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IMPACT2024
Community events, whether they are held for one day or for several days, make an impact on our community. This year’s Impact magazine will feature just a few of the events that have made their mark not just on local residents, but also the impact they have made on the economy through money spent on food, gas and lodging.
Nicole Fernholz, executive director of the Alexandria Area Economic Development Commission, said tourism and special events play a crucial role in the community.
“Special events attract visitors and generate tourism interest and spending. But I think it’s more than that,” Fernholz said. “The events hosted in our area not only bring people and revenue
into our community, but they also have a lasting effect on our residents. Each event that draws people to our community provides the opportunity for us to host these tourists and feel a sense of pride for our community.”
Fernholz also said that events have shown to boost local spending at our businesses, and those dollars circulate within our area.
This year’s Impact magazine will feature six local events that have made their mark – their impact – on this community. Some have been around for decades, while others are newer.
We know that there are many other events held each year in our community, like all the town festivals – Brandon Summerfest, Garfield Days,
Miltona Tornado Days, Parkers Prairie Fall Festival, Evansville Red, White and Boom Days, Kensington Runestone Days, Osakis Fest and more.
There are other events, too, that make an impact on our community – Saturday Art Market, Farmers Market, Legacy of the Lakes Boat Show, Polar Plunge, Community Night Out, Concerts on the Courthouse Lawn, the new Sounds of Summer by Brophy, Relay for Life, Christmas in the Fort and the holiday light parade, races at Vikingland Speedway and many more.
The ones we focused on for this year’s impact are Art in the Park, Douglas County Fair, Vikingland Band Festival, State Trap Shoot, Resorters Golf Tournament and the Grape Stomp.
Our hope is that when you read through this magazine, it will bring back some fond memories of attending these events over the years and the impact they may have had on you.
Celeste Edenloff, Impact Editor
Celeste Edenloff, Editor
Lori Mork, Designer
GRAPE STOMP
Est. 2000
The Grape Stomp Festival began in 2000. It was originally named the Minnesota Food and Wine Festival and was started by the Johnson Family, the previous owners of Carlos Creek Winery, according to current owner, Michelle Bredeson. Bredeson and her husband, Tyler, own Bold North Cellars, which includes Carlos Creek Winery, 22 Northmen Brewing Company, The Grand Hall and Stoke and Sizzle.
“It is one of the most anticipated weekends of the year for our staff and we all love creating this fun weekend for our community and visitors,” said Bredeson. “We thank the entire community for all the support from security, safety, services, bathrooms to attending and participation. We couldn’t do it without all of you!”
She added that this event is a collaborative planning effort amongst their entire fulltime staff. They all play a role in the planning and execution of the event, she said.
Here is a little more about the Grape Stomp Festival as shared by Bredeson:
Q: How has it changed over the years?
A: Many things have changed over the years. In the early days, we would do an “I Love Lucy” re-enactment of the famous Italian women scene. In 2015, we added beer and in 2019, we added our beer from 22 Northmen.
The stomping competition used to be held inside our event center when it was still a dirt floor. Now, the stomping is located outside on a large wood stage built atop a trailer. The attendance has fluctuated over the years from around 8,000 to 10,000 up to 16,000 in its busiest year.
Q: On average, what is your daily attendance or overall attendance for your event?
A: Friday and Sunday is around 2,000 to 3,000 guests each day and on Saturday we see around 8,000 to 10,000 depending on the weather. Over the course of the weekend we see between 12,000 and 16,000 in attendance.
Q: How do you feel this event has impacted the community over the years?
A: I think overall, it brings new people to our community on a weekend that otherwise would not be a big tourism weekend, helping to support local boutiques, restaurants and lodging. We see many ladies groups year after year that make this their annual girls weekend destination, developing a relationship with Alexandria as their meet-up spot.
Q: Do you have any stats as it relates to impact on the local economy?
