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RACES TURTLE

The 59th year of the Nisswa Turtle Races kicks off on Wednesday, June 1! Registration starts at 1 p.m., and racing starts at 2 p.m. - rain or shine! For $5 you get to race a turtle and keep your commemorative Turtle Race button! The Official Turtle Track is located just behind the Chamber Welcome Center along the Paul Bunyan State Trail in downtown Nisswa.

The day starts with heat races, and those winners move on to race for the Grand Champion medal! All the winners receive great prizes from our fantastic Turtle Race sponsors. After the championship race, there are several specialty races: Resort Race, Tiny Tots Race, Out of State Race, Grandparents Race, and Locals Race. These are all included in your $5 fee - lots of fun to be had!

Mounted Eagles Therapeutic Horsemanship Program, a local nonprofit, provides the Turtle Wranglers and takes great care of our turtles throughout the season.

Make sure you mark Turtle Races on your calendar - it’s one you don’t want to miss!

FREEDOM DAYS

Nisswa is the place to be for the Independence Day weekend! July 3rd brings Freedom Days, Nisswa’s annual celebration of the red, white and blue. Throughout the day you can enjoy shopping, food, Water Wars, Turtle Races, and much, much more.

The highlight of the day is the Freedom Days Parade at 7 p.m. Visitors line both sides of the streets to watch the best parade around! Over 10,000 people come to Nisswa to celebrate with us. In 2022, we are extremely excited to bring you FIREWORKS! Come for the parade, and stay for a great fireworks show to celebrate the USA.

BBQ SMOKIN’ HOT FALL FESTIVAL &

Fall in Nisswa is always spectacular, with the everchanging leaves, warm sunshine and crisp air. Celebrate the change in seasons with the Nisswa Fall Festival & Smokin’ Hot BBQ on Saturday, September 17th, in downtown Nisswa!

The Nisswa Fall Festival has been a community tradition for 47 years. The day kicks off with a delicious pancake breakfast fundraiser with the Nisswa Fire Department. The activities throughout the day include a medallion hunt, petting zoo, cornhole tournament, kid’s activities, a craft sale and live music.

Enjoy the scents of delicious BBQ wafting through town as the competitors in the Smokin’ Hot BBQ prepare their best ribs for the judges and the public to taste. Get your VIP tickets to enjoy a great meal along with your ribs, or enjoy single ribs. It’s a great day to enjoy Nisswa with the whole family!

CITY OF LIGHTS FESTIVAL

Experience the magic of the holiday season in Nisswa! The Christmas season kicks off on Friday, November 25th, with the 41st annual Nisswa City of Lights Festival. Transport yourself into a holiday movie scene while you take in the sights and sounds of downtown Nisswa. There are hundreds of thousands of beautiful Christmas lights strung throughout town from the storefronts, trees, gazebo, park and beyond.

Bonfires are lit along the Paul Bunyan Trail to keep you warm, horse-drawn wagons take you around town to enjoy the sights, Santa is ready to hear your wishes and his reindeer are ready to meet you! Listen to a reading of “The Polar Express,” enjoy hot cocoa, take in a live nativity scene, and experience carolers throughout town.

The crown jewel of the evening is a fireworks show at 7:30 p.m. There isn’t a bad place to view the show downtown! Turn your eyes to the sky as the dazzling colors explode against a dark sky over a blanket of fresh snow. Cold weather fireworks are a must see!

Be sure to get your $5 commemorative City of Lights button that will also get you discounts at several area businesses through the end of the year! The Nisswa City of Lights Festival is always held the Friday after Thanksgiving.

EVENTS

BRAINERD JAYCEES ICE FISHING EXTRAVAGANZA

Saturday, January 29, 2022

Head outside to spend a few hours on the ice on Hole in the Day Bay on Gull Lake for the 32nd annual Brainerd Jaycees Ice Fishing Extravaganza. Thousands of anglers will again claim a hole in the ice off Highway 371 just south of downtown Nisswa from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 29, with hopes of catching a fish that will net them a big prize. Proceeds from the contest benefit area charities, most notably Confidence Learning Center. The Jaycees will launch a new virtual event a week earlier - America’s Ice Fishing Tournament will run from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, January 22, from any publicly accessible and icecovered body of water in the United States.

NISSWA WINTER JUBILEE

Friday-Sunday, February 18-20, 2022

Continue your celebration of winter and the outdoors by venturing to Nisswa for the 49th annual Nisswa Winter Jubilee! Enter the snow sculpture contest, search for the medallion, try your hand at the wood splitting contest, gather your friends for smoosh racing - the fun never ends! If outdoor winter fun isn’t for you, check out the bags tournament, live music and dancing at The Pickle Factory and the Nisswa American Legion. The Nisswa Fire Department hosts its annual fishing derby from 12-2 p.m. on Sunday on Nisswa Lake. The cost is just $5 per hole - a perfect family friendly fishing contest!

NISSWA 100 CROSS COUNTRY SNOWMOBILE RACE

Saturday-Sunday, February 26-27, 2022

New to Nisswa in 2022, the Nisswa 100 is part of the Cor PowerSports national cross country snowmobile race circuit. It will start and end both days on the Gull Lake ice at Grand View Lodge. The course will be a mixture of lake, ditches, woods and fields and approximately 50 miles long. A race that’s a combination of ice, ditches and woods is unique to the circuit. Local snowmobile racers are welcome to participate in the race too, and spectators will enjoy watching.

