Osakis Festival promises fun for all ages

Osakis will be abuzz with excitement surrounding a great line-up of activities scheduled for the 44th annual Osakis Festival June 21-24.

There are a few new events to note this year, including two events Friday - a carnival and wine and beer tasting, a dunk tank featuring local celebrities on Saturday, and live entertainment at Park Osagi following the Grand Parade on Sunday.

Here's the schedule of events:

THURSDAY, JUNE 21

• Salad luncheon at Pollard Community Center, hosted by the Osakis Chamber of Commerce; 11 a.m. - Vendor booths, silent auction and table decorating contest voting; noon - Lunch; event open to the public, tickets are $10, call (320) 859-4186 to get tickets.

FRIDAY, JUNE 22

• Senior Citizen Day at Pollard Community Center, all events open to all ages; 9 a.m. - Bake sale, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. - Musical entertainment, 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. - Home cooked meal, $4 for NSI members and $6 for non-members, call (320) 859-2325 by June 20 for lunch reservation; 1 p.m. free bingo; 3 p.m. Snacks and beverages.

• Cody Rides Carnival from 4 p.m. to midnight at the Osakis VFW overflow parking lot, all proceeds go to Osakis Veterans Memorial Wall project.

• Summer Music Festival Concert at 5:30 p.m. at Osakis High School Auditorium, $2 for admission; free picnic meal following the concert hosted by the Osakis Women's Association.

• Wine and Beer Tasting at 7:30 p.m. at Walleye Lodge, tickets $15 per person and available at Kornerstone Konsignments downtown; an evening of wine, beer and appetizers.

• DJ Headtunes from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. at Osakis VFW.

SATURDAY, JUNE 23

• Fun events at Park Osagi from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. flea market, craft sales and food vendors.

• Sand Pile Money Hunt at 10 a.m. at Park Osagi, sponsored by First National Bank of Osakis.

• Clueless the Balloon Twister from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Park Osagi, face painting, too.

• Dunk Tank from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Park Osagi, $1 per ball; here's the lineup of local celebrities ready to be dunked: 11 to 11:20 a.m. - Tony VanAcker, 11:20 to 11:40 a.m. - Laurie Garcia, 11:40 a.m. to noon - Shelly Manders, noon to 12:20 p.m. - Mike Kral, 12:20 to 12:40 p.m. - Chad Gulbranson, 12:40 to 1 p.m. - Pat Ryan, 1 to 1:20 p.m. - Lois Burkart, 1:20 to 1:40 p.m. - Sam Larson, 1:40 to 2 p.m. - Matt Kral.

• Kiddie Parade at noon, participants should meet at the end of park road at 11:45 a.m.

• Kids Old Fashioned Races at 12:30 p.m. at Park Osagi, games for kids ages 3-12, egg toss for 13 and older.

• Osakis Fire Department Water Fights at 6:30 p.m. at Park Osagi.

• Bean Bag Tournament at 2 p.m. at Osakis Liquor Store, registration begins at 1 p.m. and rules at 1:30 p.m., two-person teams, $5 per person, 100 percent payout.

• Street Dance featuring music by Whiplash, from 8:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. at the Osakis Liquor Store parking lot.

SUNDAY, JUNE 24

• Fun events at Park Osagi from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. flea market, craft sales and food vendors.

• Grand Parade at 1 p.m.; afterwards, be sure to check out live entertainment by the performance group Sheltered Reality at Park Osagi.

Tags: variety, osakis, festival, events, features