A: If you base tourist spending on the average tourism spent in Minnesota you would be at around an economic impact of $170 per person. If we assume that of the 14,000 people (on average), 50% of them are tourists, we would be looking at an average economic impact to the Alexandria community of close to $1.2 million over the weekend. Also, during the festival we have around 100 employees working the festival, plus an additional 300 vendors creating jobs, tax revenue and spending.
DOUGLAS COUNTY FAIR
Est. 1874
The Douglas County Fairground Association organized in 1874. They formed because they wanted to host an annual fair, said Molly Maudal, a second generation Douglas County Fair Board member. She is one of 15 directors for the Douglas County Ag Association, which runs the annual fair.
In 1888, Maudal said the Douglas County Ag Society filed letters of incorporation and took over the fair. However, in 1900, the Ag Society disbanded and fairs ceased for some time.
Then, in 1907, a community fair was held in the town of Nelson. Then, in 1911, the Douglas County Ag Association was formed and the Alexandria Commercial Club brought a street fair back to Alexandria.
Maudal said that in 1915, plans began to find a permanent location for the fair to be held each year and in 1924, the lease with the City of Alexandria began for the current location of the fairgrounds.
In 1938, the Grandstand Project was undertaken by W.P.A. said Maudal and in 1946, the fair was postponed until September because of the polio epidemic. She said in 1950, harness races were replaced with stock car races and in 1969, the 4-H Auction was added to the fair.
She also shared some of the key players that made an impact by getting the fair started in Douglas County.
The fair started as an agricultural, cattle and horse fair. The 1888 Douglas County Ag Society was started by F.C Meade of Hudson Township, John Landeen of Ida Township, B.W. Blakesley of Lake Mary Township, Mathias Kline of Belle River Township, Jacob Kahlhaas of Carlos Township, J.F. Dicken of LaGrande Township, D.E. Robinson of Lake Mary Township, N.N. Hardy, Frank Reynolds, Fred Von Baumbach, C. R. Letson and G. W. Robards all of Alexandria. The first officers of the new Douglas County Agricultural Association were T.A. Erickson, president; F.C Meade, vice president; George L. Treat, secretary; and G.A. Kortsch, treasurer. Shortly thereafter, 4-H was introduced as a vital part of the fair exhibitions.
Here is a little more about the Douglas County Fair as shared by Maudal:
Q: How has it changed over the years?
A: The fair used to run Thursday through Sunday, but a few years ago the board decided to change it to Wednesday through Saturday. This allows those starting college to get to school and exhibitors to get their projects home and start prepping for the Minnesota State Fair.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Brad Brejcha – President
Jim Kokett – Vice President
Kevin Brezina – Treasurer
Sharon Seibel – Secretary
Don Kleine – Director
Pete Fernholz – Director
Keith Englund – Director
Darla Engstrom – Director
Jerry Peper – Director
Molly Maudal – Director
Julie Bosek – Director
Brad Schmidt – Director
Maudal currently works with marketing for the fair, along with social media and she oversees the overall fair schedule. She also works with the committee that plans the concert for Saturday at the fair. This is her fourth year on the fairboard, but she said she grew up active in 4-H and FFA and was a regular attendee at the Douglas County Fair.
Lisa Hynes – Director
Aaron Williams – Director
Janet Schiltgen - Director
In 2023, we brought in a National Act for a concert – we are working on offering another concert in 2024.
Q: On average, what is your daily attendance or overall attendance for your event?
A: In 2023, we had 53,400 attendees –largest attendance in over 10 years! We typically average around 50,000 attendees. It is currently the 12th highest attended fair of 80+ fairs in the state.
Q: How do you feel this event has impacted the community over the years?
A: I think of the fair as the last hoorah before school starts – it’s the culmination of summer. We have been able to support local musicians, provide a place for more than 600 local youth (2023 numbers) to exhibit their livestock and static exhibits. Local businesses can share
DOUGLAS COUNTY FAIR
Continued on 21
RESORTERS GOLF TOURNAMENT
Est. 1922
The Resorters Golf Tournament was conceived by members of the Alexandria community and the Alexandria Golf Club in 1921. The first tournament took place in 1922.
