Festivals & Events
February Winter Jubilee, Nisswa May Awake the Lakes, Alexandria June Osakis Festival, Osakis The Great American Think-Off, New York Mills Granite City Days, St. Cloud July Waterama, Glenwood Phelps Mill Festival, Phelps August Antique Car Run, New London to New Brighton Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Festival, Richmond September Arts & Crafts Fair, Little Falls Celebrate Art, Celebrate Coffee, Willmar October Wildlife Festival, Zimmerman November Fish House Parade, Aitkin For more events info see: www.exploreminnesota.comPhelps Mill Festival
picnic. Fun, quirky sculptures created by a local metal
worker are displayed along the roadside in the tiny town
of Vining. Nearby Glendalough State Park features a
sand beach, hiking trails and wildlife observation blinds.
The New York Mills Regional Cultural Center
features an art gallery, musical performances and literary
events, and sponsors the Great American Think-Off
philosophy competition. Near town is Finn Creek, with a
collection of buildings from pioneer days.
At Wadena, a series of outdoor murals near
downtown’s main street depicts scenes from Minnesota’s
history. Nearby is the Whitetail Run Golf Course.
Perham is home to In Their Own Words Veterans
Museum, with exhibits and videos from interviews with
area veterans. Quaint Main Street is home to several fun
shops. The Perham Lakeside Golf Club and Thumper
Pond are both scenic courses.
Pelican Rapids claims the “world’s largest pelican”
(a 15-foot-tall town landmark) along the millpond and
dam in town. Nearby are the rolling forests of
70 ExploreMinnesota.com
Maplewood State Park, with several lakes, a swimming
beach, boat and canoe rentals, and a scenic overlook.
The park is especially pretty in the fall when the forest
takes on brilliant hues.
Lakes & Links
The heart of Minnesota is dappled with hundreds of
lakes and traced by the Mississippi River. The fish in these
renowned waters have drawn anglers to these shores for
well over a century, and still do today. This area was home
to some of Minnesota’s first lakeside resorts, and now
offers a wide range of resorts, including some of the
largest in the state. Today’s visitors also find some of the
finest golf courses in the country here. And the legendary
lumberjack Paul Bunyan looms large in this area.
The lovely rivertown of Little Falls has a historic
downtown with colorful murals and pretty riverside
parks. Just across the river, the boyhood home of
aviator Charles Lindbergh is open for tours and an
interpretive center tells more about this interesting
family. Nearby is the Charles A. Weyerhaeuser
Memorial Museum, with more about the area’s past,
including its lumber industry. The Pine
Grove Zoo features a variety of animals,
from prairie dogs to bears, and the
Minnesota Fishing Museum has a vast
collection of antique lures.
Nearby is Camp Ripley, a large
training center for the National Guard and
Army Reserve. The Minnesota Military
Museum here has weapons, uniforms and
other memorabilia dating from 1850
related to Minnesotans’ military service.
The Brainerd Lakes area is
well-known vacation
destination, popular for fishing
and golfing. Besides the bounty of lakeside resorts
and campgrounds in the area, there are numerous
motels right in Brainerd and adjacent Baxter. In the
winter, the woods and waters of the Brainerd Lakes area
draw snowmobilers, ice anglers, cross country and
downhill skiers.
The bustling city of Brainerd anchors this lakes
region. Kids enjoy visiting Paul Bunyan at an amusement
park east of Brainerd, where Paul greets them by name.
Another major lure for young people is the indoor
waterparks at several lodges in the adjacent town of
Baxter. Other attractions in the area are Brainerd
International Raceway, Northland Arboretum, several
art galleries, and mini-golf, go-karts and horse-back
riding stables.
Paul Bunyan,
Brainerd area
