SUMMER FUN - OUTDOORS

Minnesota's historic Terrace Mill site set to reopen after five-year hiatus

Evan Pederson — Wed, 18 Jun 2025 20:57:41 GMT

TERRACE — Terrace Mill, the nationally recognized historic flour mill and attraction, will reopen its doors to the public on June 21 and 22 with a slew of activities and events.

The mill, located in Glenwood, Minnesota, officially closed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and reorganizing efforts, according to a news release announcing the reopening. However, after building back up its board of directors and obtaining more volunteer help, Terrace Mill and the surrounding area will once again function as a historic site and gathering place.

"I just love old stuff," said Julie Lloyd, president of the board of directors for the Terrace Mill Foundation. "I love knowing about what's happened before I've been here. I love the arts, and Terrace Mill is kind of a blend of both preserving history and how things used to be done, and just providing a place for people to learn new skills and explore their artistic side."

Lloyd mentioned that although the Mill Foundation's previous mission was mainly centered around restoration and preservation of the structure and surrounding grounds, it has since added a goal of creating a welcoming environment and event space for people of all ages.

Before closing to the public five years ago, Terrace Mill hosted gatherings, artistic events and, notably, a children's theater program — productions of roughly 30 people performing fairy tale and children's literature stories such as "The Jungle Book," "Hansel & Gretel" and "The Rockin' Tale of Snow White." The Foundation hopes to restart the children's theater program in the summer of 2026.

This year, Terrace Mill will feature an art exhibit with works from Orlando Haugland, Gerald Solbreken and Jan Devick, all of whom have ties to the Terrace area. Art on display will include mixed media sculptures from Haugland's "Terrace" series, wood carvings by Solbreken and mixed media and paintings by Devick.

Terrace Mill will be dedicating a special memorial plaque for the late Robert Greenfield, a 30-year volunteer for the Terrace Mill Foundation, at 2 p.m. Saturday, June 21. Friends and family of Greenfield are encouraged to attend to celebrate his legacy with the project.

Greenfield grew up in the Terrace area and graduated from Glenwood High ��. He then moved to New York and worked as a teacher with gifted and talented students, but later moved back to the Terrace area where he opened a restaurant called the Terrace Store Company and volunteered with the Terrace Mill Foundation. He died Feb. 26, 2024.

Lloyd noted that Greenfield was especially passionate about the children's theater program, and he loved nothing more than seeing kids have fun and excel.

"After every show he'd come up to me, and he'd have tears in his eyes, and he'd say, 'Oh, I'm so proud that this is in Terrace. I would put this program up against anything I've seen in New York.' He was just fabulous," Lloyd said.

Terrace Mill is also in the midst of conducting three main paid summer events. A woodcarving class on June 14 offered participants ages 14 and older the chance to carve a wooden feather from cottonwood bark. It was led by the Prairie Woodcarvers Group from Alexandria.

Fred Keller of the "Skally Line" duo will lead a songwriting workshop Sunday, June 29. Geared toward all levels of songwriting, participants are encouraged to bring any in-progress poems or songs, a notebook and pen, and optionally, an instrument, to learn about storytelling through music and perfect any works in progress. It costs $30 to attend this event.

And on Saturday, Aug. 23, the Terrace Mill Foundation will be hosting a rosemaling class at Chippewa Falls Lutheran Church, just north of the mill in Terrace. Rosemaling is a style of traditional Norwegian folk painting, and participants will have the opportunity to paint a sandwich board. It costs $60 to attend this event.