It was started as a way to promote the beautiful Alexandria area with its vast number of lakes and recreational opportunities, according to Jerry Rose, Resorters chairman since 2016. Rose has played in the Resorters since 1975.
He said the very first champions of the first tournament were Harry Legg, a preeminent national amateur player from Minnesota, and Elenore Lightner, who won the first state championship organized by the Women’s Minnesota Golf Association in 1915.
The Resorters Golf Tournament gathered momentum in the early years of the event. In 1938, the Minneapolis Journal identified the Alexandria tournament as “America’s largest golf tournament,” said Rose.
“The event has always attracted many of the premier amateur golfers in the state and region and it is recognized as 2nd longest consecutively running match play event in the country, behind the North & South Amateur Tournament in Pinehurst, North Carolina,” Rose said. “It is now the largest match play event conducted in the United States – quite an honor for a community the size of Alexandria.”
EXECUTIVE TEAM
Kyle Lee – Head Golf Pro
Ashley Lee – Operations Manager
Jeremy Holmstrom – Food & Beverage Manager
Donnacha 0’Connor – Course Superintendent Board of Directors
Randy Johnson – President
Larry Novotny – Vice-President and Membership Chair
Jenny Odland – Secretary
Kevin Cattoor – Treasurer
Doug Dobmeier – Food & Beverage Chair
George Crist – Greens Committee Chair
Andrea Allyn – Golf Committee
Steve Black – Golf Committee
Jerry Rose – Resorters Chair and Little Darling Chair
Here is a little more about the tournament as shared by Rose:
Q: How has it changed over the years?
A: Like all long-running events, the Resorters has gone through numerous changes through its history. For many years, there were only two divisions in the tournament – a men’s and women’s championship. In an effort to appeal to a broader group of golfers, a number of new divisions have been added as follows:
Senior Men’s Division (50 years of age and older) was added in 1965
Men’s Executive Division (35 years of age and older) was added in 1985
Junior Division (10 – 15 years of age) was added in 1990
Women’s Executive Division (35 years of age and older) was added in 1992
Men’s Master Division (65 years of age and older) was added in 1995
Men’s Grand Master Division (75 years of age and older) was added in 2019
In recent years, the Resorters Golf Tournament has invested heavily in infrastructure – signage, bleachers, electronic scoring, concessions, tournament merchandise – and special events – Long-Drive Contest, Putting Contest, Champion’s Dinner, Pro-Am, Awards Ceremony – to give the event a “PGA Pro Tournament” appearance and feel for both participants and spectators.
RESORTERS GOLF TOURNAMENT
Continued on 20
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STATE TRAP SHOOT
Est. 2009
The first statewide trap shooting competition was held in 2009. Minnesota started the event. It was started to help give kids an opportunity to compete statewide in a sport they love, according to Tyler Notch, co-owner and general manager of the Alexandria Shooting Park.
What started with close to a dozen student athletes has grown now to more than 8,000 shooters plus more than 30,000 people over a nine-day period, he said.
“The partnership we’ve been able to form with the USA Clay Target League has helped bring the largest shooting event in the country to Alexandria,” said Notch.
He added that the staff at the Alexandria Shooting Park encourages all residents of the community to go and check out what he called an amazing event.
“We host the largest shoot in the country right in our backyard and we’d love to continue growing our park to host events like this and many others,” Notch said. “We realize we can’t do it alone and it takes a community to achieve true growth. Take a day, grab a corn dog and enjoy some trap shooting!”
Q: How has it changed over the years?
A: We have seen this event grow from just a few student athletes to being the largest shooting event in the country. We continue to see trap be a sport that epitomizes safety and standards, which has helped with the continued growth of the sport. Close to 340 teams now compete in the sport across the state.
Q: On average, what is your daily attendance or overall attendance for your event?
A: We have 8,200 shooters and close to 30,000 people attend the event over nine days.
Q: How do you feel this event has impacted the community over the years?
