2021 Year In Review

By Your Inner Otter

As we close the books on 2021, we wanted to take a moment and look back at some of the highlights from the past year for us here at Otter Tail Lakes Country Association. To say that the past 12 months have been busy would be an understatement. We had plenty of adventures and met so many incredible people along the way. We hosted some pretty big events and even got back out on the road. All of this mind you, while still navigating a global pandemic. Here is a list of some of our favorite moments from this year.

Magazine

We are very proud of the destination publication we produce every year. The 2021 edition was no exception. Marie Noplos is our in-house editor and she did a fantastic job of creating a stunning layout with useful information. An online version of the 2021 magazine is available here; ottertaillakescountry.com/magazine Keep an eye out for the 2022 version of our annual magazine as it should be hitting newsstands in a couple of months.

Polar Plunge

In February of 2020, we hosted our first official Polar Plunge for Special Olympics Minnesota. It was a huge success and we earned the right to host another event in 2021. The pandemic forced us to move the 2021 Polar Plunge to March with extra safety precautions.

Plungers were allowed to participate virtually and modifications were made on-site at the in-person plunge on Otter Tail Lake to ensure we were following proper health care protocols. Even with the modifications, we surpassed our fundraising goal for 2021’s event. Our 2022 event will be held on February 5th on Otter Tail Lake. We would love to have you register to take the plunge or show your support by donating to someone who is already signed up. You can learn more here; plungemn.org/events/ottertail

Minnesota Governor’s Fishing Opener

Otter Tail County was scheduled to host the 2020 Minnesota Governor’s Fishing Opener, however, like many other events, it was canceled. We stepped up to take on the 2021 event and vowed to “pandemic proof” the event to make sure we were following CDC, Minnesota Public Health & local guidelines.

We created a Plan A, Plan B & Plan C to account for different pandemic protocols. All of the events during the weekend were held outdoors with the exception of the closing ceremony dinner. Our goal from the beginning was to highlight Otter Tail County’s numerous lakes (over 1,000), our diverse outdoor recreation opportunities, and our welcoming communities. We like to think we accomplished all of our goals, and then some.

The weather cooperated and so did the fish. Governor Tim Walz arrived in Otter Tail County early Friday morning and met with numerous media members and local representatives. He fished early Saturday morning with local School Superintendent Eric Koep. Creating shared experiences is a great way to build relationships. The relationships and memories created that weekend will last a lifetime. Huge thanks to all the media guests, volunteers, boat hosts and sponsors who helped us pull this celebration off in style.

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Jobs Portal

In May of 2021, we launched a brand new website that pulls in all of the jobs throughout the county that are listed on the internet. It is part of our continuing effort to attract residents to help fill the workforce needs of our local employers. The jobs portal is not only intended to assist folks looking to relocate to Otter Tail County, it is also designed to assist people who already live here and are looking for a new career. If you are looking for work, you can start your search here ottertaillakescountry.com/jobs

OTC-ON US! part 2

Our marketing partners H2M out of Fargo, ND came up with a great way to encourage folks to visit Otter Tail County in 2020. We like to call it OTC-ON US! The campaign rewarded folks for visiting the area while helping our local businesses at the same time. People registered to win $500 gift cards good anywhere in Otter Tail County, MN. It worked so well, we had over 3,000 people register in 2020 and we decided to do it again in 2021 with some fresh new stops.

To promote the online sweepstakes, we traveled to sign-up events throughout the midwest. In 2021, the OTC-ON US! tour covered over 3,000 miles, made nine stops in four different states, and resulted in over 2,600 people registering to win a $500 gift card. Throughout the road trip, we partnered with local radio stations to promote our visits. Folks would stop by the Otter Mobile, register to win, and leave with all sorts of Find Your Inner Otter swag like a t-shirt, coffee cup, plush otter toy, our destination magazine and more.

The 2021 stops included, Fargo, Grand Forks, Jamestown, Omaha, Des Moines, St. Cloud, St. Paul, Plymouth and Maple Grove. One of our favorite moments was when people who had won in 2020 stopped by to share the stories of how they spent their winnings in Otter Tail County. Stay tuned, because a new version of OTC-ON US! is in the works for 2022.

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‘Rural By Choice’

We’ve talked a lot over the past few years about how wonderful it is to live in Otter Tail County, MN. In 2021. We dove deeper into this subject by launching a new video series called ‘Rural By Choice’. Perham native and WCCO radio host Cory Hepola was pegged as the face and voice of the series. Local filmmakers Jenna & Micah Kvidt of Kvidt Creative were the talent behind the lens.

While we were filming these videos, we knew we had something special, but we didn’t know exactly what we had. During the post production process, Cory found a way to weave his experience of growing up in Otter Tail County into the stories of folks who live here now. The finished product gives viewers a cinematic view of the beauty of the area and is visually stunning. It also gives viewers some food for thought on subjects like the urban vs. rural divide, perceptions and stereotypes.

The seven-part series was so well received, the creators were invited to the Twin Cities Film Fest to share their work. You can watch all of the episodes here; ottertaillakescountry.com/rural-by-choice/ Production of season two of ‘Rural By Choice’ has already begun.

National Walleye Tour Championship

When we were approached about hosting the 2021 National Walleye Tour Championship on Otter Tail Lake, our first reaction was wondering if we would have enough energy considering all of the other projects we had on our plate. Eventually, we came to the conclusion that having the event here, would be a great bookend to a great season.

The National Walleye Tour Championship is the “World Series” of walleye fishing. The top 40 professional walleye anglers from across the country had to qualify for the event in September. The top 40 “co-anglers” were on hand as well for the three-day event. The total prize package for the tournament was well over $300,000 and the competition was fierce. Water levels were very low this summer. Once again, special modifications were made. Volunteers had to assist the anglers at launch and weigh-in.

The catch-and-release tournament featured some impressive bags. In the end, young Eric McQuoid took home top billing on the pro-side. David Landsteiner won the co-angler category. Local boy Drake Herd was crowned the Angler of the Year. Perhaps the biggest winner was the area hospitality industry as it enjoyed an infusion of visitors at a time when it can be kind of quiet around here. Huge thanks to all the folks who came out to show their support and make the NWT Championship on Otter Tail Lake another successful event. Keep an eye out for two full-length TV shows that were filmed during the event.

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Sunsets

One of the constants through the years around here is the lakes. After all, we have more lakes than any other county in the U.S. Season after season, week after week, day after day, we are fortunate to be able to witness works of Mother Nature’s art. With all these lakes, you could say we are the land of 1,000 sunsets.

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Sunrises

The only thing better than watching a sunset in Otter Tail County is witnessing a sunrise. It is a sign of a new beginning with all the hope and opportunity of the new day. What will the new year bring? Only time will tell. What we can promise you is we will do our best to document as many reasons as we can that make Otter Tail County, MN a great place to visit, live & work. In short, we will try to help you #FindYourInnerOtter. Thank you for making 2021 a year to remember, we wish all of you a happy and healthy new year. See you in 2022.