Lumberjack Days to keep the small town tradition alive

BY NOELLE OLSON EDITOR

The 89th Lumberjack Days will return to Stillwater from July 13 to July 16. Lumberjack Days is the longest running festival in Minnesota and is organized by the The Locals 501c3.

“We got the contract from the city way back in 2014,” said Paul Creager, founding board member of the Locals. “We started working on that contract in 2013 and we’re coming up on 10 years now. This will be the ninth time we’ve produced the event.”

This year’s musical lineup includes — The Suburbs, Your Smith, Kiss the Tiger, Monica LaPlante, Humbird, Ruben, The Sunken Lands and more. “The whole weekend is full of great music with mostly rock, blues and pop music,” Creager said.

“Our Friday night headliner is Your Smith led by an amazing performer, Caroline Smith, and she and her husband recently opened a bar in downtown Stillwater called Howard’s,” Creager said. “And on Saturday night, we have a very famous band from Minnesota called The Suburbs.”

The festivities kick off with a boat cruise on the St. Croix River, followed by the Downhill Derby Car awards. Throughout the weekend, guests can enjoy live music, lumberjack shows and a medallion hunt.

There are also activities for kids, food vendors and a beer garden for adults.

Meet the Monster Athletics is hosting a 5K and 10K race that starts at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday, July 15, at Pioneer Park. The scenic course is a loop around Stillwater and finishes near downtown in the heart of all the Lumberjack Days action. Each registration will include a T-shirt, refreshments after the run and a free beer (21+) at the Lumberjack Days beer tent.

The Greater Stillwater Chamber of Commerce Foundation will be hosting the Lumberjack Days parade in partnership with the Locals. The parade will start at a new time this year at 11 a.m. on Sunday, July 16.

“It’s easy for towns to kind of lose some of it’s traditions just through a perpetual change and there’s a lot of things that change in Stillwater but the event is something we want to be a reminder of this town’s history,” Creager said.

To see the LumberJack Days full schedule of events go to www. lumberjackdays.com.