A: It’s been a great event for our community over the years. The amount of people that get to come and experience how great Alexandria is, only benefits us as a community. At Alexandria Shooting Park we plan to continue building stronger relationships with our community so that we can continue to showcase our great people and places.
OWNERSHIP GROUP
Steve Gould – Owner and President
Garrett Streitz – Owner and Vice President
Zachary Johnson – Owner and Treasurer
Tyler Notch – Owner, Secretary and General Manager
Tom Townsend – Owner
VIKINGLAND BAND FESTIVAL
Est. 1985
TThe Vikingland Band Festival has been a summer staple since 1985. It came to fruition after a seemingly perfect convergence of talents of three individuals who were in the right place at the right time.
Those three individuals were:
Jim Clayton – a band booster president and Chamber of Commerce executive who was always dreaming of ways to promote the band and the community.
John Anderson – a young band director who was quickly leading the Alexandria band to prominence.
Ken Martinson – an energetic band student and part-time Chamber employee who was determined to have a big parade in his hometown.
Martinson said, “I was the organizer, Jim was the dreamer, and John knew how to make sure we treated bands well.”
In 1982-83, Martinson was a first-year student in the marching band, which would travel to parades in other towns.
“I kept thinking, ‘Alexandria should have a big parade like this,’ ” he said.
At the time, Martinson was working at the Chamber and the Runestone Museum. When plans were being made for the Harvest Festival parade in September, Martinson said he started calling band directors to recruit them to come to Alexandria.
“They had no idea they were talking to a 15-year-old kid – and my boss had no idea I was making these calls!” he said. “But I was determined to see marching bands in my hometown. We had four bands in that 1983 parade.”
Apparently September was not a good time for marching bands since it was the beginning of school. So, Martinson said in 1984, they moved the parade to June and called it the Viking Days Parade. There were 10 bands that year.
“We knew we had found the right time,” said Martinson. “And then that’s when Jim Clayton wanted to bring his dream to life and make it a bands-only parade. In 1985, we launched the Vikingland Band Festival and it quickly became the most prestigious event of the summer.”
Martinson also noted that the festival’s origins are deeply rooted in the Alexandria Public Schools band program and that the Vikingland Band Festival is considered the Alexandria Marching Band’s “home tournament.”
Martinson said even today that a current high school band director always works closely with the event and that the organizing committee is largely composed of current or former music teachers, band students and band parents.
Here is a little more about the festival as shared by Martinson:
Q: How has it changed over the years?
A: The festival has evolved over four decades but the foundational elements are still the same – the focus is on the bands, with music education and team spirit at the forefront. And Alexandria’s beautiful, wide main street is still the best venue in the state to showcase marching band performances. Another thing that has not changed – there continues to be incredible community support for the festival. Businesses and organizations know the Vikingland Band Festival is among the most well-known events in Alexandria and one of longestrunning events in the state.
CELEBRATING 40 YEARS
The Vikingland Band Festival is known as the state championship for summer parade bands. Earning a championship title in Alexandria becomes a significant part of a band’s history. Bands proudly display their Grand Champion and Class Champion flags in their band rooms and trophy cases, even if those awards had been won years and decades ago.
In honor of the 40th annual event this year, Martinson said they are digging through archives and posting videos of memorable performances on the Marching.com YouTube channel. Find the YouTube link and other historic information at VikinglandBandFestival.com.
ART IN THE PARK
Est. 1977
Art in the Park, which began as an idea to highlight local artists and raise funds for the Alexandria Area Arts Association held its first event in 1977.
Christine Reilly, executive director of the Andria Theatre, said to this day, the two-day event remains a fundraising event for the theater.
She said it was the board of directors for what was known back then as the AAAA, is the group of folks that came up with the idea. The AAAA no longer exists and has now become known as just the Andria Theatre, which is a nonprofit organization.
This year’s event will take place Saturday, July 27 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, July 28, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Vendor applications are currently being accepted for this year’s event; find them at andriatheatre.org
Here is a little more about the event as shared by Reilly:
Q: How has it changed over the years?
