Explore Minnesota Events Report for August 14
SOUTHERN MINNESOTA
The STEELE COUNTY FREE FAIR will take place Tuesday, August 14 through Sunday, August 19 at the Steele County Fairgrounds in Owatonna. This is Minnesota's largest county fair, and features 7,000 exhibits, 2,000 animals, 26 bands, 12 grandstand shows, over 30 midway rides, over 100 food stands, and much, much more! For further information, dial 1-800-423-6466, or visit www.scff.org
The city of Ortonville will host the 69TH ANNUAL CORNFEST from Friday, August 17 through Sunday, August 19, with a parade, arts and crafts, races, games, free hot buttered sweet corn, live music, an air show, car show, sailing regatta, street dance and fireworks display. For more information, dial 1-800-568-5722, or check out www.bigstonelake.com
DOWNTOWN ORONOCO GOLD RUSH DAYS will be held August 17–19 in Oronoco, with more than 1200 outdoor booths offering a wide array of antiques and treasures. To learn more, dial 507/367-2111, or visit www.oronoco.com
The city of Goodview will present the 31ST ANNUAL GOODVIEW DAYS, August 17–19. Highlights include parades, a petting zoo, live music, kids games in the park, a medallion hunt, mailbox judging, a car show, firemens water fight, beverage gardens, a pancake breakfast, street dance with The Whitesidewalls, and fireworks displays. To find out more, dial 507/452-1630, or check out www.goodviewdays.com
The 41ST ANNUAL BUTTERFIELD THRESHERMAN’S STEAM & GAS ENGINE SHOW will be held Saturday and Sunday, August 18 & 19, in the town of Butterfield, with steam threshing, antique tractors and engines, equipment parades, a tractor pull, ethnic foods, bluegrass music, and arts and crafts. In addition, enjoy an old-time village with a drug store, blacksmith, general store, church, harness shop, depot and log cabin to tour. For more information, dial 507/956-3981, or visit www.mtlakenews.com
The fairgrounds in Rochester will be the site of the ORIGINAL OLMSTED COUNTY GOLD RUSH, August 18 & 19, with 1,500 dealers from across the United States displaying and selling antique furniture, primitives, glassware, clocks and watches, lamps, coins & more! For further information, dial 507/288-0320, or check out www.iridescenthouse.com
The 16TH ANNUAL CZECH HERITAGE FESTIVAL will be offered Sunday, August 19 in the town of Bechyn to share cultural heritage and remember Czechoslovakian ancestors. Highlights include a Polka Mass, roast pork dinner, live music and entertainment, ethnic foods, folk dancers, arts and crafts, a raffle, beer garden, horse and buggy rides, children's activities and a farmers market. To find out more, dial 320/826-2451, or visit www.czechfest.com
The city of Le Center will be the site of the 34TH ANNUAL LE SUEUR COUNTY PIONEER POWER SHOW, Friday through Sunday, August 24–26. This agricultural heritage show features displays and working exhibits, with antique tractors, farm machinery, steam engines, 26 buildings, an ag expo museum, a swap meet, stage entertainment, children's barnyard and playground, and the Parade of Equipment. To learn more, dial 507/248-3515, or check out www.pioneerpowershow.com
The 44TH ANNUAL GREEK FESTIVAL will be held August 24–26 at the Saint Anargyroi Greek Orthodox Church grounds, located next to Lourdes High School in Rochester. This celebration of Greek heritage includes authentic Greek foods, live music, ethnic Greek dancerers, traditional Greek pastries, a kid's carnival, church tours, and a silent auction. For more information, dial 507/282-1529, or visit www.greekfestrochester.com
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TWIN CITIES GREATER METROPOLITAN VICINITY
AFRIFEST 2007 will be held Friday through Monday, August 17–20, in the Cedar/Riverside neighborhood of Minneapolis, with African, American and International vendors, musicians, entertainers, and cultural performers gathering to educate and showcase the diverse cultures of the area. To find out more, dial 612/281-6318, or visit www.afrifest.org
