Eighty-two years of celebrating Mountain Lake’s mid-June staple
It is June – and that means that Pow Wow – a Mountain Lake mid-month staple – is set to be unleashed, chock full of festivities, food and fun. The focus site for the events is Mountain Lake City Park – with activities going on in-and-round the square-block set aside as a park by the Sioux City and St. Paul Railroad and given to the city with the stipulation that it remain a park.
This year will note the 82nd anniversary of the celebration.
Events will begin on Friday, June 17 with the Miss and Little Miss Mountain Lake Pageant and will run until Tuesday night, June 21, with events winding down around 10 p.m. with the raffle drawing of a $1,000 grand prize, two$500 cash prizes – as well as prizes donated by local businesses. This year will again feature an Adult Scavenger Hunt – with clues given out at specific events.
Pow Wow T-shirts are now on sale at Mountain Lake City Hall. Youth sizes are $10, adult sizes are $11 and adult extra sizes are $13. Mountain Lake Area Chamber of Commerce members receive a $1 discount on T-shirt purchases.
Midway wristband and individual pre-sale tickets make be purchased early. Purchase a wristband for $20 or eight individual ride tickets for $18 at Maynard’s Foods, Peterson Thrifty White Drug & Gifts, Cenex C-Store, Casey’s and United Prairie Bank.
The first Pow Wow was held on August 24, 1923, as a one-day event. The festival was given its name by Mountain Lake native, Frank Balzer, who had returned home after attending college at Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota. While a student at Carleton, Balzer recalled an event called a Pow Wow, which was roughly translated as “a gathering,” and believed that accurately described what were the growing plans for event by its originators. The day included games for the boys and girls, along with a Zephyr Band concert.
Additional early Pow Wow activities included the Cottonwood County Junior Pig show, the winners winning free trips to the Minnesota State Fair; demonstrations by the champions in sewing and baking contests, tugs-of-war, ball games and automobile, horse, wheelbarrow, foot sack, fat men and greased pig races.
There were no Pow Wow celebrations for a total of 11 years, spanning the decades, due to a number of reasons, including an infantile paralysis pandemic that closed down events in 1930, 1931 and 1932; World War II stopped short festivities in 1942, 1943, 1944, 1945 and 1946. It returned again in 1947, but none was held from 1948 through 1951. However – since 1952 (when it was extended to a two-day affair) – Pow Wow has continued year-after-year – in unrelenting fashion.
2016 Pow Wow Calendar of Events
Friday, June 17
+ Miss and Little Miss Mountain Lake Pageant, 7 p.m., Mountain Lake Public School Auditorium. (First Clue for Adult Scavenger Hunt.) See separate article on profiles of the Miss Mountain Lake candidates.
+ Freedom Riders Rally at Freedom Riders Club in Mountain Lake.
Saturday, June 18
+ Second Day of Freedom Riders Rally at Freedom Riders Club in Mountain Lake.
+ Pow Wow Tractor Ride, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
+ Mayor’s Bike Trail Ride, meet at Lawcon Park’s Boat Landing, 9 a.m. to 12 noon.
+ Alumni Softball Game at Munson Field, 10 a.m.
+ Alumni Baseball Game at Munson Field, 12 p.m. (Second Clue for Adult Scavenger Hunt.)
+ Disc Golf Tourney at Lawcon Park, 3 p.m. (For ages 13-plus. Registration starts at 9:30 a.m. $5 participation fee. Winner receives an award. This is an 18-20 hole recreational tourney. Proper disc golf etiquette and knowledge of the rules are expected. Amateurs only.
+ Induction Ceremony for the Mountain Lake Public High School Athletic Hall of Fame’s Class of 2016, 6 p.m., Mountain Lake Public School elementary gym.
Sunday, June 19
+ Mountain Lake Assembly of God Pancake Breakfast at Mountain Lake City Park Gazebo, 8 a.m. to 12 noon.
