The New Normal

Members of the Bald Eagle Water Ski Show, based in Centerville, Minn., perform after the Parade of the Northwest on Detroit Lakes as part of the 85th Northwest Water Carnival in Detroit Lakes on July 18, 2021.

Despite ongoing COVID concerns, 2021 saw the return of many local festivals and events

By Vicki Gerdes | Editor, Guide to Becker County

After more than a year of canceled or postponed events due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, the lakes area slowly began to return to a ‘new normal’ in the summer of 2021.

The lakes area once again played host to a wide variety of entertaining opportunities for enjoying the arts, the outdoors and of course, all the region’s beautiful lakes and rivers, from the Northwest Water Carnival to the Street Faire at the Lakes, Tuesdays in the Park and the Becker County Fair.

Most summer festivals and concerts saw near-record attendance, and Detroit Lakes’ 150th birthday festivities were a big hit, as well, with the 150 Sails Up public art project, Heritage Fest and more drawing crowds to enjoy all the community had to offer. February’s Polar Fest was “super-sized” this year, with 17 days of winter fun serving as the finale to the city’s Sesquicentennial.

Regardless of the season, there are always trails to be found at local parks and nature preserves like Sucker Creek and Dunton Locks, for hiking, cross country skiing or simply enjoying nature up close and personal. There are also lots of quaint shopping boutiques and stores as well as coffee shops for you to stop, rest and meet some friends for a hot cup of java, espresso or an iced beverage of your choice — and our local restaurants have some pretty tasty food, as well.

A winter wonderland

During the winter, a village of fish houses takes over both Big and Little Detroit lakes, and snowmobilers will find over 250 miles of groomed trails winding their way through the woods and fields of Becker County.

At the 200-acre Detroit Mountain Recreation Area (detroitmountain.com), located just a few short miles southeast of Detroit Lakes, guests can enjoy a full range of winter activities, from downhill

and cross country skiing to tubing, fat tire biking and even a visit to their terrain park to try out your best snowboarding and skiing tricks.

Maplelag Resort (maplelag.com), located between Callaway and Richwood, offers almost 45 miles of cross country skiing and snowshoeing trails, an ice skating rink and sliding hill. Many of those trails remain open after the snow has melted, for mountain biking enthusiasts to enjoy.

Other area resorts offering snowmobiling, ice fishing, skiing and snowshoeing activities during the winter months include Rainbow Resort near Waubun (rainbowresort.com), Pinehurst Resort outside Naytahwaush (pinehurstmn. com) and Ice Cracking Lodge & Resort (icecrackinglodge.com) in rural Ponsford.

Fishing openers, bird watching and more

Once the ice is off the lakes and the snow has melted, area anglers begin to turn their thoughts to the annual Minnesota fishing opener, which will take place on May 14 this year.

Will the weather be friendly for anglers to catch their fill? Will the boat motor start? Will the pike and walleyes bite? Is there enough bait? Those questions will once again be on the minds of anglers and bait dealers as they ready for the season. Most answers won’t be known until shortly after Friday turns into Saturday at the stroke of midnight, when anglers can get onto their favorite lakes once more — and legally keep the northern pike, walleyes and sauger they catch.

Spring months can also find lakes area residents and visitors looking through the treetops for that one-of-a kind bird. The Detroit Lakes Festival of Birds, which turns 25 this year, is scheduled for May 19-21. Visit the festival’s Facebook page, call 800-542-3992 or contact the Detroit Lakes Regional Chamber of Commerce at dlchamber@VisitDetroitLakes. com for the latest information on this popular event.

Summer, which doubles the population of Detroit Lakes each year, brings iconic celebrations like the Northwest Water Carnival (dljaycees.com/ water-carnival-3), which has been hosted by the Detroit Lakes Jaycees for over eight decades, as well as the Becker County Fair (beckercountyfair.com), celebrating its 128th anniversary in 2023, and the Pine to Palm Golf Tournament (pine2palmgolf.com), established 90 years ago.

LEFT: The One Lunger 100 snowmobile races on Big Detroit Lake are among several winter recreational opportunities offered in the lakes area.

BELOW: Ben Collette of St. Paul, a boat host for the 2021 Minnesota Governor’s Fishing Opener, pulled a small northern pike out of Otter Tail Lake on the morning of Saturday, May 15.

The return of WE Fest

The granddaddy of all Minnesota music festivals, WE Fest returned to Detroit Lakes and the Soo Pass Ranch last year after a one-year absence, and new owner Matt Mithun is planning a renaissance for the 38-year-old country music festival that includes a return to its roots as a locally owned and operated event.

“We want to kind of bring back that personal touch...to make it a community event again,” Mithun said. “The partnerships and interaction with the community are a very important part of it (the festival).”

Mithun’s family has owned the 400acre ranch just south of Detroit Lakes for most of the festival’s 38-year run at the site, which made it a natural fit for him.

UPPER LEFT: WE Fest returned to Detroit Lakes’ Soo Pass Ranch in 2021, and is set to take place again on Aug. 4-6, 2022.

