‘THE place to be for #83’

Time to celebrate Pow Wow, Mountain Lake’s mid-June festival

 

mountian Lake city park
A VIEW INTO Mountain Lake City Park towards the bandstand. In short order, the park will be jammin’ with activities of all kinds – food booths, commercial stands, carnival rides, Bingo, on-stage performances to cite just a few. That is because, Pow Wow, with its central focus in-and-around the park, is a mid-June Mountain Lake staple.

It is June – and that means that Pow Wow – a Mountain Lake mid-month staple – is set to be unleashed, chock full of festivities, food and fun. The focus site for the events is Mountain Lake City Park – with activities going on in-and-round the square-block set aside as a park by the Sioux City and St. Paul Railroad and given to the city with the stipulation that it remain a park.

All that makes Mountain Lake “THE place to be for #83!”

Events will begin on Friday, June 16 at 7 p.m. with the Miss and Little Miss Mountain Lake Pageant and will run until Tuesday night, June 20, with events winding down around 9:30 p.m. with the raffle drawing of a $1,000 grand prize, two$500 cash prizes – as well as prizes donated by local businesses. This year will again feature an Adult Scavenger Hunt – with clues given out at specific events.

+ Raffle Drawing Tickets –

  • Now on sale at many Mountain Lake businesses.
  • Must be 18 or over to purchase a raffle ticket, but do not need to be present at the drawing to win.
  • Grand prize is $1,000 cash.
  • Two $500 cash prizes.
  • Plus a long list of other prizes donated by local businesses.

+ Pow Wow T-Shirts –

  • Now on sale at Mountain Lake City Hall and Peterson Drug & Gifts.
  • Youth sizes – $10.
  • Adult sizes – $11.
  • 2XL and 3XL sizes – $13.v

Pow Wow Midway Tickets –

  • Now on sale at Peterson Drug & Gifts, Cenex C-Store, Maynard’s Grocery Store, United Prairie Bank and Casey’s Convenience Store.
  • Eight ride tickets for $18.
  • Armbands for $20.
  • A limited supply of pre-sale tickets are provided by Midwest Rides.

Pow Wow’s story

The first Pow Wow was held on August 24, 1923, as a one-day event. The festival was given its name by Mountain Lake native, Frank Balzer, who had returned home after attending college at Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota. While a student at Carleton, Balzer recalled an event called a Pow Wow, which was roughly translated as “a gathering,” and believed that accurately described what were the growing plans for event by its originators. The day included games for the boys and girls, along with a Zephyr Band concert.Additional early Pow Wow activities included the Cottonwood County Junior Pig show, the winners winning free trips to the Minnesota State Fair; demonstrations by the champions in sewing and baking contests, tugs-of-war, ball games and automobile, horse, wheelbarrow, foot sack, fat men and greased pig races.There were no Pow Wow celebrations for a total of 11 years, spanning the decades, due to a number of reasons, including an infantile paralysis pandemic that closed down events in 1930, 1931 and 1932; World War II stopped short festivities in 1942, 1943, 1944, 1945 and 1946. It returned again in 1947, but none was held from 1948 through 1951.  However – since 1952 (when it was extended to a two-day affair) – Pow Wow has continued year-after-year – in unrelenting fashion.

2017 Pow Wow Calendar of Events

Friday, June 16

+ Miss and Little Miss Mountain Lake Pageant – Mountain Lake Public School Auditorium, 7 p.m. (First Clue for Adult Scavenger Hunt.) See the following link for a separate article on the pageant, along with profiles of the Miss Mountain Lake candidates: https://www.cross-countiesconnect.com/2017/06/stars-and-stripes-forever/

Saturday, June 17

+ Pow Wow Tractor Cade – register at Mountain Lake City Hall, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

+ Mayor’s Bike Trail Ride – meet at Lawcon Park’s Boat Landing, 9 a.m. to 12 noon.

+ Stan Schroeder Memorial Alumni Softball Game – at Munson Field, 10 a.m.

+ Alumni Baseball Game – at Munson Field, 12 p.m.  (Second Clue for Adult Scavenger Hunt.)

+ Laker/Wolverine Cross Country Reunion at Mountain Lake Public School –

  • Reunion is open to all cross country runners, spouses, kids, grandkids, parents, grandparents, coaches, cheerleaders, bus drivers, etc.
  • Registration and commemorative T-shirt orders are available at LakerWolverineCrossCountryReunion.eventbrite.com.
  • 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., Open House in the elementary gym.
  • 3 p.m. to  4 p.m., Program in the auditoriuim.
  • 4 p.m. to 5 p.m., Open House in the elementary gym.

