So we get a little allergy season but still great," said Chad Rivard of Minneapolis.

And with a warming climate, summer and fall allergies could be worse as well.

"The end of the season is normally when we see really the climate change more affect things where the snow doesn't come as early, it stays warmer and then the people with those weed allergies -- ragweed and hay fever -- normally will see that kinda linger longer than people normally have," said Dr. McMahon.

Fortunately, there are still little things you can do right now to lessen the impact allergies have on you or your family.

"If you've been outside a lot during the day, trying to shower in the evening -- rinse some of that off you. Trying to keep the windows shut. I know it's more fun to keep them open but trying to keep them shut if you have the pollens, especially at night is when the pollen counts get really high," said Dr. McMahon.

If you think you have allergies, doctors also recommend taking a test to find out what exactly you're allergic to. That way, a treatment plan can be made if needed, especially if you're allergic to more than one thing.

Allen Henry

Allen Henry is an Emmy Award-winning journalist who joined WCCO as a reporter in August 2022.

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Coronation festivities are about to begin across the Atlantic Ocean.

King Charles III will be crowned during a coronation ceremony that begins with a procession to Westminster Abbey at 4 a.m. CT Saturday. His second wife, Camilla, will be known as the Queen Consort.

RELATED: Camilla becomes queen, but without the sovereign’s powers

As sovereign, Charles will be the head of state of more than a dozen other countries, including Australia, Canada, Jamaica, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and others.

RELATED: King’s coronation draws apathy, criticism in former colonies

In order to celebrate the historic event, the Hennepin Avenue Methodist Church in Minneapolis will present an immersive musical experience to celebrate the historic royal event. Local musicians will perform a “Four Centuries of Coronation Music” concert.

The event starts at 7:30 p.m. Saturday.

Broadcast networks ABC, CBS and NBC as well as cable channels CNN and Fox News all plan live coverage starting at 5 a.m. EDT Saturday for the coronation. The outlets will also feature coverage on their digital platforms and streaming like Hulu+ Live TV.

RELATED: How (and when) to watch King Charles’ coronation in the United States

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A coronation concert will be held on Sunday; however, Americans won’t be able to watch performances by Lionel Richie and Katy Perry, which will only be available to audiences within the United Kingdom.

Charles automatically became King Charles III after his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, died last year at the age of 96. She had served as the Queen for 70 years and was Britain’s longest-reigning monarch. Her great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria, previously held the record, and reigned for 63 years and seven months.

RELATED: 10 things to know about Queen Elizabeth II’s life

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.

It might be Fido's turn to practice social distancing.

Seven cases of canine influenza have been confirmed in Minneapolis, according to state officials, after the virus infected 200 dogs in shelters last month. There have also been cases reported in Anoka and Carver Counties.

Dog-to-dog contact is the most common form of transmission.

North Loop and Uptown pups are especially at risk, according to Minneapolis Animal Care and Control and the Minnesota Board of Animal Health.

Canine flu can also spread to cats too, according to the state Board of Animal Health, though not to people.

Minneapolis dog owners are advised to avoid contact between dogs, and steer clear of areas where there are lots of dogs. Other precautions advised are:

Most dogs experience mild to moderate symptoms and recover in two to three weeks. However, there is a risk of more serious infections that could result in secondary conditions like pneumonia, which could be fatal. State and city animal health officials recommend getting treatment advice from a veterinarian.

More information is available at www.bah.state.mn.us

At the Lake of the Isles dog park, Clara Coleman of Minneapolis watched as her miniature poodle Bernie ran circles and dug a hole under a park bench. Bernie's young and healthy, she said, so Coleman isn't too worried about canine flu but she is keeping an eye out for news about the disease and is watching for symptoms.

Will Chandler said he has noticed a drop-off among weekday regulars at the Lake of the Isles park, and wondered if canine flu worries are keeping people and their dogs away.

Weekends are still pandemonium, he said, with people from all over the city coming to let their dogs run and play off-leash.

City of Minneapolis spokesperson Blair Foy said the city is posting signs at dog parks asking for people to minimize uncontrolled contact between dogs, but the parks will stay open for now.

Chandler said he planned to keep an eye out for symptoms but said it was going to be a challenge to keep his chihuahua-Dachshund mix Fletcher away from other dogs.

"Dogs have contact with each other. They're the social-est of animals," Chandler said. "They don't know social distancing."