Small Town Celebrations

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

Many 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.

Peterson - visit all of the Peter-

son 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

Riders on the Soarin ride at Giant Days lift off into the sky. A number of amusement park rides came to Giant Days for the event’s first carnival in over a decade. (Carson Hughes/southernminn.com)

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Owatonna - GEM Days; (July 21-24) join all for this fun summer time event;

Ice Cream Social & Old Car Cruise-In, Crazy Days Sidewalk Sales, Kiddie Parade, Food Vendors, Music, and more. Smokin’ In Steele; after missing two years due to the pandemic, the Smokin’ in Steele BBQ and Blues Festival returns in 2022 to the Steele County Fairgrounds on June 3-4. The event features professional and amateur BBQ competitions, music, a car show, and food vendors. Profits benefit the Owatonna Area Special Olympics and other local charities. The Festival was started in 2008 and is proudly presented by Owatonna Knights of Columbus Council 945. It is a 100% charitable fundraiser, primarily benefiting the Steele County Chapter of The Special Olympics, and Let’s Smile, INC, providing dental care for underprivileged youth in Steele Co. There is an Amateur Competition and Kid’s Q event. Over the event, there will be 3 regional blues acts on the Park Square stage for free, and 5 national touring blues acts in the beer garden for an all weekend admission price of $10. There will also be food vendors in Park Square and full bar service in the beer garden.

Houston - Houston Hoedown Days;

a top-ten Minnesota celebration, this is always the last full weekend in July (this year, July 29-31); It kicks-off with a kiddie parade on Friday afternoon. From there, it’s a full weekend packed with food, tractor pulls, kids’ activities, car shows, a flea market, a softball tournament, live music at the fest grounds-nightly, craft beer tasting, grand parade, and much more.

Lakeville - Lakeville Pan-O-Prog

(Panorama of Progress); this tremendous festival runs July 4-10. The celebration includes a multitude of events for a wide range of ages. Just a few of the events include Cruise Night, Art on the Lawn, Music in the Park, Baby Crawla-Thon, Ice Cream Social, Pet Show, Big Wheel Race, and the Grand Parade.

Kenyon - the Kenyon Rose Fest takes place on the 3rd weekend of Au-

gust (this year it is August 19-21); there are street dances on Friday and Saturday nights, town-wide garage sales, book sales, a vendors and farmers market, an amazing car show on Saturday; followed by a parade at 4 p.m., which features the always exciting Shriner Units. There are plenty of food vendors for the weekend and activities for all ages. Some of the family fun activities include Bingo and a free Pool Party Friday night; Saturday includes a kids’ tractor pull and an all-ages dance in the evening. The festivities also boast many tours and wine tasting at the historic Gunderson House; and a 5K run.

Red Wing - River City Days is

August 5-7; this is Red Wing’s premier summer festival and features many family friendly events, including free, live entertainment, arts & crafts, a parade, Taste of Red Wing, tournaments, pancake breakfast, beer tent, Sidewalk Daze and much more. River City Days in Red Wing is one of the summer’s best festivals! It’s free to attend and all the great bands are also free-no cover charge. It is great food, music and fun, so get these dates on your calendar.

Stewartville - Stewartville Sum-

merfest (June 29-July 4); at Bear Cave Park; Summerfest is the largest celebration of the year in Stewartville, and it is hosted by The Stewartville Area Chamber of Commerce. It’s the best time of year to catch up with family and friends, as many come back to celebrate in their home town. There is something for everyone during these days of intense fun.

Le Sueur - The Giant Celebration

in Le Sueur (August 5, 6, & 7); it is held in the American Legion Park. Giant Celebration is a three-day community event and is a funfilled weekend. All three days there are many activities planned for young and old. This years events include: Friday opening at 5 with a midway and mini-rods at six. Music starts after they are done around 7 kicking off with the fiddler and main event with Hitchville! Sat we have a fun run in the morning followed by a kids dance team! Magician at 11 Polka band at noon Live entertainment to follow with the main event being Arch Allies a 80’s cover band Fireworks at dusk Sunday we host one of the biggest and best parades in Minnesota. All the corn on the cob you can eat with a Giant Days Button Battle of the bands are held afterward the parade Closing out our event is our corn eating contest for all ages

the first three weekends after Labor Day

along the Root River Trail Towns; (Saturday, Sep. 10 in Peterson, Whalan, Lanesboro; Saturday. Sep. 17 in Harmony, Preston, Fountain, Chatfield; Saturday, Sep. 24 in Rushford Area, Houston); It’s three weekends of tasting the food, culture and fun along the Root River Trail Towns. Each town has a different setup. People are encouraged to ride the trail and check out each town. You can taste food from different restaurants, listen to local music and learn more about what the Root River Trail Towns are all about. Each community will give you a “Taste” of their towns with different activities, food, music and much more. Enjoy what is special about each community while you pedal your way through the beauty of Bluff County along the Root River.

Faribault - Music and Arts Festival;

is August 10-14; the end-of-summer Faribault celebration showcases a family oriented mix of live music, arts and crafts, BBQ competition, great food and activities for all ages in historic downtown Faribault; Welcome to Faribault, Minnesota’s Biggest Block Party, located in the heart of The Historic Downtown District throughout the 200 and 300 blocks of Central Avenue North. The festival in 2022 will be in its 14th year. While each year things change a little, this year will have some major changes. Besides the great music lineup on Saturday, you will find music from Wednesday to Sunday in different locations in Faribault. Make sure to keep an eye on the schedules for when and where.

Rochesterfest - will be held Saturday, June 18, through Saturday, June

25, at Soldiers Field Memorial Park. This year’s Grand parade will be held Saturday, June 25, at 2:00 p.m.-using streets to the west of Soldiers Field. Special entertainment will be held daily during the lunch period and throughout the evening hours. Special children’s activities will be held on Wednesday, June 22, during the evening, for Family Fun Night. 

Journalist-Copywriter-Editor-Feature Writer. My experience spans over 20 years, and I will apply my skills to help beef up any lifeless copy within your website, brochure, press release, catalog, etc. Reach out at patgarry@charter.net.