The city of Montrose will hold MONTROSE DAYS, Friday through Sunday, August 17–19. Highlights include a carnival, street dances, kid's pedal tractor pull, garden tractor pull, food booths & barbecues, beer gardens, ice cream social, grand parade, activities and prizes for kids, and a fireworks display. To learn more, dial 763/675-3717, or check out www.herald-journal.com/archives/2005/stories/mont.html
The 2007 ANOKA COUNTY GAME FAIR will be held Friday through Sunday, August 17-19, at Armstrong Ranch in Anoka. Highlights include over 300 outdoor exhibits, free seminars, sporting and dog clubs, shooting events, special kids' events, fun dog events, WaterFowler's Hill, a 3-D archery range, duck-and goose-calling contests, and much more! For further information, dial 763/427-0944, or visit www.gamefair.com
The Gammelgarden Museum in Scandia will present SPELMANSSTÄMMA on Saturday, August 18. Come and enjoy Swedish fiddle music in a park-like setting. There will also be historic building tours, arts and craft vendors, a smorgasbord, kids' crafts and games, the Parade of Entertainers and folk dancers. For more information, dial 651/433-5053, or check out www.scandiamn.com/gammelgarden
THE 37TH ANNUAL MINNESOTA RENAISSANCE FESTIVAL will be held each Saturday and Sunday, August 18 through September 30, just south of Shakopee off Highway 169. The festival will also be offered Labor Day Monday, September 3, and Friday, September 28. The Minnesota Renaissance Festival is one of the largest attended themed events in the country, and features more than 275 merchants, live entertainment, games, food and fun in a 22-acre, 16th-century village. Additions to this year's festival include belly dancing, an Arabian horse show, and yoga lessons. To find out more, dial 952/445-7361, or visit www.renaissancefest.com
The Minnesota State Fairgrounds in Falcon Heights will be the sie of the MINNESOTA STATE FAIR from Thursday, August 23 through Monday, September 3. The "Great Minnesota Get-Together" features more than 350 choices in foods, 50 entertainers on five free entertainment stages, 11 nights of big-name Grandstand entertainment, 60 carnival rides, and 3,000 creative, livestock and agricultural competitions. To learn more, dial 651/288-4400, or check out www.mnstatefair.org
And just some of the upcoming concerts and performances will include:
MACY'S GLAMORAMA 2007: THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE BEAUTIFUL at the Historic Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis, August 17
THE WIGGLES at the Target Center in Minneapolis, August 17
HILARY DUFF at the Target Center, August 23
THE BANGLES at First Avenue in Minneapolis, August 23
CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVISITED at Mystic Lake Casino & Hotel in Prior Lake, August 25
THE COUNTING CROWS, LIVE, AND COLLECTIVE SOUL at Midway Stadium in St. Paul, September 1
CROWDED HOUSE at the Historic Orpheum Theatre, September 9
RUSH at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, September 9
MY LITTLE PONY-THE WORLD'S BIGGEST TEA PARTY at the Target Center, September 21-23
GORDON LIGHTFOOT at the Historic State Theatre in Minneapolis, September 22
MAROON 5 at the Excel Energy Center, October 1
ANDRE RIEU at the Excel Energy Center, October 17
JIM GAFFIGAN at the Historic Orpheum Theatre, October 12
KIDZ BOP WORLD TOUR at the Target Center, October 20
DISNEY PRESENTS THE LION KING at the Historic Orpheum Theatre, October 25-November 25
SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE LIVE TOUR 2007 at the Target Center, October 28
MOSCOW BALLET'S GREAT RUSSIAN NUTCRACKER at the Historic Orpheum Theatre, December 1
DISNEY'S HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL: THE ICE TOUR at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, December 14-16
For further information on any of these performances or events, please contact Ticketmaster at 651/989-5151
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NORTHERN MINNESOTA