+ Pow Wow Party at Mountain Lake Golf Club – 

  • Firefighters’ Hamburger Feed (open to all), 5:30 p.m.
  • Beer Garden opens ($5 entry fee, must be 21-years-old), 7 p.m.
  • DJ at the Beer Garden (cash bar, Royalty Rides – free Sober Cabs, tips welcomed – available, 8 p.m. to 12 midnight.
Sunday, June 18

+ Center Point Church of Mountain Lake Pancake Breakfast – Mountain Lake City Park Gazebo, 8 a.m. to 12 noon.

+ Mountain Lake Ministerial Association Community Worship Service – Mountain Lake City Park, 10 a.m.

+ Food Stands open in Mountain Lake City Park/Mountain Lake Area Chamber of Commerce Booth opens – 11 a.m. (Third Clue for Adult Scavenger Hunt.)

+ First Annual Mountain Lake Vendor/Craft Fair – Corner of 12th Street and 3rd Avenue, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tupperware, Usborne books, several crafters, custom wood crafter, Ocie’s creations.

+ Steve Pfeiffer Memorial 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament – north side of Mountain Lake City Park, 12 noon. (A 35+ bracket is being considered.)

+ Mountain Lake Area Booster Club Dunk Tank in Mountain Lake City Park – 12 noon to 3 p.m.

+ Registration opens for 44th annual Mountain Lake Pow Wow Road Race – 2:30 p.m., sign-up and all races start at Mountain Lake Public High School.

  • Mountain Lake Pow Wow Road Race Fitness Walk (1 mile and 2 mile), 3:15 p.m.
  • Half-Mile Run, 3:55 p.m.
  • Mountain Lake Mile Run, 4:15 p.m.
  • 4-Mile Run, 4:30 p.m.

+ Pow Wow Kiddie Parade down 3rd Avenue – from Peterson Thrifty White Drug & Gifts to Mountain Lake City Park, 5:30 p.m.

+ Antique, Classic, Hot Rod Car & Tractor Parade and Park-N-Show – down 3rd Avenue, 6 p.m. (Registration begins at 5 p.m. at Town’s Edge Auto, located on 3rd Avenue at the east edge of Mountain Lake. Rubber tires only allowed. First 60 line-up participants receive a Dash Plaque.)

+ Mountain Lake Ministerial Association-sponsored event at – Mountain Lake City Park Bandstand, 7 p.m.

Monday, June 19

+ Food Stands open in Mountain Lake City Park, 10 a.m.

+ Commercial Stands open in Mountain Lake City Park, 10 a.m.

+ Rush Adventures Bungee Trampoline opens in Mountain Lake City Park, 10 a.m.

+ Mountain Lake Area Booster Club Dunk Tank in Mountain Lake City Park, 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

+ Midway (Midwest Rides) opens in Mountain Lake City Park, 2 p.m.

+ Grande Parade down 3rd Avenue, 7 p.m.

+ Mountain Lake Area Booster Club Dunk Tank in Mountain Lake City Park, 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.

+ After the Grande Parade – Summerline Groove (a percussion academy located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota) and The Wendinger Band erform at the Mountain Lake City Park Band Shelter.

Tuesday, June 20

+ Kids Medallion Hunt in Mountain Lake City Park, at Poet Corn Wagon 11 a.m., for kids age 10 and under.

+ Food/Commercial Stands, Midway (Midwest Rides) and Rush Adventures Bungee Trampoline open in Mountain Lake City Park, 11 a.m.

+ Free Midway (Midwest Rides) Ticket Drawing – for kids ages 10 and under, every half-hour from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. (must be present to win).

+ Mountain Lake Area Booster Club Dunk Tank in Mountain Lake City Park, 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.

+ Kids Pedal Tractor Pull – down 10th Street, 3 p.m.

+ Georgia’s Dance Elements performance – Mountain Lake City Park Band Shelter, 5 p.m.

+ Mountain Lake Fire Department Water Fight – on 10th Street, 5:30 p.m.

+ Bob & The Beachcombers – Mountain Lake City Park Band Shelter, 7:30 p.m.-9 p.m.

+ Raffle Drawing for $1,000 grand prize, two $500 cash prizes and other prizes donated by local businesses –  Mountain Lake City Park Bandstand, 9:30 p.m.

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