Events during Terrace Mill's grand reopening June 21 and 22 are free to the public. Times and details are listed below:

Saturday, June 21

10 a.m. to 4 p.m. — Mill and grounds open
10 a.m. — Ordway Prairie tour led by Ralph Hanson; meet at the mill, tour is not on-site
10 a.m. to 2 p.m. — Face painting with local artist Sabrina Andersen
11 a.m. — Food served at the kitchen
2 p.m. — Robert Greenfield Memorial Plaque dedication, followed by cake and rhubarb tea
2:30 to 3:30 p.m. — Music by Stan & Friends

Sunday, June 22

10 a.m. to 4 p.m. — Mill and grounds open
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. — Sunburg Trolls classic cars available for viewing
10 a.m. to 2 p.m. — Face painting with local artist Sabrina Andersen
11 a.m. — Food served at the kitchen
11 a.m. — Yoga and sound bowls by the millstream with Barb Ostrander and Amber Dauner-Bartlett
1 p.m. — Sunburg Community Music performance

Terrace Mill will continue to be open to the public through Sept. 7 with regular hours from 3 to 7 p.m. Fridays, from noon to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, or by appointment. The address is 27165 Old Mill Pond Road, rural Glenwood, roughly 30 miles south of Alexandria.

Terrace Mill was built in 1903 by Jonas M. Danelz and purchased by Peter Takken in 1920. Takken added a diesel engine to the mill and built a house on the property, but ceased grist milling operations in 1949 when the building was temporarily converted into a woodworking shop for church furniture by a new owner. In 1967 the building was left vacant, and preservation efforts began in the mid-1970s.

The mill itself and four surrounding structures are registered with the National Register of Historic Places. The Terrace Mill Foundation, a collection of board members, volunteers and staff has been in charge of overseeing the preservation of the site since 1979.

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Parks and Rec to offer Nature Explorers half-day camp

Pioneer Staff Report — Wed, 18 Jun 2025 15:32:51 GMT

BEMIDJI — The city of Bemidji Parks and Recreation Department will host a Nature Explorers day camp from 8 a.m. to noon on June 23-28, at North Country Park, 1001 30th St. NW.

"Explore the wilderness during this nature-based camp for ages 6-9," a release said.

Participants will enjoy snacks, crafts and lots of fun activities. The cost is $65 per participant.

For more information and to register, visit www.ci.bemidji.mn.us. With questions, call (218) 333-1862.

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Families flock to Otter Berry Farm in central Minnesota for a taste of country life

Barbie Porter — Thu, 12 Jun 2025 02:00:00 GMT

PERHAM, Minn. — From fresh strawberries in early summer to a large corn maze in the fall, Otter Berry Farm is viewed by many to be a crown jewel of Otter Tail County.

Tucked along a scenic drive about 7 miles from Perham, the farm at 38132 470th Ave., New York Mills, blossomed from a dream that Kris and Cordell Huebsch had. They wanted to bring "city slickers" and country folk alike to experience life on a farm.

Kris Huebsch said the farm has been in the Huebsch family for four generations. Her husband grew up farming commodity crops like kidney beans and corn, while she grew up on a dairy farm before pursuing a degree in animal science.

When the two began their lives together, they decided to turn their 80 acres into a destination. A portion of the farm is wetlands and swamps, but about 10 acres is dedicated to strawberries, 1 acre is for raspberries, 5 acres for pumpkins and 7 acres for a corn maze. They also feature animals to see and pet, as well as games and activities.

Strawberry season typically begins around Father's Day

People can pick the strawberries or order a pre-picked flat. Those who choose to walk in the fields are also invited to taste test as they go, and as often as they want. Huebsch said the pickers are plucked from the parking lot and taken into the field, where they are shown how to identify a plump berry and how to pull it from the plant.

Typically, Otter Berry Farm is open for strawberry picking around June 15.

"It's really super weather dependent when the strawberries are going to be ripe and ready," Huebsch said. "We try to always get through July 4 if we can. And, if the weather holds, we're open through July 10, sometimes a little later."

Huebsch recommended calling their information line at 218-346-5034 before making the drive.

"We never answer the phone, it's just an answering machine. You can listen to the whole spiel or just hang up. It'll tell you if we're open, if we're at capacity, if we're getting picked out soon, if we're open tomorrow, those kinds of things," she said.

Huesch said the information line is updated about every 20 minutes. They also update their Facebook page and website, otterberryfarm.com, to keep customers informed.

"We've had random Tuesdays where all of a sudden all these people show up," she said. "It's like planning a wedding, but nobody RSVPs."

