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What a fantastic weekend for Karl Oskar Days we had. Yes, it was quite warm but at least we had sunshine the whole time. I hope you took some time to take in as many events as you could, because this year’s celebration was the best yet. From all the input we have received, it seems the numbers were way up, which is great considering all of the road construction everywhere.

I had the pleasure of covering the Loppet early Saturday. I couldn’t believe my eyes. There were over 500 runners all lined up at the starting line. It was quite a sight seeing a river of runners filling the streets. Congratulations to Digger Carlson who won his third loppet in a time of 16:20. Also, a big congratulations goes out to Kristen Howe, who was the first female to cross the finish line in 19:36.

The Karl Oskar Days golf tournament had an amazing turnout as well. This year’s field had over 20 more registrants than last year. They had to have a playoff, and it took until the 12th hole for a winning team to be crowned.

Usually the talk about Karl Oskar Days subsides after a couple of days, but this year seems different. I think that this year’s celebration was above and beyond any we have ever had. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the people who worked so hard to make our town celebration so special. What the public doesn’t see is how many hours of planning go into these events, and how many people it really takes to make them happen. If you worked in the Karl Oskar Days celebration in any capacity, thank you. You should be proud of making it one of the best ever.

If you love these summer celebrations, you are in luck. This weekend you will have two to choose from. In Taylors Falls, they are holding their annual Wannigan Days that is always a great time. And in Rush City our annual County Fair will be taking place. Both celebrations offer parades, which going by last Saturday, everyone seems to love. Wannigan Days Parade is Saturday at 6 p.m. and the Chisago County Fair is at 1 p.m. on Sunday. I hope you have a chance to take in some more festivities this weekend, and enjoy what makes our area so special.

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