Busy week of summer season festivals forward | Information, Sports activities, Jobs

It’s going to be a busy weekend in southwest Minnesota with summer season festivals and particular occasions deliberate in communities from Slayton to Dawson. Some of the occasions, like Balaton’s Fun Fest, are happening on new dates.

Organizers of Fun Fest listened to neighborhood suggestions earlier than attempting out a brand new, earlier weekend for the competition, stated Brita Fricke. Instead of holding the competition on the July Fourth weekend, Fun Fest kicks off this Thursday.

“It’s not competing with people who want to go to the lake,” or with different July 4th occasions, Fricke stated.

In addition to Fun Fest, this weekend will even deliver Western Fest in Granite Falls, the Murray County Classic draft horse present in Slayton, and Riverfest in Dawson.

Balaton Fun Fest

To go along with a brand new weekend, Fun Fest organizers in Balaton have put collectively a mixture of new and returning occasions, so there’s one thing for everybody, Fricke stated. The weekend begins with the Little Miss and Little Mr. Balaton program on Thursday night, and fireworks on Friday evening. Fricke stated considered one of this 12 months’s new occasions might be a “glow ball” golf event on the Balaton Bay Golf Course following the fireworks. “They’re going to have the golf course lit up,” Fricke stated.

Saturday is a giant day for Fun Fest, with children’ occasions and meals in Legion-Lion Park, and the return of the Fun Fest barbecue rib cookoff.

“We have about 11 teams signed up for our rib cookoff, which is more than we’ve ever had before,” she stated.

The Fun Fest Grand Parade might be at 2 p.m. Saturday, adopted by occasions like firefighter water wars, and a road dance that includes music from “Up South.”

Sunday will wrap up Fun Fest with occasions like an grownup beanbag event, a pickleball event, and a nine-hole greatest ball golf event.

Rodeo and traditions at Western Fest

There’s plenty of pleasure deliberate in Granite Falls this week because the neighborhood’s Western Fest actions and the Western Fest PRCA Stampede Rodeo gear up. The PRCA rodeo might be held at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Gates will open nightly at 5:30 p.m. on the Lee Mar Ranch simply outdoors Granite Falls.

“We’ve had record-breaking numbers of contestants coming from all over the country,” stated rodeo committee member Holly Johnson-Partington. Contestants embrace many riders who’ve taken half within the National Finals Rodeo, she stated. Tanner Aus, Granite Falls’ hometown rodeo professional, will even be competing throughout Friday evening’s rodeo.

“We’re always excited about that,” Johnson-Partington stated.

There’s numerous methods to take pleasure in Western Fest. Johnson-Partington stated actions kick off at present in downtown Granite Falls.

“We’re doing a ton of activities downtown,” she stated, together with a children’ fishing contest and crafts, a pedal tractor pull, and the Kiddie Parade.

On Saturday afternoon, the Western Fest Grand Parade might be held downtown, adopted by the Miss Western Fest Pageant on the YME Auditorium. The new 2026 Miss Western Fest and Princesses might be launched Saturday evening after the rodeo, and a road dance on the Granite Falls American Legion will deliver Saturday evening to a detailed.

Murray County Classic draft horse present

Another space summer season occasion can also be being held sooner than normal this 12 months. The Murray County Classic draft horse present is often held in July. But this 12 months, the present has been moved up in order to not battle with the World Percheron Congress occasion on the Minnesota State Fairgrounds, stated Joe Biren, one of many organizers of the Murray County Classic.

Although the date has modified, there’ll nonetheless be heaps to see as draft horses like Clydesdales, Belgians, Percherons and Shires thunder into the sector on the Murray County Fairgrounds Friday via Sunday.

“We have 10 six-horse hitches that will be competing here, from throughout the U.S.,” Biren stated.

Teams of draft horses will compete in present occasions, in addition to in occasions that spotlight abilities utilized in working with horses on the farm. Another one of many enjoyable issues concerning the draft horse present is that it’s interactive, Biren stated. Before the present, guests can get an opportunity to enter the barns, and study extra concerning the huge draft horses.

“It should be a good time,” he stated.

Show instances for the Murray County Classic might be at 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and at 11:30 a.m. Sunday.

Dawson Riverfest

The metropolis of Dawson’s annual Riverfest celebrations are additionally kicking off at present, with occasions like an appreciation lunch at Tim’s Food Pride and a baseball recreation between the Dawson Drakes and the Minneota Mudhens.

Riverfest runs from Wednesday via Sunday in Dawson, with quite a lot of occasions for folks of all ages. A kickball event, pool get together and children’ impediment course are all deliberate for Thursday, and at 7 p.m. Friday night new gnomes honoring area people members might be unveiled at Dawson’s swimming pool park. This 12 months’s honorees are Dr. Arnie Jostock and Bonnie Jostock.

In honor of America 250, fireworks might be returning to Riverfest on Friday evening close to R.B. Clay Field, organizers stated.

Festivities will proceed via the weekend, with occasions like an outside market and children’ carnival on Saturday, and a tribute to ABBA Saturday evening at Memorial Auditorium. Live music and a firemen’s dance will shut out the night. On Sunday, occasions will embrace an ecumenical worship service, and the Riverfest Grand Parade at 2 p.m.