MISS NISSWA SCHOLARSHIP PAGEANT

Saturday, April 2, 2022

The Nisswa Youth Scholarship Organization will host the 50th annual Miss Nisswa Scholarship Pageant and 31st annual Little Miss Nisswa program on Saturday, April 2, at Nisswa Elementary School. Contestants from within a 10-mile radius around the Nisswa Chamber of Commerce compete in five areas: essay, talent, on-stage question, evening gown, and written essay. Little Miss Nisswa participants are second graders from Nisswa Elementary School. The Miss Nisswa winners appear around town at various events throughout the year, and receive scholarships of various amounts.

GULL LAKE FROZEN FORE

Friday-Sunday, February 25-27 2022

Another winter tradition is the Gull Lake Frozen Fore, a three-day celebration that combines snow golfing, dancing and eating on the frozen lake. The annual event will take place Friday-Sunday, February 25-27, at nine different locations around Gull Lake, including right on the ice! The outdoor weekend festival begins with the Frozen Flop to raise money for local charities, followed by live music at the tent party. Saturday’s events include a pancake breakfast, 9 holes of snow golf, a digital scavenger hunt, and a tent party to cap off the night. Sunday brings the Food Fest, where restaurants from the area compete in a cook off. Proceeds from the weekend benefit the Confidence Learning Center and The Outreach Program of Brainerd Lakes.

BRAINERD JAYCEES RUN FOR THE LAKES

Friday-Saturday, April 29-30, 2022

If you like running, consider participating in the 15th annual Brainerd Jaycees Run for the Lakes, which offers a marathon, half marathon, relay marathon, 10K and 5K races, as well as a 1K kids run. The full marathon course is certified by US Track and Field and is a Boston Marathon qualifier. No matter the length of race you choose, the route will take you through the beautiful scenery that Nisswa has to offer. All proceeds from the volunteer-run race are donated to nonprofits in the Nisswa area.

NISSWA CHOCOLATE WALK

Saturday, May 14, 2022

This delicious event brings participants to businesses throughout Nisswa to collect chocolate and chocolate themed treats handmade by artisans. Gather up your gang and be sure to grab tickets as soon as they go on sale. A portion of the proceeds is donated to local charities. This year, Wildflower Chocolate is hosting the 6th annual event!

NISSWA FIRECRACKER RUN UP NORTH

Sunday, July 3, 2022

The Nisswa Firecracker 10K, 5K and Kids Run will kick off Nisswa’s Freedom Days Celebration. Known for its laidback atmosphere, the Nisswa Firecracker Run Up North boasts a Slip n’ Slide, a bubble machine, crawfish boil and free PBR at the finish line. The race starts on Main Street in Nisswa and weaves through town on a scenic tour along Lower Cullen Lake, finishing at the Nisswa Community Center. A great race for the whole family!

LAKES JAM MUSIC FESTIVAL

Wednesday-Saturday, June 22-25, 2022

Country and rock fans alike will flock to Brainerd International Raceway for Lakes Jam, an annual outdoor music festival that unites fans of both music genres and of all ages for three days of great music. BIR, located between Nisswa and Baxter on Highway 371, is an excellent venue for this event. Headliners this year include Cole Swindell, Jon Pardi and Tesla.

LAKES AREA MUSIC FESTIVAL

August 2022

The Lakes Area Music Festival - established in 2009 by area resident Scott Lykins - returns for its 14th annual season in August 2022. The classical music festival connects the performers and audience through classical music and inspiring education. Performances range from chamber music and symphonic orchestra to productions of opera and ballet. Artists from the top orchestras and opera companies in the world, including the New York Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony and Metropolitan Opera, travel to central Minnesota. Concerts are scheduled over the first three weeks in August. More information can be found at lakesareamusic.org.

NISSWA CRAZY DAYS

Friday-Saturday, August 12-13, 2022

Nisswa retailers go a little crazy and offer crazy discounts during Nisswa Crazy Days. Merchandise lines the sidewalks and spills out onto the street as shoppers pack the town to browse for good buys. Whether you are looking for home decor, clothing, artwork, toys or shoes, there’s something for everyone! Come early to get the best deals before they are gone. This long-standing tradition is a can’t miss for locals and visitors alike!

PGA TOUR CANADA CRMC CHAMPIONSHIP GOLF TOURNAMENT

Monday-Sunday, August 22-28, 2022 Cragun’s Legacy Courses

Cragun’s Legacy Courses will host the first Mackenzie Tour tournament to be played on United States soil and the second PGA-sanctioned event in the state of Minnesota. This is a part of a series of tournaments played across Canada, and now Minnesota, with the top 10 money-winners at the end of the season earning Korn Ferry Tour status, which is a step below the PGA Tour. More information and tickets can be found at crmcchampionship.com

LUCAS OIL NHRA NATIONALS AT BRAINERD INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY

Thursday-Sunday, August 18-21, 2022

The Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals will attract thousands of race fans to Brainerd International Raceway, located just minutes from Nisswa. This event features the world’s best drag racers, fastest cars, the most loyal race fans and an experience like no other. At center stage are four days of ground-pounding, lightning fast, blow your mind drag racing at BIR - the fastest drag strip in the country.

GULL LAKE OKTOBERFEST

Saturday, October 1, 2022

The 11th annual Gull Lake Oktoberfest and Pub Crawl brings a fun, fall event to the lakes area. The event offers free shuttle service between participating locations, and lots of great music. Proceeds benefit the Confidence Learning Center, Sharing Bread Soup Kitchen and the local food shelf.