Once the berry season is underway, Otter Berry Farm usually opens daily at 8 a.m. and concludes for the day at noon, or when they sell out, whichever comes first.

Corn maze opens after Labor Day

When the strawberries are all picked, the Huebsches begin to prepare for the fall fun, which includes a corn maze, a pumpkin patch and raspberry picking.

"The corn maze usually opens on weekends after Labor Day," she said.

The hours are Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Sundays from 1-5 p.m. Huebsch said when fall comes around, the hours may change some, so it is best to check in with their website or call. The special events sprinkled throughout the season, including night corn mazes and an adult microbrew tasting with live music and food trucks, will also be posted on their website.

Regardless of the event, all corn maze goers receive a map to help navigate their way. They also receive an emergency number to call if they need help out of the maze.

"We also plant at least 50 different varieties of pumpkins and a bunch of squash," she said. "Most of them are pre-picked. We do leave some out in the field if people want to go get them, but most people find, especially since we're in a sandbox, that it's like pulling a wagon full of pumpkins through a beach."

Huebsch divulged that there has been discussion of hosting a haunted corn maze with the help of members from the Perham Area Community Theatre. However, the details are still being worked out.

Huebsch said all the work they put into Otter Berry Farm is worth it to see families making memories together.

"And they just keep coming back," she said. "It's mind-blowing and really humbling that people just show up."

Mother Nature brings maze to fruition

The Huebsch family began creating Otter Berry Farm in 2016. It all started with research. After digging for information, the two learned strawberry fields in the area had declined.

"The farms that were in business didn't go out of business because they didn't have customers," she said. "They just retired and they didn't want to sell their farm, and their kids didn't want to keep doing it."

The family planted rows upon rows of June-bearing strawberries, which take about 14 months to bear fruit.

"So opening day was June 19, 2017," she said. "Every year we plant a few acres, and then we plow a few acres under. So they're on a rotation about every three to four years."

Otter Berry Farm hires about 30 people to help on the farm, from cashiers to customer service and berry pickers.

"I usually always have at least 10 people out here picking for us to sell pre-picked strawberries because a lot of people either physically can't or they just don't have time," she said.

Typically, an acre of strawberry plants produces about 4,000 to 5,000 pounds of fruit, Huebsch said, adding that there have been years when late frost or inclement weather reduced their crop. Even during challenging years, their guests were able to harvest about 1,000 pounds an acre.

It was during one of those years when Mother Nature became temperamental that the Huebsches decided to diversify with a corn maze and other fall season fun.

"During our first strawberry season, there was a hailstorm and about 5 inches of rain fell," she said. "I remember standing in that red barn looking out the back window just crying."

During the winter, the two dreamed of ways to diversify, and her husband's longtime dream finally came true.

"Cordell, actually, had wanted to do a corn maze for many years," she said. "I had been dragging my feet on it. I was worried about people getting lost. But after that season, I was like, tell me more about this corn maze."

In 2018, the first corn maze at Otter Berry Farm opened and was an instant success. The two change the design each year. They've paid homage to area communities, cut a maze in the shape of Minnesota with the word "nice" in it, and said they have a fun design planned for the upcoming season.

"It starts with drawing out the concept," Huebsch explained, adding that once the design is done, they send it to a company that digitizes it into a map. The map is inputted into a GPS. "My husband built a desk and canopy to go over the (riding) lawn mower. It keeps it dark enough that he can see his phone screen and GPS map."

Huebsch likened creating the maze to playing Pac-Man. Her husband is a beacon on the map and has to follow the line to create the desired maze.

"It usually takes about two to three days to make the first pass," she said. "You want to make sure the lawn mower is full of gas when you start because you can't just drive out. Don't ask me how we learned that one."

After the path is cut, it is mowed a few more times as the corn grows into thick green stalks. The corn is planted in two directions, so those walking through it can't see if there is a path on the other side. Huebsch added the corn typically grows to about 7 feet, although some stalks sprout as high as 10 feet.

