Looney Daze Celebrated in Many Fun Ways
by Steve Heriot
There’s much to like about community festivals. They can bring people together, instill a sense of pride within the community, and teach people new things. They can stimulate the growth of tourism and help businesses on and off the festival site. Most importantly, they’re lots of fun! One such local festival that proves the point is Looney Daze, held annually in August and known for its loony events. The name makes sense when you catch sight of the 20-foot tall loon statue that sits along Loon Lake in Vergas, Minnesota, a town that bills itself as the “Home of the Loon.”
The annual festival truly has something to make anyone smile and is jam-packed with a variety of competitions. The Weiner Dog Races are always a crowd favorite, and who wouldn’t want to listen to a Loon Calling Contest? Then there’s the Sand Castle Contest, the 5K Walk/Run, the Beard Contest, the Bed Races, the Water Fights, the Old Timers Softball Game, and the Bean Bag Tournament.
The celebration hosts the Miss Vergas, Princess Altona and Junior King & Queen pageants, the Looney Daze Parade, and the Classic Car Show. You’ll also see Sidewalk Art, enjoy a Street Fair, and be able to let loose at the Looney Daze Street Dance that features live bands. Kids can take part in the Kids Fishing Outing, burn energy on the bouncy games, get their faces painted, and be challenged by the Looney Loon Egg Hunt that features regularly posted clues.
During any particular year of the festival, you may expect to find area-wide rummage sales, fl ea markets, art classes, tours, road rallies, raffles, horseshoe tournaments, sidewalk sales, car shows, bingo games, a beer garden, a Redneck Holidazzle parade, and more. You might also experience events as different as a tractor pull, a salsa class, a scavenger hunt, or a talent show.
With all these activities, attendees are bound to get hungry or thirsty, and the festival comes up big there as well. A variety of vendors supply must-have fair fare that includes mini-donuts, corndogs, popcorn, and more. Other food offerings include the Biscuit and Gravy Breakfast, the Brats and Beans feed, and various meals prepared for church fundraisers.
If you are bringing your pet to the festival, please make sure it is on a leash. Don’t forget to bring a lawn chair or a blanket to sit on, and you’ll probably want to purchase one of the festival’s wacky-looking t-shirts, which capture the light-hearted spirit of Vergas, where the residents celebrate Loony Daze in a variety of loony ways.
Looney Daze Chair Person is Renee Sonnenberg. Please call 218-841-0712 or email her at [email protected] if you would like to help with Looney Daze or have more questions about the event.