The OX CART DAYS FESTIVAL will be held Thursday, August 16 through Sunday, August 19, in the city of Crookston to celebrate the city's heritage. Events include a classic car show, street fair, bed races, children's tractor pull, a talent show, the Miss Crookston Pageant, dances, runs and races, a torchlight parade and fireworks finale. To learn more, dial 218/281-4320, or visit www.visitcrookston.com
The Lake Itasca Region Pioneer Farmers Showgrounds, located north of Park Rapids, adjacent to Itasca State Park, will be the site of the LAKE ITASCA REGION PIONEER FARMERS ANNUAL THRESHING SHOW, Friday through Sunday, August 17–19. Highlights include country and gospel music shows, log handling, lumber sawing, grain threshing, daily parades, gas and steam engines, diesel generators, model engines and machines, tractors, vehicles, antique tools, and arts and craft demonstrations. In addition, there are two logging museums on the showgrounds to tour. To find out more, dial 218/657-2233, or check out http://pioneerfarmers.wordpress.com
The MILLE LACS BAND OF OJIBWE 41ST ANNUAL TRADITIONAL POWWOW will be held August 17-19 at the band’s powwow grounds located two miles north of Grand Casino Mille Lacs and twelve miles north of Onamia. American Indian dancers from across the country will take part in traditional dances and songs. Visitors will enjoy traditional dance and drum ceremonies, a parade, princess and brave contests, food, crafts, and more. For further information, dial 320/532-5944, or visit http://www.millelacsojibwe.org/PressReleaseDisplay.asp?id=179
The city of Proctor will be the site of the 32ND ANNUAL HOGHEAD FESTIVAL on Saturday, August 18, with family entertainment such as a parade, children's games, live entertainment, the Golden Spike Hunt, a bonfire and sing-along, fireworks, car show, pet parade, and craft and merchandise sales. For more information, dial 218/624-3344, or check out www.proctormn.com/placed/story/08-08-2007hog.html
A MINERAL AND GEOLOGY PROGRAM will be offered at McCarthy Beach State Park, located in Side Lake, just north of Hibbing, on Saturday, August 18, with a discussion of mineral exploration and general geology in northern Minnesota. Please dial 218/254-7979 for more information, or visit www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/mccarthy_beach/index.html
The town of Vining will hold its annual WATERMELON DAY celebration August 18, with a craft show, children's games, food, bingo, musical entertainment, free watermelon and an evening parade. To find out more, dial 218/769-4432, or check out www.prtelweb.com/vining
A CONSERVATION AND WILDLIFE EXPO will be held Friday through Sunday, August 24–26 in Wadena. This family friendly expo includes lots of children's events, free presentations, a trap shoot, the State Championship Still Target Turkey Shoot, antler scoring, an archery competition, a visit from the Minnesota Zoo-Mobile, and much more! For further information, dial 218/631-3195, or visit www.mn.nrcs.usda.gov/partnerships/wadena
The city of Barnesville will host the annual POTATO DAYS FESTIVAL on Friday and Saturday, August 24 & 25, to celebrate this city's potato heritage. Events include mashed potato wrestling, a potato cook-off, potato-picking contest, sewing and stacking fcontest, a strongman contest, potato-peeling contest, the Miss Tator Tot contest, and a Potato Scramble for kids. In addition, enjoy Norwegian lefse, potato pancakes, french fries, potato sausage, potato soup, and German potato dumplings! For more information, dial 218/354-2888, or check out www.potatodays.com
A PRETTY GOOD TRAIL CONNECTION CELEBRATION will be offered Sunday afternoon, August 26, in Osakis to celebrate the connection of the Central Lakes and Lake Wobegon bike trails. In addition to bike rides, enjoy a rhubarb pie-eating contest, live music, a bike parade, kayak and pontoon boat rides, and an appearance by Garrison Keillor! To learn more, dial 320/255-6172, or visit www.visitosakis.com/pdf/Wobegon%20Central%20Flyer.pdf
"The information in this report is provided courtesy of Explore Minnesota Tourism."