Ranier will host its annual summer festival once again with more fun filled events on schedule. This year, there were so many activities planned for visitors, that the festival has been split into two days of fun in the sun.
A new event for the festival is the ‘Rugrat Corner’ across from Ranier Park, which will have games and prizes for a range of ages. On Friday night, there will be a treasure hunt for kids, but there are only 20 spots available. Those who get there early will get a chance to search for hidden treasures. There will even be a few games for children between the ages of 1-3, including a game involving cotton balls and the little ones’ noses.
“I just wanted there to be games and activities available for the kids, and there haven’t been any in the past,” said Tammy Taylor, organizer of the Rugrat Corner. “To me, the Ranier Summer Festival is for families, and I wanted there to be something for kids to do.” Taylor will be running activities for kids with her daughter.
The festival keeps on rolling with a pancake breakfast 7 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the Ranier Community Building. The breakfast is a fundraiser for the Ranier Recreation Club.
For visitors who want to go with the wind, community sail boat rides will be given on Rainy Lake by the Rendezvous Yacht Club from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. It is the club’s most important day of the year, according to club president Eric Johnson. The club is eager to see local people take an interest in sailing, he said. Voyageurs National Park is offering canoe rides at the Spruce Street dock from 1 a.m. to 4 p.m. for those who would rather pick up a paddle. Visitors can ride in a historically accurate north canoe similar to one the voyageurs used to use.
Attendees can also participate in book signings by local authors and artists; face painting; a balloon toss; a farmers’ market; and community yard sale, open to anyone to sell items. The festival will also include a beer garden and a tropical drink tiki bar at the Ranier Liquor Store.
Visitors to the summer festival can see the Little Free Library, a book donation and collection hub, in the area. Visitors can donate or borrow books from the station. The Pooch Parade is at noon, and more dogs are needed to show what they have, a half an hour before the main parade
Acoustic Smoke, a folk, rock, and blues band from Bemidji, will play at the fest for the first time at 7 p.m. on Friday on the Lakeside Deck. They will be followed by the Ranier Rainy Lake Sunset at 8 p.m. There will also be a street dance that night on Duluth Street.
Music from the Rainy Lake Orchestra, Acoustic Smoke, and Ice Box Radio Theater will follow the parade on the boardwalk. Open mic is 4 p.m. to dusk on the deck at Woody’s Pub. The event invites anyone to bring their instruments and play music.
Attendees can dance the night away with the beautiful sunset in the background. Ranier Rainy Lake Sunset will end the day at 8 p.m. to 1 a.m., right after the street dance at the Ranier Liquor Store from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m.
