Annual Butterfield Summer Sizzler celebrates 15 years
The 15th annual sssizzlin’ summer story of the Butterfield Summer Sizzler was celebrated this past Friday evening, June 30; all-day Saturday, July 1 and Sunday morning, July 2 at Voss Park and nearby Butterfield lake.
During the days, there was plenty of activities in which children and adults participated, food served and competitions to watch.
The Sizzler originated from a day that was promoted as a “Day for the Community” by the Butterfield Community Club Auxiliary. Initial events included the Auxiliary’s  Flea Market and the Ice Cream Social by the First Lutheran Church. From there it grew into today’s festival.
It was – and remains – as a fun time for families and people of all ages.
Since the majority of activities take place in-and-around Voss Park and nearby Butterfield Lake, the Voss Park Campground provides the perfect place to stay for the weekend.
Following is a run-down of what was offered up during the Sizzler days:
Friday, June 30 –
Butterfield Fire Department Fundraising Supper.
Blind Man Golf Cart/Lawn Mower Racing.
Saturday, July 1  –
Breakfast served to “anyone who didn’t want to cook.”
“Walkers” kick off Chicken Run events.
Tractorcade left Voss Park.
Chicken Run Timed Run.
Chicken Run ½-mile Kids’ Run.
Flea Market in Voss Park.
Kids’ Fishing contest for ages 0-15.
Micro Mini Tractor Pull.
“Taste of Butterfield.”
Kids’ Pedal Tractor Pull.
Georgia’s Dance Elements performance on Voss Park Stage.
Fun/Silly Relays.
Pie and Ice Cream Social by the Butterfield Community Club Auxiliary.
Medallion Hunt in the Hay (for younger children) and Scavenger Hunt (for kids 12+).
Tractor Pull.
Raffle Winners announced at the Tractor Pull.
After the Tractor Pull until midnight, the band “Attitude” in performance.
Fireworks over Butterfield Lake.
Sunday, July 2 –
Pancake Breakfast with free will donation collected in support of Butterfield Summer Sizzler 2018.
Event sponsors included: Andy’s Auto Repair and Towing, Braaten Farms, Buhler Construction, Bubbles-N-Barks, Buhler Construction Company, Butterfield Foods, Butterfield Municipal Liquor Store, Casey’s General Store-Butterfield, Crystal Valley Cooperative, Darfur Sportsmen’s Club, Dick Downs, D & L Leinenweber, Donald V. Larson Post #9607 – Butterfield, Eagles-St. James, Eagle Riders, Fleet & Farm Supply Inc., Rich Haglund Seeds, Rory Haler Construction, Hall’s Across the Prairie, Hall’s Auctioneering, Hall and Carlson Performance Machine, Hall Design & Repair – Andy Hall and Jeremy Hall, Hall Hydraulics and Machine – Mike Hall, Harder Agency, Heffele Construction, KNK Golf Carts, Lampert Lumber – Windom, Gene and Joyce Lenning, Gary and Etta Mather, Midway Farm Equipment Inc., Miller Sellner Equipment, NAM Design, Nancy’s Beauty Shop, Noi’s Asian Delight Food, Odin State Bank, OTSC Olsen Truck Service Center, Olson Custom Cabinets, Peterson Pit Pumping LLC, Pioneer Seeds – Kurt Blomgren, Prochazka Transport/Producer Hybrid Seeds, Shopko – St. James, Southwest MN K-Fence, Superfair Foods, T & K Transport Inc., Toro, Tri-County Implement, Triumph State Bank, True Value/Radio Shack/Verizon – Butterfield and United Prairie Insurance Agency.
Below is a photo gallery of some of Saturday’s fun:
FISHING FROM BUTTERFIELD Lake’s south dock during the Kids’ Fishing Contest.
DALTON BRAATEN JUST climbed right out of his waders in order to bring the fish he caught to the weigh-in.
COLTAN BRAUN HANDLES his bullhead catch with pro fisherman skill.
EMMA AXFORD IS proud of her largest catch of the day.
THE KIDS’ FISHING Contest champion .59 pound fish was caught by Wyatt Haler, left, with Brice Anacker, right, in second with his .46 pound fish, nicknamed “Bernie.” Not pictured is Veyda Haler, third with a fish that weighed .35 pound.
HONORING THOSE WHO gave all during recent military operations.
ADDYSON HALL BEARS down to pedal her way forward during the Kids’ Pedal Tractor Pull in the 5-Year-Old Division.