A: Andria Theatre’s Art in the Park has really grown over the years and become an event that draws people of all ages and interests. The variety of art and hand-crafted items has continued to expand including painting, pottery, photography, woodworking, jewelry, hand sewn items, soaps, candles, food and so much more.
As the event grew, food vendors were added as well as entertainment. Musical artists and dancers are highlighted on stage throughout each day with a new act every hour. Experiences and activities have been added as well. Face painting, caricatures and painting have been popular.
Q: On average, what is your daily attendance or overall attendance for your event?
A: On average, 20,000 people attend annually.
Q: How do you feel this event has impacted the community over the years?
A: Many people have made it an annual tradition to attend Andria Theatre’s Art in the Park with friends and family. It is a free event to attend at City Park. The event certainly brings many people from out of town to Alexandria. Many visitors and artists and food vendors are staying in local hotels, at resorts or campgrounds. They enjoy other attractions in Alexandria, too, such as the Saturday Art Market, downtown shopping and local restaurants. Last year art vendors came from Minnesota, Wisconsin, North and South Dakota, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Iowa.
ANDRIA THEATRE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Carolyn Giannone – President
Daylon Faber – Vice-President
Beth Staples – Secretary
Heather Hjelle – Treasurer
Bonnie Bina
Kim Taylor
Jennifer Klecker
Mike Ardito
Marilee Ardito
RESORTERS GOLF TOURNAMENT
Continued from page 11
The Resorters has become one of the most sought-after entries for golfers from all over the country as we now receive more than 600 entries the day registration opens on April 15 each year. In 2022, we had competitors from 35 different states playing in the event.
Q: On average, what is your daily attendance or overall attendance for your event?
A: We don’t track attendance as there is no charge for spectators to come enjoy the fun events during Resorters week and watch some terrific golf. That said, it is not uncommon to have upwards of a thousand people scattered around the course enjoying the golf, the great food and the exciting events each day. On finals Saturday, when the Resorters Champions from each division are crowned, the crowds are tremendous, and it is an exciting atmosphere at Alexandria Golf Club. Each year, we have more than 250 Alexandria Golf Club member volunteers that serve during Resorters week to make the event special for participants and spectators alike.
Q: How do you feel this event has impacted the community over the years?
A: Our goal as a tournament committee is to do everything possible to drive a positive impact for Douglas County – both financially for our local businesses and for the image of our community. As the tournament participation demand has grown in recent years, we have worked with our local businesses to get them more involved and to provide added exposure and revenue opportunities. Three years ago, we developed a terrific partnership with Geneva Golf Club to increase our total Resorters entry capacity which gives added income opportunities to local businesses and enhances the tax revenues for our community. Our primary objective is to continue to make the Resorters one of the premier amateur events in the country.
As we complete the construction of The Little Darling par 3 course later this year, this exciting new addition to AGC and the Alexandria community will become the venue for a national Pee-Wee (ages 9 and under) Resorters Tournament. We believe this event will draw young competitors and their families to our community from all over the United States and serve to only enhance opportunities for local businesses while showcasing the beautiful Alexandria area.
Q: Do you have any stats as it relates to impact on the local economy?
A: Although we have never surveyed participants regarding total expenditures during the Resorters, we have done estimates on additional revenues the annual event generates for our community. Based on the national weekly average expenditures by tourists in the United States, we believe the tournament generates between $1.5 and $2 million in incremental revenues for our area.
Rose also said, “We are grateful for the outstanding support of our city leaders, our community residents and our 250 member volunteers who make the Resorters the incredible event it has become. In addition, we are thankful to our management team at AGC who help ensure the execution of the Resorters Tournament is world class.”
WHO OWNS THE FAIR?
The Douglas County Fair is owned and operated by the Douglas County Agricultural Association, not Douglas County government.
“We often get questions about why we need to charge for gate admission – this is a big part of the reason,” said Maudal. “Year round, we have grounds to maintain, utilities to pay, etc. We appreciate all the support we get from our sponsors and continue to strive to have as much free entertainment as possible once you’re in our gates.”
