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It was a group effort to bring water education to 600 of the County’s fifth grade students. The twenty-fourth annual Chisago County Children’s Water Festival was hosted on a sunny September day at Wild Mountain in Taylors Falls. This interactive day of learning wouldn’t have been possible without the help and support of our presenters, volunteers, and sponsors! 

Over the past 24 years, nearly 16,000 students have attended the festival to immerse themselves in all things water related. Students learned about the water cycle, drinking water, aquatic invasive species, watersheds, water safety, fishing, and more through innovative, hands-on learning opportunities. They made watershed models, watched a play, investigated macroinvertebrates, and explored the anatomy of fish. The primary goal was for students to leave understanding that the quality of our water is determined by the actions we take every day. 

The festival Planning Committee recognizes the efforts of the following organizations to help bring this festival to life! Their dedication to protecting our valuable water resources is demonstrated by their support. 

Bernick’s of Dresser, WI

Brink’s Market

Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve 

Chisago County 4-H

Chisago County Departments/Offices

Chisago County 

   Master Gardeners

Chisago County Schools

Chisago County Water Plan

Chisago Lakes Lake 

    Improvement District

Chisago Lakes Lions Club

Chisago Lakes Rotary Club

Chisago Soil and Water 

   Conservation District

City of Rush City

Comfort Lake – Forest 

   Lake Watershed District 

Creative Learning Ideas for Mind and Body, (CLIMB) Theater

East Metro Water Resource Education Program 

Farmers Insurance, 

   Tom Kieffer Agency

First Resource Bank

Fishing For Life

Great Lakes Aquarium 

Keller Williams Realty, 

   Steve and Monica Kinny

Kwik Trip, Inc.

Let’s Go Fishing East 

    Central Chapter

Lower St. Croix 

   Partnership

Minnesota Department 

    of Natural Resources

MinnAqua

Minnesota Pollution 

   Control Agency

Natural Resources 

    Conservation Service

Northwoods Roasterie 

    & Coffee Shop

Pleasant Valley Orchard

Project WET

Project WILD

Rush City Lions Club

Rush Lake Improvement 

    Association, Inc.

St. Croix National 

     Scenic Riverway

Security State Bank 

     of Marine

University of Minnesota Extension

University of Wisconsin 

    River Falls

Washington Conservation 

    District

Wild Mountain Recreation 

    Area

Wild Rivers Conservancy

The dedication of the festival Planning Committee is at the heart of this event. Thank you to:

Chisago County – 

    Madelyn Kinny

Chisago Lakes Lake 

  Improvement District – 

  Monica Kinny, Ben Elfelt

Chisago Soil & Water Conservation District – 

   Susan Humble

DNR Project WET – 

    Janine Kohn

University of Wisconsin River Falls – Joel Donna, James Graham, Julie Ketterling, and Joe Ramstad 

Wild Mountain Recreation Area – Sara Larsen and Jesse Schraufnagel

Please let festival Planning Committee members know if your organization is interested in supporting the festival in 2027.

We thank the educators, school administrators, and school chaperones for their engagement and support of the festival these past 24 years! We look forward to the 25th Anniversary Festival in 2027!

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