LOWER LEFT: The Detroit Lakes area is known for its colorful autumn displays, which can be enjoyed on foot, by bike or from behind the wheel of your car. UPPER RIGHT: The Grape Stomp Festival at Richwood Winery has been a lakes area fall tradition for more than 10 years now.

LOWER RIGHT: Lake Park has hosted a Parade of Trees on Thanksgiving weekend for more than 17 years; the 18th annual event is set for Nov. 24-27, 2022.

“My dad bought the Soo Pass 35 years ago, just a couple of years after the festival started,” Mithun said, “so we’ve been involved with it for a long time.”

The 2022 festival, which takes place Aug. 4-6, will feature headliners Jason Aldean, Miranda Lambert and Luke Bryan as well as Tanya Tucker, Lee Brice, Clay Walker and more.

Visit wefest.com for more information.

Explore the lakes area and its history

In addition to all the summer festivals, there are endless hiking, biking, swimming, boating and of course, golfing opportunities available for visitors at any time, from Memorial Day to Labor Day and on into the fall months.

Detroit Lakes boasts 412 lakes within 25 miles, including two inside its city limits — Big and Little Detroit — as well as a mile-long city beach that is one of the community’s biggest summer attractions. In addition, Becker County boasts more than a half dozen golf courses, with most of them within a 20-minute drive of Detroit Lakes. As previously mentioned, nearby Dunton Locks and Sucker Creek provide opportunities for hiking and exploring, as do the Tamarac and Hamden Slough national wildlife refuges. Maplewood and Itasca state parks are also just a short drive or bike ride away.

History buffs may want to stroll through the Veterans Memorial Park in downtown Detroit Lakes (at the junction of Washington Avenue and Highway 10), which contains plaques and monuments celebrating area war veterans past and present; the Grand Army of the Republic Park located just a couple blocks north of Highway 10 on Washington Avenue, which is one of just a handful of GAR parks still in existence across the USA; and Oak Grove Cemetery, located just north of town on Highway 59, which boasts a Civil War monument erected more than a century ago.

Richwood Winery, located just to the east of the tiny hamlet of Richwood and 17

miles north of Detroit Lakes, offers opportunities for guests to sample a variety of vintages while relaxing in the bucolic setting. The winery has live music every weekend through the summer, and also hosts several fun events including the Summer Solstice Festival, Toast to Tamarac (a benefit for the nearby refuge hosted by the Friends of Tamarac); and the Grape Stomp, which has become a fall tradition. Visit richwoodwinery.com or check out their Facebook page for updates.

Labor Day weekend brings two popular area events, the Western Minnesota Steam Threshers Reunion (Sept. 2-5), which has been bringing steam engine lovers and old-school farming enthusiasts to the tiny community of Rollag (rollag.com) for more than six decades, and the Laddies Loppet Mountain Bike Stage Race at Maplelag (maplelag.com), which will celebrate its 31st anniversary on Sept. 3.

Fall festivals & leaf peeping

Speaking of Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge, the nature area typically plays host to well over 3,000 area grade school students between September and May. The refuge’s environmental education facility, the Discovery Center, offers indoor and outdoor learning opportunities with experienced and well-trained volunteers from the Friends of Tamarac.

Tamarac also hosts annual events like a fall festival, where guests are invited to explore the confines of the refuge by bus, by car or on foot, as well as to participate in a series of organized, environmentally-themed activities for the whole family, all free of charge. Food, memorabilia and other goods are available for purchase at the festival site as well as in the gift shop at the Visitor’s Center.

In addition, fall brings the 26th Annual Dick Beardsley Run (Sept. 10) and Damien Fall Home Tour (Oct. 1) in Detroit Lakes, along with Lake Park’s popular Pumpkin Fest and the Hairy Man 5K in Vergas, an homage to the legendary, Bigfoot-like Hairy Man that is said to wander the Vergas trails at night. There’s also Leaf Days at Maplewood State Park, along with many other opportunities for viewing the area’s beautiful fall colors in September and October.

As fall gives way to winter, the Historic Holmes Theatre’s (dlccc.org/holmes-theatre.html) new season ramps up with its annual Holmes Art Show in November, which brings dozens of area artisans to the Holmes Ballroom during the day, while offering a variety of live music in the main theater at night.

Spend your holidays at the lakes

Come Thanksgiving weekend, Holy Rosary Church in Detroit Lakes hosts its annual Community Feast on Thanksgiving Day, which is also the opening day of Lake Park’s annual Parade of Trees at the American Legion, running through the following Sunday, Nov. 27. That weekend is also typically the ski season opener at Detroit Mountain.

December brings a plethora of seasonal celebrations both public and private to the lakes area, with events like Rock & Roll Christmas at the Holmes and Advent Mini-Concerts at First Lutheran Church, among many others.

As the local Chamber of Commerce likes to say, it’s all here, all year.

WATERON.POWERON. PROTECT ALWAYS.

Intheseuncertaintimes,DetroitLakesPublicUtilitywillcontinuetobe asafe, reliablesourceofpower andwater,fromthepeopleyou knowand cancounton. We areresolved, reliableandreadytoserveyou.