Kettle River festival hangs on

The theme for this year's annual celebration in Kettle River is apt historically and for the event itself: "Ma & Pa Kettle Days Rebuilds After the 1918 Fire." It was the devastating forest fire a century ago that forced two distinct ethnic groups, the Finns and the Poles, to merge their communities and form the heart of a rebuilt Kettle River. Ma & Pa Kettle Days is rebuilding as well, after talk of the event's demise circulated in 2017.

Morgan Yeats and Marcia Sarvela were not ready to see the festival, started in 1985, go away. "They were just going to let it die," Sarvela said this week as she worked on the final details on the festival that began Thursday and runs through Sunday. "Morgan and I decided it couldn't just die."

So 2018 brought new spirit into the festival and people turned out, Sarvela said. After a year's absence, the mud bog is back again. Organizers also began to recognize founding families in the area. This year it's the Nummela family.

And, of course, there's the recognition of the fire that scarred the region in 1918. Last year there was a program with stories about the fire. This year a program at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Veterans Building will have stories about how Kettle River and the surrounding communities of Silver, Split Rock, Automba and Kalevala rose from the ashes to rebuild.

The festival holds onto the days of separate communities in Kettle River. The city was incorporated in 1921, three years after the fire. The "Battle of the Flags" features miniature flags for Poland and Finland sold in bars the past month - Tower Tap in Kettle River and Denham Run south of town. The team with the most $1 flag sales, and is deemed the loudest when the teams meet and yell at each other at 6:30 behind the Veterans Building, wins. Sarvala says the Finns won by a few flags last year. "They say we're doing it again to give the Poles a chance."

Sarvela has been heavily involved in Ma & Pa Kettle Days off and on over the years. She is being honored for her work by being named the grand marshal for the 11 a.m. parade Saturday. "I'm very honored," she said.

Girls vying for Miss Kettle River titles were on stage Thursday night. Already settled are this year's Ma & Pa Kettle, Judy and Gary Marslya, and Miss Pot Creek, a remnant of early festival days, Frank T. Bones. The skeleton is a mascot of sorts for the group of local film buffs who make short horror movie clips under the name Kettle River Project.

All three nights of the festival, including Thursday, feature music 8 to midnight at the beer gardens and tent at Tower Tap. Here is a rundown of daily events:

Friday

Arts and crafts vendors set up on Main Street beginning at noon. A steak fry begins at 5 at city hall. Bingo begins at 7 at the Veterans Building.

Saturday

Pancakes will be served at Hope Lutheran Church 8-10 a.m. Competitors set up for a BBQ Cook-Off in the morning with winners announced at 3 p.m. A blood drive run by the Northern Minnesota Red Cross will in town 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The parade begins at 11 a.m. The mud bog races start at 1 p.m., as does a treasure hunt for children at West Side Church. A history program on the rebuilding in the area after the 1918 fire goes 1-3 p.m. at the Veterans Building. Battle of the Flags yelling takes place outside the building at 6:30 with a raffle afterwards. Fireworks are planned for "after dark."

Sunday

Battle of the Bars takes place at the Tower Tap, beginning at noon.