To stay up to date on fair events and entertainment – follow us on Facebook or Instagram or watch our website, dcmnfair.com. If you are interested in being a vendor or sponsor, email info@dcmnfair.com or call 866-656-FAIR. You can also reach out via email, phone or to any board members if you wish to become a member of the Douglas County Agricultural Association.
DOUGLAS COUNTY FAIR
Continued from page 9
their services and goods with fair-goers. We strive to provide historical experiences, capture elements of fairs from years ago, while also offering entertainment to all ages. In 2023, we also were able to be part of a child’s Make-A-Wish experience.
Q: Do you have any stats as it relates to impact on the local economy?
A: Last year we paid over $17,000 in ribbon premiums to 4-H, FFA and Open Class exhibitors – those are local dollars that then circulate in our community. We spend about $26,000 in advertising and promotion efforts and most of those dollars go to local businesses. Last year we spent over $40,000 on entertainment – most of which was with mostly local entertainers.
The University of Minnesota Extension Tourism Center did a study titled Cultural and Economic Contribution of the Beltrami County Fair in 2019. The number of vendors and exhibitors that Douglas County has is greater than that of Beltrami County. When considering average vendor revenue, average cost per animal exhibited and average dollar amount spent per fairgoer per day, the economic impact to Douglas County is well over $3 million annually.
BANK LOCAL
VIKINGLAND BAND FESTIVAL COMMITTEE
The committee meets throughout the year. In addition, dozens of volunteers assist on the days surrounding the event.
Greg DeGier – Committee Chair
Rhonda Blaser – Coordinator
Ken Martinson – Co-Founder
Dan Haglin – Treasurer
Jennie Engle – High School Operations
Dave Nelson – Street Operations
Kim Nelson – Banners/Tabloid Distribution
Jeff Meland – Judging Operations
Todd Blaser – Parade Operations
Nick Mason, Matt Pasch and Derek Ziemer – Band Directors
BAND FESTIVAL
Continued from page 17
Some things are different – the bands perform more elaborate productions with multiple formation changes, more challenging color guard choreography and more difficult percussion rhythms. Another noticeable difference is that the bands are smaller and there are fewer bands active in the summer as they have weathered challenges such as budget cuts and schedule changes that affect school music programs, increased expectations for students to attend summer sports camps and more activities in general that compete for students’ time.
Additionally, the festival was originally housed as a special project of the Chamber of Commerce, but since 2012 the Vikingland Band Festival has operated as an independent 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization.
Q: On average, what is your daily attendance or overall attendance for your event?
A: The parade itself includes an average of 1,000-2,000 performers, and draws an additional 5,000-10,000 spectators. The record attendance was likely the 10th annual event in 1994, when an estimated 20,000-30,000 spectators were on hand for an extra special lineup that included a U.S. Marine Band from South Carolina as well as bands from Colorado, Iowa and Saskatchewan. The 2016 festival was also above average with a big lineup that included three bands from Canada including the Calgary Stampede Showband.
Q: How do you feel this event has impacted the community over the years?
A: The festival has introduced the beautiful community of Alexandria to generations of music students, and not just from Minnesota. Bands have traveled to Alexandria from seven states, three Canadian provinces and Norway.
By nature, a parade builds community and you’ll see spectators of all ages lining the route. The Vikingland Band Festival is free to attend, it’s joyful and it showcases the best of youth and music.
Q: Do you have any stats as it relates to impact on the local economy?
A: Jim Clayton had community impact in mind, and he was always looking for ways to bring people to Alexandria at times other than peak weekends such as Independence Day. That is one reason we selected the last Sunday of June.
The Chamber conducted an economic study many years ago, and at that time the estimated impact was well into six figures. Even today, I smile when talking to staff at local businesses who say, “band festival Sunday is our biggest day of the year.” The impact is real. After the parade you’ll see clusters of buses in the parking lots near I-94 food and service businesses.
Jim Clayton
1994 Grand Marshal Jon Anderson 1994 Grand Marshall
Ken Martinson 1994 Grand Marshall
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