The Blue Collar BBQ and Arts Fest includes three blocks of fun — over 26 vendors, 12 hours of music, and a host of competitions and family activities throughout the day. (Photo courtesy of the Paradise Center for the Arts)
By PAT GARRY Guest Contributor
M
any Minnesota communities roll out the welcome mats all summer long, with events and activities that entice visitors and locals alike. If you’re putting together the family’s summer calendar, here’s a good start. Whether you seek culture, community, or comfort food, these amazing events prove that small towns, everywhere around you, know how to throw big celebrations. With quirky traditions you won’t find anywhere else, local
culinary specialties, and parades down Main Streets; community festivals bring out the best in small towns and make for one-of-a-kind experiences for visitors. Check these out!
Winona - 75th-Annual Steamboat Days (June 15-19); this is Winona’s annual community wide celebration! Enjoy five days of carnival, live music, a grande parade and fireworks. Join in on a week full of fun. Winona pays homage to its roots as a bustling Mississippi River port, with Steamboat Days – a celebration that makes the city hum with excitement. A carnival midway, nightly live music, races, food galore, a grand parade, and fireworks are just a few of the reasons people flock to town for the annual event. The 35th-Annual Winona Dixieland Festival; this is at LaCanne Park Pavilion on July 30, from Noon – 5:00 p.m. Band schedule: Noon-1:30, Les Fields and
the Turkey River All Stars; 1:45 – 3:15, Midwest Banjo Band; 3:30 – 5:00, Gate City Jazz Band; Great Dakota Gathering; (September 7-8) at Unity Park by East Lake; Winona honors its history as the ancestral home of the Dakota tribe each fall, with the Great Dakota Gathering, an event that invites tribal members to come to Winona for several days to share their stories, their beliefs, and their rich cultural heritage. Boats & Bluegrass Festival; (September 22-25) at Prairie Island Campground; set on the banks of the Mississippi River, the Boats & Bluegrass Festival has become iconic among music aficionados for its jaw-dropping lineups that extend for three days and feature some of the Midwest’s favorite bluegrass and folk performers. Musicians from across the country round out the roster of more than 40 bands set to take the stage.
A dragon (handled by Shriners) shoots smoke at audiences along the curb. (Anne Kopas/ The Kenyon Leader) ADD YOUR EVENT FOR FREE TO THE SOMINN SCENE CALENDAR. GO TO W W W. S O U T H E R N M I N N . C O M / S O U T H E R N _ M I N N _ S C E N E / & C L I C K + P R O M O T E Y O U R E V E N T
Peterson - visit all of the Peterson summer events; find anything you are looking for on June 17-18 at the 4th annual 60-Mile Garage Sale. All nine towns along the Root River & Harmony-Preston Valley State Bike Trails are teaming up to put on a garage sale that is over 60 miles along. Each town will have a listing on Google maps of all of the houses and businesses that will be having garage and sidewalk sales. Make sure to stop and try the unique restaurants or stores along your way. Gammel Dag Fest; (Saturday, June 25) this is Peterson’s chance to share the traditions of the city founders and be part of all school reunion celebration. Those traditions - lovely foods and folk art, are again popular all over this region - so come and share the fun and enjoy the longest day of the year - midsummer… CONTINUED page 10
A line of Minn-E-Rods ready to pull tractors at Giant Days. (Carson Hughes/ southernminn.com) W W W. S O U T H E R N M I N N SCENE. C O M
| JUNE 2022
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