The Huebsches invited all to come to enjoy Otter Berry Farm this year, be it for fresh-picked strawberries, the corn maze or both.

For more Lakes Country Treasures stories, click on the gems on the map below:

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Parks and Rec to hold Yoga at the Beach

Pioneer Staff Report — Tue, 03 Jun 2025 16:18:08 GMT

BEMIDJI — The city of Bemidji Parks and Recreation Department is set to hold Yoga at the Beach sessions from 5 to 5:45 p.m. on Tuesdays, June 10-24, at Diamond Point Park, Diamond Building Lakeside Patio, 1710 Birchmont Drive NE.

Join instructor Dionne for a series of three yoga classes. Each month, there will be a three-week session offered, a release said.

Participants should bring a yoga mat and a water bottle. The cost is $52 per three-week session or $22 for drop-in.

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Parks and Rec to offer 'Kick Off to Summer' day camp June 9-13

Pioneer Staff Report — Mon, 02 Jun 2025 18:28:28 GMT

BEMIDJI — The city of Bemidji Parks and Recreation Department is set to hold a "Kick Off to Summer" day camp June 9-13 at Jiigibiig in Diamond Point Park, 1710 Birchmont Drive NE.

The camp will run from 1 to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Designed for kids ages 6 to 12, the camp offers a blend of outdoor adventures, creative arts and crafts, team sports and interactive games to celebrate the start of summer, a release said.

Participants will engage in activities that promote teamwork, creativity and exploration, all while building lasting memories and friendships.

The cost is $65 per participant and scholarships are available.

There is a maximum of 20 attendees, with limited space remaining. For more information or to register, visit ci.bemidji.mn.us or call (218) 333-1862.

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Bemidji United Way to host inaugural kids fishing tournament

Pioneer Staff Report — Mon, 02 Jun 2025 17:04:51 GMT

BEMIDJI — The United Way of Bemidji Area will host its first-ever United Way Fishing Tournament - Kids Edition from 8 a.m. to noon on Sunday, June 22, in Beltrami County.

The catch-and-release tournament allows kids 15 years old and younger to fish with an adult in public waters anywhere in Beltrami County and compete for prizes.

Youth anglers will compete for the biggest walleye, bass and bluegill by length, with trophies being awarded to the winners.

All registered anglers will be entered into prize drawings, which include a chance to win a lifetime fishing license. They can submit up to five fish of any species, with each submission earning them additional entries into the prize drawings.

Other bonus prizes include best angler outfit, funniest fish face, best boat setup and more. The awards ceremony will take place at 1 p.m. at Cameron Park in Bemidji.

The registration is $50 per angler and is available online at uwfishingbemidji.com. Half of the registration fee will go to the United Way of Bemidji Area, while the other half will go to a youth organization of the donor's choice.

Youth organizations include: Bemidji First Lego League Robotics, Bemidji Fishing Team, Bemidji Girls Fastpitch Softball, Bemidji Trap Team, Bemidji Youth Baseball, Bemidji Youth Hockey Association, Bemidji Youth Soccer Association and Blackduck Summer Baseball.

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Parks and Rec to hold Camp Adventure Seekers

Pioneer Staff Report — Sun, 25 May 2025 16:47:00 GMT

BEMIDJI — The city of Bemidji Parks and Recreation Department is set to hold a new summer day camp from June through August at City Park, 1330 23rd St. NW.

Camps will take place from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday each week.

"Camp Adventure Seekers is a new middle school day camp program being offered this summer," a release said. "Weekly activities may include fun adventurous sessions like crafting, water fun, disc golf, extreme science experiments, hiking and field trips. There will be group challenges and games to ensure that you are making the most out of your summer."

Cost is $145 per participant per week, scholarships are available. Snacks will be provided.

Max of 12 participants per week, limited space remaining. For more information or to register, visit ci.bemidji.mn.us or call (218) 333-1862.

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11th annual Loop the Lake Festival set for June 21

Pioneer Staff Report — Fri, 23 May 2025 18:22:00 GMT

BEMIDJI — Cyclists are invited to join Bike Bemidji in celebrating the start of summer at the 11th annual Loop the Lake Festival on Saturday, June 21.

