Art, Fishing, and Community July 12, 2024

Fish House Festival + Lund Mania in New York Mills

New York Mills, MN—June 26, 2024—The New York Mills Regional Cultural Center invites the public to its 10th annual Fish House Festival on Friday, July 12, with art, fishing, community, and fun throughout the day, culminating in a raffle drawing and live auction at 6:30 p.m.

Artists begin painting in the street at 10am, and family activities begin at 12pm on Main Avenue in front of the Cultural Center and continue until 4pm. At 6:30pm, a raffle drawing and live auction will be held in front of the NYM Fire Hall on Centennial 84 Drive.

Between 12-4pm, the public is invited to join us for artists painting in the street, sidewalk chalk, bubbles, games, vendors, fish cookie decorating, free “Art in Your Park” activities for kids, youth decoy painting at 1:00 ($5 fee, max 20 kids, please pre-register), the annual Decoy & Landscape Art Exhibit “Rural Heritage” inside the Gallery, and live music by Darren Quam from 1-3pm. ALL are welcome and most activities are free for all to enjoy.

The Cultural Center’s Fish House Festival is held in conjunction with the New York Mills Lund Mania fishing tournament and community celebration. Lund Mania activities begin on Centennial 84 Drive with Boatville Drags at 4:30, fishing tournament results at 5:30, live auction & raffle drawing at 6:30, parade at 7pm, and street dance to follow with live band Whiskey Business. There will also be kids activities, food vendors, a bouncy house, dunk tank, and more in Central Park throughout the evening.

This year, one ice-fishing spear house will be painted by regional artists. Currently confirmed artists include John Peeters of NYM; Nancy X. Valentine of Underwood; and Patricia Ann Wahl of Fergus Falls. Other artists currently signed up to paint on the street include Dawn Rossbach, Paul Sparks, Wayne Leaderbrand, Cheryl Bannes, and Lindsay Kennedy; additional artists welcome! Artists receive 50% of the sales price for any items contributed to the live auction. Artists are also welcome to set up a booth and sell their own work.

Raffle prizes include the artist-painted fish house, half-day guided fishing trip with PT’s Guide Service, John Peeters fish painting on a paddle, $50 Overflow Creative gift certificate, and Lund Boats gear. Raffle tickets are just $10 with only 220 sold. Purchase tickets at the Cultural Center, F&M State Bank, Mills Liquors, and Gene’s Sport Shop in Perham; from any Cultural Center Board Member, or call the Cultural Center at 218-385-3339 to purchase.

Live auction items will include artist-painted bean bag boards, fish signs, decoys, and more. The live auction by Perala Bros. Auctioneers begins at 6:30 p.m.; bid numbers will be available at the Cultural Center in the days leading up to and during the Fish House Festival, and on Centennial Drive after 4:30pm.

We are proud to feature two talented artists in this year’s annual Decoy/Landscape Gallery Show: decoys by Rick Whittier and paintings by Michelle Roise. The Gallery will be open for attendees to visit during the Fish House Festival, and a gallery reception is scheduled for Thursday, August 1 from 5-7 p.m.

The Gallery show will be on display from July 2 – August 3, 2024. Summer Gallery Hours are Tuesdays 10-5, Wednesdays & Thursdays 10-7, Fridays 10-5, and Saturdays 10-3. Private tours available by contacting Cheryl at 218-385-3339 or [email protected]. Admission to the Gallery is always free and open to all.

The Fish House Festival is made possible by an ongoing partnership with the National Fish Decoy Association, Decoy Eduation, and Rod Osvold; their invaluable support connects us with the country’s best decoy artists. Thanks also to our main event sponsors, Lund Boats, Lumber Depot, and East Otter Tail Darkhouse & Angling Association, as well as PT’s Guide Service, Overflow Creative, and John Peeters for their raffle contributions.

This activity is also made possible in part by the voters of Minnesota through grants from the Lake Region Arts Council and the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund. For more information, call the Cultural Center at (218) 385-3339 or visit the Center’s website at www.kulcher.org.

About the Cultural Center The New York Mills Regional Cultural Center is a rural hub for creativity, community vitality, and lifelong learning in the arts. The Center offers visitors intimate opportunities to encounter art and artists in its 80-seat concert listening room, visual art gallery in a historic building, gift store featuring local artists, artist residency program, sculpture park, and a variety of opportunities to learn, grow, and thrive. Since its incorporation in 1990, the Cultural Center has been passionate about connecting people to artists and rich cultural experiences in rural Minnesota, celebrating the local and being a window to the world. For more information, call 218-385-3339, or visit www.kulcher.org.