+ Mountain Lake Ministerial Association Community Worship Service in Mountain Lake City Park, 10 a.m.
+ Food Stands open in Mountain Lake City Park/Mountain Lake Area Chamber of Commerce Booth opens, 11 a.m. (Third Clue for Adult Scavenger Hunt.)
+ Steve Pfeiffer 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament, north side of Mountain Lake City Park, 12 noon.
+ Mountain Lake Area Booster Club Dunk Tank in Mountain Lake City Park, 12 noon to 3 p.m.
+ Registration opens for 43rd annual Mountain Lake Pow Wow Road Race, 2:30 p.m., sign-up and all races start at Mountain Lake Public High School.
+ Mountain Lake Pow Wow Road Race Fitness Walk (1 mile and 2 mile), 3:15 p.m.
+ Half-Mile Run, 3:55 p.m.
+ Mountain Lake Mile Run, 4:15 p.m.
4-Mile Run, 4:30 p.m.
+ Pow Wow Kiddie Parade down 3rd Avenue from Peterson Thrifty White Drug and Gifts to Mountain Lake City Park, 5:30 p.m.
+ Antique, Classic, Hot Rod Car & Tractor Parade and Park-N-Show down 3rd Avenue, 6 p.m. (Registration begins at 5 p.m. at Town’s Edge Auto, located on 3rd Avenue at the east edge of Mountain Lake. Rubber tires only allowed. First 60 line-up participants receive a Dash Plaque.)
+ Mountain Lake Ministerial Association-sponsored event at Mountain Lake City Park Bandstand, 7 p.m.
Monday, June 20
+ Food Stands open in Mountain Lake City Park, 10 a.m.
+ Commercial Stands open in Mountain Lake City Park, 10 a.m.
+ Rush Adventures Bungee Trampoline opens in Mountain Lake City Park, 10 a.m.
+ Mountain Lake Area Booster Club Dunk Tank in Mountain Lake City Park, 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
+ Midway opens in Mountain Lake City Park, 2 p.m.
+ Hillbilly Bob in Mountain Lake City Park during the afternoon and in the evening’s Grande Parade. Sponsored by Town’s Edge Auto of Mountain Lake and Mountain Lake Area Chamber of Commerce.
+ Grande Parade down 3rd Avenue, 7 p.m. (Longtime Mountain Lake Public School teacher, coach and Mountain Lake Pow Wow Road Race organizer Paul Metcalf will be the Grand Marshal.)
+ Mountain Lake Area Booster Club Dunk Tank in Mountain Lake City Park, 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.
+ Love To Sing” Karaoke and Beer Garden, outside at The Laker Grill, 8 p.m.
+ After the Grande Parade, Su Fu Du will perform at the Mountain Lake City Park Band Shelter, followed by a performance by The Wendinger Band.
Tuesday, June 21
+ Kids Scavenger Hunt in Mountain Lake City Park, 11 a.m. (Clues given out every hour until the Pow Wow Medallion is found.)
+ Food/Commercial Stands, Midway and Rush Adventures Bungee Trampoline open in Mountain Lake City Park, 11 a.m.
+ Free Midway Ticket Drawing for Kids Age 10 and under, every half-hour from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. (must be present to win).
+ Mountain Lake Area Booster Club Dunk Tank in Mountain Lake City Park, 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.
+ Kids Pedal Tractor Pull down 10th Street, 3 p.m.
+ Mountain Lake Fire Department’s Kitchen Fire Demo, 5 p.m.
+ Bean Bag Tournament at Mountain Lake City Park’s Basketball Court, 6 p.m.
+ Talent Contest at Mountain Lake City Park Bandstand, 7:30 p.m.
+ “Love To Sing” Karaoke and Beer Garden, inside at The Laker Grill, 8 p.m.
+ Raffle drawing for $1,000 grand prize, two $500 cash prizes and other prizes donated by local businesses at the Mountain Lake City Park Bandstand. Raffle Tickets are now on sale at Mountain Lake businesses.