The 17-mile route starts at South Shore Beach and loops around Lake Bemidji. Stops are set up along the way where participants can enjoy music, food, photo opportunities and fun at rest stops, including Lake Bemidji State Park.

There will be live music performances staggered throughout the day at various locations, including Ruttger's Birchmont Lodge, Lake Bemidji State Park and the Sanford Center.

The event will begin with a rolling start between 7:30 and 10 a.m. There will be reflective bike stickers available while supplies last.

Registration information

For those who register before May 31, the cost is $10 per person ages 13 and older and $5 for those 12 and younger. Loop the Lake T-shirts cost $17 and are not available for purchase after May 31.

From June 1-19, the cost is $20 for ages 13 and older and $5 for 12 and younger.

For walk-up registrations on June 20 during check-in or on the day of the event, the cost is $30 for ages 13 and older and $10 for ages 12 and younger.

The registration cost includes food, music and photo ops along the scenic route. Event T-shirts are not included in the price of registration.

Loop the Lake merchandise is for sale during check-in and at the event.

Adaptive cyclists can make arrangements by contacting Diane Pittman at (218) 444-7172 or diane@truenorthbemidji.com. To rent an adult bike for the event, call Jamie at (218) 333-1857.

For more information or to register, email info@bikebemidji.com or visit bikebemidji.com.

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Mississippi River excursion signs are a hit for paddlers

Leo Pomerenke — Tue, 20 May 2025 13:00:00 GMT

For paddlers looking for routes along the Mississippi River, the Mississippi Headwaters Board now has them covered.

The board is putting up signs guiding paddlers on routes along the Mississippi River across eight counties in northern Minnesota. The excursion signs are put on river accesses and detail where the route leads to, the history of the area around the river, safety reminders and more. Paddlers can see where the routes are by visiting mississippiheadwaters.org/scenicRecreation.

“I noticed there's a lot of kayaking going on (the Mississippi River),” said Executive Director Tim Terrill. “So I was like, well, how can we get something useful and promote something useful that people could use?”

That’s where the signs come in, which were first put up in 2019. There are 15 routes along the river that are currently mapped out by excursion signs. The board is planning to add three more this year: near Crosby, Brainerd and Cohasset.

“I really wanted to connect and make something that the people could enjoy,” Terrill said. “It really exceeded my expectations.”

The signs guide paddlers on routes that range from around three to five hours long. For those who don’t know the area, there’s a QR code that visitors can scan that will bring up a map on their phone that they can follow paddlers as they go downstream.

“Once you scan that QR code, it will follow you down the river like Google Maps,” he said. “And you don't need cell phone service.”

The board estimates that the paddling routes generated $61,000 to local economies in 2024, using estimates from QR code data, doubling the total in 2022 and 2023. The board assumed each person who scanned the QR code spent $40 on gas, food or other essentials to come up with their estimate.

The board also runs events called “resourcetainment,” in which participants paddle down the river and have a social hour afterward.

Three scheduled events are planned for this summer:

Aitkin Paddle Your Glass Off: Set for 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on June 14 in Aitkin, paddlers will take a route down the river and enjoy music, craft beer and games afterward. Paddle & Pint: Set for 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on July 12, in Cohasset, paddlers will park at the end of the route, and a party bus will shuttle them to the beginning of the route. Afterward, folks will eat at Bear Ridge Pizza in Cohasset. Mississippi History Paddling Excursion: Paddlers will stop at certain historical areas along the river in Brainerd from 2:30 to 5 p.m. on Aug. 9.

“People are really liking the events,” Terrill said. “When you give it a snappy name like ‘resourcetainment,’ everybody’s like, 'Oh that’s such a cool idea.’”

The Mississippi Headwaters Board is an organization put together by eight northern Minnesota counties to limit land use along the Mississippi River and to maintain the river’s health and ecosystem, according to their website. Those counties include Beltrami, Hubbard, Cass, Itasca, Clearwater, Aitkin, Crow Wing and Morrison.

