PERHAM — With the week of Turtle Fest comes a week of fun, festivities, and wins — from the traditional turtle races to the annual parade to scavenger hunts and pizza-eating contests. From Wednesday, June 15 through the morning of Sunday, June 19, the streets of Perham were alive and busy with the sounds of celebration.
Festivities kicked off on Wednesday, June 15 with the turtle races at 10:30 a.m. With kid-friendly music, bouncy castles, inflatable slides, and face-painting, laughter and smiles could be seen on the faces of families who joined in. People from Minnesota, Illinois, Michigan, Missouri, Iowa, Ohio, Nebraska, North and South Dakota, Arizona, and Georgia came to participate in the races.
From there, many different events began throughout Perham to keep visitors and locals alike entertained all throughout the week. Trolley rides were available to those who wanted a tour of the town. A farmer's market and the Annual Bible Reading Marathon were in N.P. Park. People could participate in the all-city rummage sale, Yoga in the Park, a car show, bingo, beer-tasting, and more.
Different events, like the pizza-eating contest at Pizza Ranch, enamored the public. On the afternoon of Friday, June 17, the community gathered under the pizza-eating tent to watch competitors stuff their faces with medium pepperoni and jalapeno pizzas for a prize of $100 in Perham Bucks. In the end Trevor Semann, the voice of the turtle races, reigned victorious with the first-place prize.
Every day at noon, the Perham Area Chamber of Commerce posted clues toward the location of a $500 medallion. The first person to find it would win the prize money, and, in the end, Jake Huebsch found it in a tree outside of Empowering Kids.
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Live music, magician performances, a baseball tournament, the 5k and 10k Turtle Fest run, a dunk tank, and even the annual Main Street Fair with food and art followed.
On Friday evening, the large Turtle Fest parade marched down the streets of Perham, tossing candy and prizes to the crowd of kids and families cheering from the sidewalk. Saturday evening ended with live music throughout town and fireworks at the E.O.T. County Fairgrounds at dusk. On Sunday morning, the week of celebrations concluded with the morning Rotary breakfast at Lakes Café.
If you want more information on Turtle Fest and its events, visit perham.com/turtlefest .
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