2006 Community Event Guide
January 6 – February 18- Aitkin – Jaques Art Center – Second Annual JuriedExhibit
January 7 – Aitkin – Kiss It Good Bye Sale – 12 retailers offer exciting shopping sale event
January 14 – Tamarack – Tamarack Sno-Flyers Snowmobile Club Ride – Leave the clubhouse at 10:00 a.m. weather permitting, with the destination decided the evening before.
January 21 – McGregor – Lake Minnewawa Sportsmen’s Club Ice Fishing Contest/Raffle Start 12:00 noon to 3:00 p.m. Grand Prize - Sportsman 500 4x4.
January 28 – Tamarack – Tamarack Sno-Flyers Snowmobile Club Annual Vintage Ride Registration starts at the clubhouse in Tamarack at 9 a.m. Hot refreshments available. Leave Tamarack 11 a.m. for Lawler, free soup/hot dogs. Trophies for vintage classes.
January 28 - Jaycees Fishing Contest - Annual event held at Barnacle Resort on the North side of Mille Lacs Lake.
February 4 – Palisade –Midwinter Festival – 1:00 p.m., Bake Sale, parade, luncheon, games for all ages, vintage sled display, dance.
February 4 – Crosby – Annual Ice Fishing Contest & Vintage Scorpion Snowmobile Homecoming Held on Serpent Lake.
February 10 -11 - Garrison – Artic Blast Snowmobile Rally – To support Viking Children’s Fund. Mille Lacs Lake.
February 11 – Tamarack – Tamarack Sno-Flyers Charity Ride – Charity ride leaves Tamarack clubhouse at 10:00 a.m. Pledges donated to First Responders.
February 11- Aitkin - Mid Minnesota 150 Sled Dog Race - starts at Remer, layover in Outing, finish at Aitkin VFW.
February 18 – Jacobson – Jacobson to Swan River Classic Snowmobile Ride & ATV Raffle. Registration 10:00 a.m. Noon from the Forestry Station. 6 p.m. at the Red Eye Saloon in Swan River.
February 18 – McGregor – “Winterfish/Ice Fishing Contest” – Big Sandy Lake, Noon – 3 p.m. Tournament will be held SNOW or SHINE! Cash prizes, door prizes
February 24 – April 8 - Aitkin – Jaques Art Center – Carroll Heft Retrospective Exhibit, curated by the Carroll Heft Family
February 25 – Mille Lacs – 23rd Annual Perch Fishing Contest Liberty Beach Resort, 8:00 a.m. Lots of prizes.
March 11-12 - Aitkin Area Commerce and Sports Show – Aitkin High School . Over 125 businesses, sports and health organizations will host booths and seminars. Great food available.
March 18-19 - Crosby – Cuyuna Range Trade Fair – Hallett Community Center. Opens Sat., 10 a.m. Sun., 11 a.m.
April 8 – Aitkin – Easter Carnival – Held at Westside Church – sponsored by AWOT
April 14-May 27 – Aitkin – Jaques Art Center – Steve Lubovitch, Oil Paintings
April 29 – Aitkin – Rock, Mineral and Marble Show – Westside Church 10 a.m.
May 13 – McGregor – Get the Lead Out Tackle Exchange Rice Lake National Refuge. Trade in your old lead tackle for nonlead tackle.
May 27 – McGregor – Art’s At The Lake Larson ’s Barn – Artisans and Crafters inthe barn. EveningBarn Dance – Live music.
June 2 – July 15 – Aitkin – Jaques Art Center – Lladro, Ceramics, curated by Bardon Heft
June 3 – McGregor – McGregor Area Lakes Fishing Tournament – 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Guaranteed $5,000 in prize money based on 100 entries. Walleye and Northern categories, rain or shine!
June 9 – 11 – McGregor – Wild Encounters – McGregor Area Birding & Nature Festival . Event will feature birdwatching/nature field trips to Rice Lake National Wildlife Refuge, McGregor Marsh Scientific and Natural Area and other sites in Aitkin County.
June 10– Cuyuna – 27 th Annual Woodtick Race - food, flea market and woodtick heats. Bring your own champion or rent one there.
June 23 – 25 – Isle – Mille Lacs History Festival & Rendezvous – Celebrate the fur trade
June 25 - 10th Annual Fly-In/Car Show – Aitkin Airport - Classic Autos, Vintage planes and tractors on display. Flea Market, pancake breakfast and lunch. Great family event
July 3 - Crosby – Lion’s Steak Fry and Street Dance - held at Spalding House.
July 4 – Crosby – July 4 th Celebration – Sponsored by the Crosby Fire Dept. Includes: parade, activities in the Crosby Park & spectacular fire works over Serpent Lake.
July 4– Tamarack – Fireworks at dusk! - BBQ food in the park! Famous pie sale starting at 6:00 p.m.
July 4 – McGrath – McGrath Celebration & Parade
July 8-9 – Isle Days – Parade, pageant, carnival, street dance & foods
July 9-15 – Habitat 500 Bike Ride- Sandstone, Duluth, Virginia, McGregor, Hibbing, Pierz, Mora and Sandstone. You can help support the Bike Home
July 10 - Aitkin –10 th Annual Hospice Charity Event – Golf and Tennis Tournament at Ruttger’s.