ADLEIGH OLSON RUSHED from her dance performance with Georgia’s Dance Elements to participate in the pedal pull’s 6-Year-Old Division – still in costume. And, dad, Nate Olson, captured it all on video.
TUCKER BRAATEN FINISHED third in the pull for 7-year-olds.
WITH A PULL of 27′ 8,” Matayah Hall was second in the 10-Year-Old Division.
LANDON THIESSEN WENT to a pull-off with fellow competitor Gage Miller in the 11-Year-Old Division after each ran a full pull on their first run. Landon went on to win first-place with a second pull of 26′ 9.”
THE PRE-TAP dancers from Georgia’s Dance Elements take to the Voss Park Stage to perform to “Little Bitty Pretty One.” From left, Isabel Nelson, Annie Watson, Brenna Oldenburg and Adleigh Olson. (Christina Hanson photo)
ONCE MORE DANCE to “Rockin’ Robin” by these dancers from Georgia’s Dance Elements Level One Tap Class. From left, Heidi Pfeiffer, Bryn Bell and Heidi Pfeiffer. (Christina Hanson photo)
ONE RELAY RACE required participants to dress in grass skirt, coconut shell top, lei and straw hat – skip across to his or her teammate, take off the costume – to be repeated by the relay member next in line. Above, Ally Hanson begins the dress-up process.
A FULLY-OUTFITTED Ryan Pierce brings his team to the finish.
ED CONNELL, LEFT, gives his micro-mini tractor a fuel fill-up under the watch of James Hager, right.
ANOTHER MICRO-MINI Pull competitor takes his scale model machine to the pull track to see what it can do.
SIZZLER-GOERS could savor a mid-afternoon repast of strawberry/rhubarb pie (or many of other kinds) topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, served by the Butterfield Community Club Auxiliary.
NEW THIS YEAR was a Big Rig Truck Show sponsored by T & K Transport and Downs Food Group. Trophies were presented to four of the truck displays, awarded by People’s Choice vote for their favorite truck. Above is the truck, “Cherry Pie,” a Suite 1973 with a 3408 Cougar under the hood, and owned by Kate Whiting of Chetek, Wisconsin.
THIS 1958 Hendrickson – nicknamed “Henri” – is owned by Terry Dieken of Cottonwood and shown by Tim Stevenson of Four Seasons Truck Wash of North Mankato.
THIS VINTAGE BUTTERFIELD Fire Department truck takes its place in line among the “big rigs.”
A GLEAMING STOESZ Trucking (Kenton Stoesz) rig struts its stuff.
T & K Transport shows off this swanky big rig, one of its fleet.
PENELOPE BARTEL EYES a spot in the hay stack that might be concealing the prized medallion. The Medallion Hunt is split in four age groups – ages 0-2, 3-5, 6-8 and 9-11.
AIDAN OLSON DIGS deep into the piled hay during the boys ages 9-11 hunt.
THE “FINDERS OF the Medallion” in each age group are rewarded with a new biciycle. Front, Avery Sturm (ages 0-2 girls winner), left and Akshay Kokotovich (ages 0-2 boys winner), right. Back, from left, Veyda Haler (ages 3-5 girls winner), Ally Hanson (ages 6-8 girls winner), Caleb Helling (ages 6-8 boys winner), Emmie Hardel (ages 9-11 girls winner) and T. J. Gjerstad (ages 9-11 boys winner). Not pictured is Landon Brugman (3-5 boys winner).
BUT . . . HERE IS missing Landon Brugman (ages 3-5 boys winner). (Photo courtesy of Sonia Brugman)
THESE COUSINS ARE all sorts of serioius about winning the Scavenger Hunt for kids ages 12+. At left is Wyatt Haler, and at rigiht, Dalton Braaten. Each received $50 for their efforts. The “scavengers” – in groups of two – raced around Voss Park to retrieve the list of 10 items. Those items included: a red maple leaf, a pop tab, a pine cone, a signature from longtime Voss Park caretaker Joyce “Ma” Peek, a stick in the shape of a “Y” and a dead bug – along with the name of the town from where the depot in Pioneer Town came, the year the Log Cabin was built, the date on the Tuberg Windmill and the colors on the Chicken Run Bench. (No answers here, but, to find out for yourself – in a type of personal scavenger hunt – search those locations out during the 2017 Threshing Bee, which will run from Friday, August 18 through Sunday, August 20).
THIS QUARTET OF Farmalls prep for the Tractor Pull – as seen through the chain link fence.
FIREWORKS OVER BUTTERFIELD Lake place an exclamation mark on Saturday’s Sizzler events. (Jill Saunders photo)
