July may have fireworks, but August explodes with festivals and events to experience before summer’s end.
Or you can just go fishing, take a kayak around the lake, try tubing down a river, pitch a tent under the pines, go off line for a few days or do some shopping where you don’t have to stand in line. Whatever you choose, it’s not too late to enjoy time up north.
Legends & Logging Days weekend kicks off with Water Wars at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 10 on Main Street. Teams will compete for bragging rights and ownership of the Loony Traveling Trophy. Then grab a chair and stay for The 4ontheFloor at 2nd Street Stage. Teams also are invited to enter the Lumber Jack & Jill Challenge for a chance to win $500 cash and bragging rights. Four-person teams (one Jill minimum per team) will be stacking log cookies, making a bow saw cut and hammerschlagen with the fastest team advancing until they’re the last ones left and the winners. Chainsaw sculptors will begin carving Friday morning and putting on final touches Saturday morning before their works are put up for auction in the afternoon. Adding to the fun will be a Loggers Breakfast at 7 a.m. Saturday, food on site both days, the Civil War canon exhibit and candy canon shots both days, dutch oven cooking samples and exhibitor demos. A Park Rapids Sings competition will start at 5 p.m. Saturday. The weekend will continue with a free concert featuring Levi Pelzer at 2 p.m. Sunday at Sleeping Fawn Resort. Gates at the East 40 Antique Tractor Club Grounds will open at 10 a.m. Friday and 7 a.m. Saturday. Admission is $5, children 12 and under free.
The Park Rapids Antique Tractor and Engine Club will host the 25th Annual Field Days and old-fashioned fun Aug. 5 & 6 at the East 40 Grounds. Taste of Dorset with its world famous mayoral race, world’s shortest parade and an all-new Hillbilly Horseshoe Competition offers fun Aug. 6. The Northern Knights Car Club will host the 34th Annual Run to the Rapids Rod Run Aug. 11 & 12 at the C’mon Inn and downtown Park Rapids. The public is invited to the Show-N-Shine Saturday morning on Main Street.
2nd Street Stage, an evening of free live music, a beer garden and family activities in downtown Park Rapids continues Thursday evenings through Aug. 17.
Other area communities are celebrating their culture and heritage in August. The Pine Point Traditional Powwow provides colorful viewing Aug. 12 &13 and Nevis’ Northwoods Triathlon invites spectators as competitors swim, bike and run for prizes Aug. 12. Head to the 42nd Annual Lake Itasca Region Pioneer Farmers Show near the north entrance of Itasca State Park Aug. 18-20. Wolf Lake welcomes you to their Harvest Festival Aug. 18 &19. Or head north for the North Country Trail’s 11th Annual Hiking Fest at Itasca State Park Aug. 26.
If it’s culture you crave, the Northern Light Opera Company’s production of South Pacific continues Aug. 2-5, the Noon Hour Concert series continues Aug. 3, 17 & 24 and the Art Fair at the Winery (Forestedge) entertains Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 19 & 20. The Nemeth Art Center, live theater and other events add to the season’s cultural offerings.
And all this is just a sample of the activities and events planned all month long.
There’s still time to take it all in. Finding a place to stay can be as easy as a couple of clicks on the lodging pages on our website. If you want help or have questions, call our friendly staff at 800-247-0054 to learn more.