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If the Northwest Angle is on your 鈥淧laces I鈥檇 Like to Visit鈥� list, but you鈥檝e never made the trip, next weekend offers the perfect excuse to head north.

And if you鈥檝e been there before, here鈥檚 a perfect excuse for a return trip.

Fishing鈥檚 always a big draw for visitors to Lake of the Woods鈥� Northwest Angle, of course, but Labor Day weekend marks the third annual Northwest Angle Buoy Bash, a celebration of the Northernmost Buoy in the Lower 48, located on the shore of Lake of the Woods at Young鈥檚 Bay.

Built in 2017, the buoy is modeled after the Southernmost Buoy in Key West, Florida. Key West entrepreneur and adventure sports enthusiast during the inaugural buoy bash.

Buoy Bash 2024 kicks off at 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 30, with a 鈥淗istory, Mystery and Legends鈥� presentation at Jerry鈥檚 Bar and Restaurant, which is adjacent to the Northernmost Buoy on the Northwest Angle mainland. As part of the presentation, Northwest Angle personalities Dave Vickaryous, Jim Dingle, Pat Zavoral and Joe Laurin will share stories and insights on the Angle, that 鈥渃himney鈥� at the top of Minnesota bordered on three sides by Canada and created by a long-ago mapmaking error.

The Angle, of course, is only accessible by road by driving through about 40 miles of Manitoba.

Laurin, one of Lake of the Woods country鈥檚 preeminent historians, offers of Lake of the Woods landmarks and in 2018 released the an app highlighting more than 130 points of interest on the lake in both U.S. and Canadian waters.

Buoy bash festivities on Saturday, Aug. 31, include open house events at several resorts, both on the Northwest Angle mainland and on Oak and Flag Islands. Participating resorts include Oak Island Resort, Sage鈥檚 Angle West Resort, Sportsman鈥檚 Oak Island Lodge, Walsh鈥檚 Bay Store Camp on Oak Island, Prothero鈥檚 Post Resort and Cyrus鈥檚 Flag Island Resort.

For more information on specific open house events and times at each of the participating resorts, check out the website at .

New to this year鈥檚 Buoy Bash is a Farmer鈥檚 Market that is set to begin at 3 p.m. Aug. 31 adjacent to the buoy. Vendors from as far away as the Twin Cities will be set up in a 30x40-foot tent selling everything from fresh produce and jewelry to local honey, baked goods and buoy-related crafts, among other items. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Northwest Angle Hockey Club.

As of midweek, 鈥�15 to 20鈥� vendors were scheduled to be on hand, said Laurin, one of the Buoy Bash鈥檚 organizers. In addition, artist Laura Stovern 鈥� also known as 鈥渂ackwoods Barbie鈥� 鈥� will teach kids how to paint on canvas, Laurin says, and will also hold a class on how to be a 鈥渟ocial media curator鈥� on platforms such as YouTube.

鈥淭here鈥檚 more vendors coming up to sell (their wares) than I anticipated, so hopefully we can drive some additional traffic up for Labor Day weekend,鈥� Laurin said.

Saturday, Aug. 31 also marks the first day of the Max Foundation鈥檚 second annual MAX Multi-Species Fishing Derby. The Aug. 31-Sept. 1 competition is being held in honor of Max Marvin, a Northwest Angle fishing guide who died in December 2018. The 鈥渃atch-video-release鈥� tournament, which was open to 30 two-person teams, is sold out and offers prizes for the biggest muskie and biggest walleye, in addition to numerous door prizes. A fundraiser for the Max Foundation, created in Marvin鈥檚 memory to promote mental health awareness, the tournament will be headquartered at Angle Outpost Resort, with an awards banquet beginning at 6 p.m. Sept. 1 at Jerry鈥檚 Bar and Restaurant.

For more information on the Northwest Angle Buoy Bash, check out the Lake of the Woods Tourism website at .