July 15 – Emily – Emily Days – Exciting small town celebration with parade. Games, food, family fun in the park.
July 19-23 - Riverboat Heritage Days - Aitkin's 24rd Annual Summer Festival. Parade, 2 street dances, food, children's activities, heritage tour, historical displays and pageants.
July 21-22 – Aitkin County Historical Society Garage Sale - at the Aitkin County Fairgrounds.
July 21 – September 2 – Aitkin – Jaques Art Center – Fiber Arts Study Group, curated by Elna Goodspeed.
July 28-29 - Crazy Days - Sidewalk Sales - Shop for super bargains at ridiculous prices on the streets and in the stores in downtown Aitkin
July 28-29 – McGregor – 8 th Annual Rat Lake Music Fest at Larson’s Barn, Rat Lake. Live music in the barn, Artisans and crafters, food
July 29-30- Crosby – Cuyuna Range Annual Serpent Lake Power Boat Races.
August 2 – 5 – Aitkin – Aitkin County Fair – At the fairgrounds in Aitkin. Business & 4-H exhibits, carnival and food.
August 5 – Palisade – Annual Invitational Fireman’s Competition – Berglund Park – 1 p.m. Great family entertainment. Held annually.
August 5 – Tamarack – Tamarack Hey Day – BBQ food in the park, crafters, kid games, parade. Adult dance at the Tamarack City Park. Refreshments at Tamarack Sno-Flyers.
August 12 – 13 – Deerwood – Deerwood Summerfest – Annual event featuring a craft fair, bake sale, street dance, beer garden, bingo and corn feed.
August 11–13 - McGregor – 21st Annual Polka Fest – Larson’s Barn, on Rat Lake. Featuring 9 bands, music in the barn and outside under the big tent, food. Camp under the stars at the barn!
August 19 – Crosby – Heritage Days.
August 19 – Bay Lake – Bay Lake Lions Auction & Deerwood Lakes Lions Garage Sale & Food Booth – 10:00 a.m. at Bay Lake Marine, north shore of Bay Lake. Bargains galore!
August 26 – Jacobson – Jacobson Celebration – Pancake breakfast, vendors, bingo, horseshoe tournament, games for the kids, bake sale, dunk tank, food, parade. Jacobson Fire Dept. annual BBQ pork roast dinner
September 1 -Aitkin – Moonlight Madness - Moonlight merchant markdowns, bed races, street activities, recreational vehicles and vintage cars on display. Farmers Market. Exciting start to Labor Day weekend. 5 - 9 p.m
September 1-3 – McGregor – McGregor Wild Rice Days – Kiddy parade, grand parade, children’s games, sidewalk vendors, crafts, auction, antique car show, pony rides, prizes.
September 1-4 – McGrath – White Pine Logging & Threshing Show – Gates open at 7:00 a.m., dance on Saturday & Sunday nights.
September 3 – McGregor – McGregor Lions Corn Feed – 12:00 McGregor Community Center. Customers claim “It’s the best corn on the cob in the state”. Prizes, games, bingo, music.
September 8 – October 21 – Aitkin – Jaques Art Center – Karen Szeitz, Drawings & Paintings; Richard Szeitz, Sculpture
September 16-17 –Aitkin -Festival of Adventures and Mud River Music Fest - Aitkin's big fall festival! Explore Aitkin's heritage from the era of the fur trade to the days of logging camps and steamboats. Music festival both days.
October 14 – 22 – McGregor – Fall Migration Peak Waterfowl Counts - Rice Lake National Wildlife Refuge. This is when the largest numbers of waterfowl are at the refuge. Often peak counts are well over 100,000 birds.
October 15 – Aitkin – Pumpkin Patch – held at the Aitkin City Park – sponsored by AWOT
October 20 – 22 – Bay Lake – Octoberfest at Ruttger’s Bay Lake Lodge – Food, arts & crafts fair, entertainment.
November 4 – McGregor – Community Ed. Annual Craft Fair – McGregor School 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
November 5 – December 23 – Aitkin – Jaques Art Center - Jaques Art Center Annual Christmas Market.
November 24 - Aitkin's 16th Annual World Famous Fish House Parade - Always held the Friday after Thanksgiving. Food and fun for the whole family. Truly a 10 on the wacky meter! Excitingly creative and unusual parade units relating to fish houses.
November 24 - Aitkin Holiday Craft Fair - Westside Calvary Church. Excellent variety of crafts for sale.
December 2 –3 - McGregor – Old Fashion Christmas & “Light ‘Em Up Parade” Kids Christmas shop, bake sale, kids craft corner & story time. McGregor Area Historical Society Open House.
December 2 – Aitkin - Spirit of Christmas Open House and Cookie Walk - Located at the Depot Museum.
December 2 – Aitkin – Christmas Caravan – Downtown Aitkin – Ride in style aboard a horse-drawn carriage to participating retailers.
December 2 – Aitkin – Santa’s Workshop – held at 1 st Lutheran Church – sponsored by AWOT