RANIER — The 2012 Ranier Summer Festival brought back nostalgic memories of growing up where “kids and dogs run free.”
“Ranier was the best place to grow up,” said Sharon Williams Aho, who returned to the town Saturday for the festival with her friends from around the state. “It’s such a nice place. We had the lake, we had the river — it was just freedom.”
Aho, who now lives in the Twin Cities area, was one of several attendees to celebrate the bittersweet return to her hometown.
Aho’s relative, Jeff Pedrys, explained, “It’s a hometown pride thing.”
The turnout at the celebration is a reminder of the greater liveliness and activity Ranier offered decades ago — the town is a much quieter place now, she said.
Memories of playing in the streets with neighbors’ dogs walking alongside children were brought to life with the festival’s traditional dog parade.
“The dogs get along so well, isn’t that something?” said dog parade participant Jan Bohman, who walked with her 4-year-old dog, Chloe. “All these years, and not a single dog bite in the parade.”
Parade watchers applauded participants and their four-legged friends as they made their way down the street on the sunny summer afternoon.
“It’s more than just a dog parade,” Aho said. “It’s so nice to see all the people that turn out.”
Looking out to the river, Aho said it reminds her of the nights she watched the carnival train come from Canada through Ranier. Saturday’s festivities filled her with the same excitement, she said.
The day began with a pancake breakfast and the afternoon was filled with activities — a parade appearance by “Clown Caper,” community sail boat rides by the Rendezvous Yacht Club, canoe rides by Voyageurs National Park staff, a show by Ice Box Radio Theater, lawn mower drag races, classic boat and car shows, kids’ barrel train rides, face painting and balloon tosses, and community yard sales and farmers’ market drew crowds from the Ranier and International Falls area.
“The lawn mower races were popular — they brought a lot of excitement to the other side of Ranier,” said one of the festival organizers, Jeff McHarg.
Laughter and conversations flowed with the sounds of music by the Rainy Lake Orchestra and Community Band. Music on the deck of Woody’s Pub lasted until 10 p.m. with the addition of open mic music, new to the festival this year.
Participants had the opportunity to tour the Finstad Auto-Marine shop and just feet away, talk with volunteers and staff of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary about their display of cold weather survival equipment and clothing.
Bowen Burke, 7, of Arizona, who has relatives from Ranier, sported a scarf made of pine marten fur that his family bought from a vendor at the festival.
“The kids think it’s really neat,” said Mary Genell of the Falls who helped Burke put the scarf on as she laughed. “Can you imagine going out and having all these (pine marten) feet dangling?”
The numbers at the festival increased minutes before the main parade, which featured colorfully-dressed community members, four-wheelers, race cars, a color guard and several other groups.
“The crowd sustained really well,” McHarg said, adding that an added perk to the festival was its boost to local businesses. McHarg owns Woody’s Pub in Ranier.
“It was the best day I’ve had all summer — so that really says something,” he said.
Festival organizers were also glad for the sun and pleasant temperatures, McHarg said — it was just what they had hoped for.
“What a beautiful day,” he said. “We look forward to next year, and we hope everyone got to see what a wonderful place Ranier is — even with the trains.”
