SPOTLIGHT CELEBRATION: PERHAM’S TURTLE FEST
Go, go, go to Perham this summer Don’t miss the town’s beloved Turtle Races and Turtle fest BY ELIZABETH VIERKANT | FOR SUMMERSCAPE
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very summer for over 40 years, Perham’s International Turtle Races have attracted a crowd of people who come from all over the world. Held each Wednesday throughout the summer at Turtle Race Park, located next to the Perham Area Chamber at 185 East Main Street, the turtle races are a beloved tradition in this tiny Minnesota town, and are the backbone of the community’s big multi-day summer event, Turtle Fest.
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The events were scaled-back and otherwise impacted by the pandemic last summer, but are coming back in full force this year, with races every Wednesday from June 2 to August 25, and Turtle Fest scheduled for June 16-20. People can register for the races starting at 10 a.m., and the races begin at 10:30. Everyone participating gathers in the park’s center circle and, with the blow of a whistle, lets the turtles loose. The first turtle to get to the outside ring wins.