Another part of their mission is to promote recreation on the river, which Terrill is very passionate about. With the excursion signs project, he’s excited to see its popularity so far.

“These signs help bring about awareness, education, but they just take away all the unknown factors,” he said. “It gets people on the river, and once you're on the river, you wanna protect it.”

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60 years, 4 tons and countless selfies — meet Alexandria’s beloved giant

Travis Gulbrandson — Thu, 15 May 2025 11:00:00 GMT

ALEXANDRIA — He has never held elected office, has no family and has never spoken a word.

But, at 60 years old, he remains one of Alexandria's most prominent residents.

He also happens to be 4 tons in weight, 28 feet tall, and made of fiberglass.

His name is Big Ole, and he stands in a park that was named for him, which is located at Second Avenue and Broadway Street.

Outfitted in Viking attire, he wears a helmet and carries a spear and a shield that reads, "Alexandria Birthplace of America."

Big Ole's story begins in 1965 at the New York World's Fair, the second season of which began in April of that year.

Along with the Kensington Runestone itself, Big Ole was part of a three-phase plan to improve the fair's Minnesota pavilion.

The cost to build Big Ole was $15,000, while Alexandria's total cost toward the statue and the Runestone display amounted to $25,000. He was designed by Gordon Displays of Minneapolis.

Upon its completion in April 1965, the statue was placed outside the Minnesota pavilion, which was on a heavily traveled roadway and within 100 yards of the Vatican pavilion. It drew an actual count of 12 million visitors the year before.

In the first two days of his exhibition, Big Ole was seen by an estimated 250,000 people and was photographed by an estimated 1,500.

By December of 1965, the statue was back in Alexandria, to be located on the "island" on the north end of Broadway, just across Highway 52.

"Seven-foot-deep concrete footings will be poured," the Park Region Echo reported. "Inserted into the footings will be 6-inch pipes which will extend 11 feet and 4 feet into the air. The statue's legs each have steep pipe sleeves which fit over the supporting pipes."

On Dec. 21, a dedication ceremony took place, which attracted not only the local media but television stations from the Twin Cities.

He survived several moves, a fire, storm damage and a collapsed roof

Big Ole has been moved and his appearance changed several times over the ensuing decades.

In 1967, a fire was set to the Santa suit in which Big Ole had been outfitted for the holiday season, resulting in $3,000 worth of repair costs.

As the Park Region Echo reported on Nov. 30, 1967, "Heat from the blaze charred the face until holes appeared when efforts to remove the soot were started."

To repair the damage, Big Ole was taken off his moorings and sent to the Twin Cities.

He was loaded onto a flatbed truck owned by John Lenz, and Alberg Sand and Gravel provided the large crane necessary for the removal.

Repairs were completed by Gordon Displays.

In that same issue of the Park Region Echo, an editorial called the charred Viking "a depressing, saddening sight."

"Even those who would poke fun at the guardian of main street must have had pangs of regret at the awesome result of vandalism," the editorial read.

The writer mused that perhaps the vandalism would serve a good purpose in the community.

"The result of this act of vandalism stands out vividly, unavoidably for all residents to see," the editorial read. "The Viking has this past week, stood stark and imposing as a symbol of a rebellious attitude which is an outgrowth, many are saying, of a soft disciplinary attitude."

Big Ole returns to South Broadway in 1997

On Aug. 21, 1980, Big Ole was moved one half-block north of his first resting spot to make room for the installation of a new stop light at Third Avenue and Broadway.

Big Ole was repainted at least three times in the 1980s and 1990s, changing the color of his hair and beard.

Then in October 1996, he was pulled from his platform for some major repair work and placed in the Runestone Museum's agricultural display building until the money could be raised for a structural diagnosis and repairs.

Given his stature, it was a difficult job to complete.

First, Big Ole's helmet and wings were removed, then cables from a crane were connected to the statue. The anchoring rivets were removed from his boots, and then the crane cranked up its cables and lifted the statue slowly up into the air until he dangled "like a giant Christmas tree ornament," the Echo Press reported.

