SPRING INTO SUMMER
Any doubt that it is time to embrace the Minnesota summer will be driven away next weekend as Steele County celebrates “Spring into Summer,” sponsored by the Steele County Free Fair.
Described by fair officials as a “mini fair,” the majority of activities will be on Friday, May 29, and Saturday, May 30, although a “Bourbon, Cigars and Steak” event is scheduled for Thursday, May 28, at the Steele Saloon on the fairgrounds.
The weekend will feature something for everyone, fair officials say, as there will be BBQ competitions, a 5K Fun Run, food vendors, a softball tournament, cornhole tournament and a “Junk in Your Trunk” market from Rustic Mamas.
The Bourbon, Cigars and Steak event is sold out, said Fair Manager Scott Kozelka. For those attending, it will be a whiskey tasting experience featuring Woodford Reserve, guided by an international whiskey enthusiast. There will also be a curated sampling of cigars followed by a Hy-Vee ribeye steak dinner. The evening will also include a bourbon raffle and silent auction.
Friday gets under way when the food vendors open at 11 a.m. and carnival rides open at 4 p.m.
Main activity during the day on Friday will be final preparations for Saturday’s Backyard BBQers competition.
Friday evening there will be the Junior/Kids Que Competition. There will be two age divisions for this
event. Kids Que is for 10 and under and Junior Que for 11-16 years. The younger kids will prepare, cook and box their entries from their sponsor team’s site. Parents should let the kids do as much as they are able given age and ability.
The emphasis for this group is bonding with family and friends, learning how to cook and growing their skills with familiar mentors. The focus is encouraging kids to have fun while learning.
In the Junior Division, the older kids will compete in a kid-only environment and allowed to challenge their peers much like they do in any other sport or activity that has competitions and tournaments. Parents can encourage their children but cannot help or do any of the cooking. Each entry shall be cooked by one child only.
Youth entering the Kids Que will be provided a grill to cook on, charcoal and one pound of hamburger beef. Those entering the Junior Que will be provided with a grill to cook on, charcoal and one steak that is 1.25-1.5 pounds.
In both categories the first place award is $100, second place $60 and third place $40.
Printable registration forms are available at scff.org by clicking on the Spring into Summer tab. Registration closes at 5 pm. on May 27.
The awards for the youth events will be at approximately 7:45 p.m.
Musical entertainment starts at 12:30 p.m. on Friday with the Mark Cameron Band and their Blues music. Soulfire, which plays a variety of music, will be performing at 6 p.m.
The evening’s headliner, country singer Cori Kennedy, will take the stage at 8:30 p.m. Kennedy, a native of West Concord and a 2019 graduate of Kasson-Mantorville High School, is making her name in the country music world after gaining fame in the most recent season of the television series The Voice.
Saturday events include the Tom Thumb Mini Donut 5K Run/Walk, the “Junk in Your Trunk” market and the Backyard BBQ competition.
Registration and check-in for the Mini Donut 5K is from 7 to 7:50 a.m. Pre-registration is $35 and same day registration is $45. There is a form on the fair website that can be filled out there or printed out and mailed or dropped off at the fair office with payment. Each participant will receive a bag of mini donuts courtesy of Tom Thumb Donuts.
The spring flea market sponsored by the Rustic Mamas will open at 9 a.m. and continue until 3 p.m.
Rustic Mamas is anticipating a variety of finds from local vendors from vintage finds to quirky knick-knacks.
The Backyard BBQ registration is now closed with 24 entrants, Kozelka said. The wait list, he said, is still open.
For those attending, People’s Choice voting and sampling will be from 2 to 3:30 p.m. with the awards ceremony at approximately 4 p.m.
The softball tournament is scheduled for Friday night and Saturday. It will be a double elimination tournament with a two-game guarantee. Registration can be made on the mnsoftball.com site.
The cornhole tournament will be on Saturday. In the open division the cost is $30 per team based on 16 teams playing and a team can be any combination of gender and any youth. In the women’s/youth division the cost is $30 a team based on 12 teams. There must be two females on a team if over the age of 16 and any combination of gender if players are under 16.
Registration signup is due by May 26.
The music continues Saturday with Whiskey Grace playing at 2 p.m. and Skar at 5 p.m.
Mason Dixon Line will be the Saturday headliner, performing at 7:30 p.m.
All activities will be on the east side of the fairgrounds.
Fair organizers say there will be plenty of room to bring lawn chairs and settle in for the free musical entertainment both days.
Food is a major part of any event and Spring into Summer will be no exception.
Food concessionaires include Tom Thumb Donuts, Ole and Lena’s, Schroeder Concessions, Piggy Blue’s Bar-B-Que, Mami Churros and Creamery, Triple J Concessions Fresh Fries, Richie’s Cheese Curd Tacos, Steele County Dairy Association, Stagecoach Barbeque and Grill, The Compadres Food Truck, Lakes Co. Eats, Solem Concessions and the Steele Saloon.
The fair board wants Spring into Summer to be a family event, Kozelka said, and prices are meant to be family friendly.