歪歪漫画

SEBEKA 鈥� Residents in the Sebeka area may be sleepless in anticipation of the Sebeka Red Eye River Days.

The annual event starts Thursday, July 27 with a special 125th-anniversary town festival and runs through Sunday.

鈥淪o this year 鈥� because it's our 125th 鈥� we're actually extending it by one day, so it's gonna be Thursday through Saturday,鈥� Glenn Whiteford said of Red Eye River Days. 鈥淎nd then we've got a lot more events planned than we typically would because it's part of the celebration piece.鈥�

Michael Johnson / Pioneer Journal

Whiteford is a member of the Sebeka Civic and Commerce Association and was instrumental in planning the additional 125th-anniversary activities that will coincide with Sebeka Red Eye River Days.

鈥淭hursday is totally dedicated to the 125th anniversary, and so we've got a whole host of 20-plus vendors set up for a farmers market and craft fair,鈥� Whiteford said. 鈥淎nd then we're going to have a bunch of free kid games that day and a beer garden in the evening and music.鈥�

New this year is a tractor show from 1-6 p.m. Saturday and 11a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday at Olson Ag on U.S. Highway 71. Kim Dailey, a Wadena County 4-H Extension educator, volunteered to run the tractor show. Her husband owns 10 antique tractors.

鈥淚 grew up on tractors (started driving at age 4), and they make up a huge part of my childhood memories,鈥� Dailey said. 鈥淚 have been in tractor driving contests and tractor pulls. My dad has over 200 trophies for tractor pulling, and my mom has trophies.鈥�

Contributed / Kim Dailey

Dailey said she grew up just south of Sebeka. She moved away for 25 years but returned to the town with a population of about 700 to raise her children.

鈥淚t's definitely a town where everyone knows everyone else's business, but in a good way,鈥� Dailey said. 鈥淚f my kid does something good, bad or otherwise, I know about it before he tells me.鈥�

There will also be a free kiddie tractor pull for children ages 3-12 at 2 p.m. Saturday with prizes for all participants; registration starts at 1 p.m. But Dailey is really excited about the inaugural tractor show.

鈥淚 love that we're going to be able to bring people together and have them brag about their tractor,鈥� Dailey said. 鈥淲e've got a young man bringing a tractor, a steam engine that was owned by his great-grandpa, so it's that sense of family connection again.鈥�

Dailey鈥檚 75-year-old father, who lives just north of Wadena, had exclusively Allis-Chalmers tractors and owned 13 of them at one point.

鈥淚f you sat on a tractor for 8 to 12 hours a day, plowing or harvesting or baling hay, you do become connected to a tractor. You learn its quirks,鈥� Dailey said. 鈥淚 had favorites. If I had to do some farm work, there was a certain tractor I wanted to drive because we just fit better.鈥�

The first clue for the Sebeka Red Eye River Days medallion hunt will be posted in the town square on Friday or people can guess the weight of the rock in the town square with the winner announced on Sunday.

鈥淭here are a lot more kids activities than there's been in the past,鈥� Whiteford said of this year鈥檚 Sebeka Red Eye River Days. 鈥淲e have money in the haystack so the kids can dig through. We鈥檙e doing a sidewalk chalk contest, and we have inflatable bouncy houses for the kids.鈥�

Whiteford said to expect between 75 to 100 entries in the parade that starts at 7:30 p.m. Saturday on Main Street.

Thursday, July 27

• Noon-10 p.m.
  
  • Live music and DJ.
  • Craft vendors.
  • Art in the park.
  • Farmers market.
  • Games for children.
  • Photos.
  • Disc golf, horseshoe pits, basketball court, volleyball court, playground. (Bring your own equipment.)

• 5-10 p.m. 
  
  • Beer garden.

Friday, July 28

• 11 a.m.-2 p.m.: Open house 鈥� Wadena County DAC 50th anniversary with door prizes, light snacks.
• Noon-5 p.m.: Sidewalk chalk art, downtown sidewalks 鈥� Judging at 5:30 p.m. in front of Ondella on Main Street.
• 3-9 p.m.: Escape rooms at City Park East Shelter 鈥� Ages 5-12, $10; ages 13 plus, $15; Weekend Pass for $25. (Reservations recommended.)
• 7 p.m.: Miss Sebeka Pageant at Sebeka 歪歪漫画 (Door No. 1.)
• 8 p.m.: Cornhole tourney at Sebeka Liquor Store 鈥� $20 per team, 100% payout, single elimination.
• 8 p.m.-midnight: DJ Karaoke at Sebeka Liquor Store.

Saturday, July 29

• 7:30 a.m.: 5K Walk/run UNC Track & Field on Fifth Street North. (Registration at 7:30 a.m., race at 8:30 a.m.)
• 10 a.m.-5 p.m.: National Guard activities at the south lot of the Firehall.
• 10 a.m.-7 p.m.: Children鈥檚 inflatables at the south lot of the Firehall.
• 10 a.m.-10 p.m.: Our Savior鈥檚 Potato Booth at the east side of the Post Office 
• 11 a.m: Disc golf tourney at City Park: (Winners receive new discs. $5 entry fee, call Mike Heino at 218-255-4317.)
• 11 a.m.: Bloody Mary bar and breakfast at Sebeka Liquor Store.
• 11 a.m.-5 p.m.: Bus rides at Post Office.
• Noon: Molkky tourney at Sebeka Liquor Store: (Call Clint Childers at 218-472-3336.)
• Noon-9 p.m.: Escape rooms at City Park East Shelter 鈥� Ages 5-12, $10; ages 13 plus, $15; Weekend Pass for $25. (Reservations recommended.)
• Noon: Ice cream social at Town Square with Sebeka Royalty.
• 12:30 p.m.: Classic country music at Town Square with Jerry and Edith Siegel.
• 12:30-2:30 p.m.: Bingo at Sebeka 歪歪漫画 Cafeteria (Door No. 31) All ages win prizes. Free.
• 1-6 p.m.:Tractor show at Olson Ag: (Call Kim Dailey at 763-458-3174 to enter.)
• 2 p.m.: Kiddie tractor pull at  Olson Ag (Ages 3-12, registration starts at 1 p.m.
• 3 p.m.-5 p.m.: Blacksmith demonstration at City Park.
• 3 p.m.: Money in the haystack find at City Park. (Free for children under age 12 
• 4 p.m.: Slowest tractor race at Olson Ag: (Vote for your favorite tractor.)
• 4 p.m.: Lions Club burger dinner at Sebeka Senior Center Parking Lot Pier Country & Friends 4-7 on Main Street
• 6:30 p.m.-9 p.m.: Sebeka FFA alumni and friends silent auction at Sebeka Methodist Church. (Winners announced at 9:15 p.m.).
• 7:15 p.m: Kiddie parade. (Meet at Skate Park.)
• 7:30 p.m.: Parade on Main Street with an ice cream social following at Living Hope Family Church, Sebeka.

Sunday, July 30

• 8 a.m.-noon: Lions Club breakfast at Sebeka Senior Center.
• 11 a.m.-4 p.m: Tractor show at Olson Ag.
• 11:30 a.m.: Duck races at red bridge at Sebeka Park.
• 1 p.m.: Raffle drawing in Town Square.