The crane then slowly lowered Big Ole's feet onto a forklift covered with hay bales. He was then lowered further so that his back came to rest on some hay bales in a flatbed truck.

Once he was in the ag building, however, Big Ole suffered an accident: In February of 1997, the roof of the building, laden with snow, collapsed on top of the statue and damaged it.

Unfortunately, Big Ole had just finished getting cosmetic repairs after standing outside for more than 30 years.

After his new repairs, Big Ole was returned to South Broadway in May of 1997.

He moved just one more time in October 2002, 150 feet away from where he had been standing, and a park — Big Ole Central Park — was developed there, too.

Today, Big Ole stands tall and proud, and is always amenable to having his picture taken with tourists and residents alike.

An eye-catching landmark

Barbara Haacke, the executive director of the Runestone Museum, which is across the street from the statue, said that Big Ole has become a legend in Minnesota, much like Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox.

Although it is hard to gauge how many people visit Big Ole each year, Haacke said it is certainly in the many thousands. Many of Big Ole’s visitors don’t always make it into the museum, so she said she can’t be sure. However, she said that in 2024, the museum had visitors from 47 of the 50 states and also had visitors from more than 30 countries.

Haacke shared that Big Ole is painted approximately every five years, and he has had major renovations over the years due to fire, wind and storm damage.

“Funding for his repairs and renovation is generously donated by the people of Alexandria who see a value in maintaining his appearance for Alexandria residents and visitors alike,” she said.

Live view of Big Ole

Nathan Chan, network administrator for ALP Utilities in Alexandria, may have a better handle on the number of visitors taking their picture with Big Ole thanks to the Big Ole live webcam.

ALP’s camera, which is mounted on the pole in front of Big Ole, was actually first used to do a time lapse of the downtown reconstruction project, he said. The camera was a joint venture between ALP and Explore Alexandria. But once the project was completed, Chan said the thought was that they should put the camera to good use elsewhere.

A co-worker of Chan’s thought it would be a good idea to have the camera positioned toward the Central Lakes Trail. With it being a live feed, people could check the conditions of the trail, whether in the summer or the winter.

“We decided on that location as we could add Big Ole, the trail and a bit of road to get all kinds of conditions in one shot,” said Chan. “It also allowed a great view of the lake.”

The Big Ole live webcam went up in the spring of 2015. At that time, ALP was providing fiber internet services so the camera was hooked up to it and the feed was put on both the ALP and Explore Alexandria websites.

Eventually the live feed was moved to ALP’s YouTube channel, where it has been since March 14, 2022.

“It (the live video) has been seen more than 35,800 times since, averaging about 40 views a day,” said Chan. He added that there are a few diehards that frequently check into the stream and will let ALP know if it is not working.

Those visiting Big Ole can take a selfie using the webcam, which can be found at youtube.com/@alputilities/streams. Once the website is open using a cell phone, take a screenshot of you and whoever is with you, along with the famous Big Ole.

What is it that attracts people to Big Ole?

Many communities are known for a lot of different things. When people reference a certain community, they often do so by addressing the most common trait, said Tara Bitzan, executive director of the Alexandria Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce.

For example, she said maybe a community is known for its lakes, or a famous sports team, or its unique shopping corridor, or on the negative side, its high crime rate.

Typically though, if a community has a major landmark or a statue, that will be the first thing people reference because simply, it is more unique and memorable, said Bitzan.

It is also especially helpful when the landmark or statue ties into the community’s history.

“Big Ole is a Viking, which ties into the well-known story of the Kensington Runestone,” Bitzan said.

She added that his presence continues to give voice to the history of the community.

“For locals, Big Ole is a source of pride and provides a commonality and sense of unity. For visitors, he may appear to simply be a photo opportunity, but he also serves as an educational piece. Few people stop to take their photo by Big Ole without asking, ‘Why does Alexandria have a 28-foot Viking statue?’ ”

Photos of Big Ole over the years

Click on the gems on the map below for more Lakes Country Treasures stories:

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