Summer festivals coming fast and furiously

With July Fourth in the rearview mirror, summer festivals are now coming fast and furious.

Moose Lake and Wright will celebrate their signature events next weekend, with Agate Days running July 16-17 and Wrong Days in Wright starting one day earlier, with events planned for July 15-17.

Perhaps the most exciting news out of Moose Lake is the return of the Clark-Olsen Agate Stampede at 3 p.m. Saturday following a pandemic pause the last two years. For the uninitiated: people line up on both sides of Elm Avenue in downtown Moose Lake and wait for two dump trucks to drive down the road, dropping all kinds of rocks and gravel, plus 400 pounds of agates, and hundreds of dollars in change. Once the dump trucks have passed, the crowds hustle into the street to comb through the rocky mess for hidden treasures.

Other Agate Days highlights include the gem and mineral show at Riverside Arena Saturday and Sunday, and art and music at Moose Lake City Park all day Saturday. There's also a pancake breakfast Saturday 7:30-10 a.m. at Moose Lake Covenant Church and a steak fry at the fire hall starting at 4 p.m.

In Wright, there is a rummage sale and steak fry July 15, plus a youth bean bag tourney and teen dance, bingo and fireworks at dusk. Saturday starts with a parade at 10:30 a.m., followed by music in the park, a cribbage tourney, more bean bags and live music at the Big Top. There are volleyball and softball tournaments Saturday and Sunday.

Carlton Daze returns July 29-31, with another three days of fun. The annual event features a parade, a thriving car show, softball, volleyball and golf tournaments, horseshoes, bean bags, bingo, garage sales, live music, a spaghetti feed, plus food/drink vendors and more. The parade on Sunday is one of the highlights of the busy weekend and is followed by an open house at the Carlton fire department where revelers can enjoy free hot dogs and root beer floats.

Events surrounding the annual Carlton festivities also cover a lot of ground. In addition to a 5K race in town Friday evening, the celebration also encompasses the Minnesota Voyageur ultramarathon, a 50-mile race that starts in Carlton and goes to the Duluth zoo before returning to the high school on Saturday.

The fun continues in August, with Esko Fun Days 2-6. Brickyard Days in Wrenshall is usually the first weekend in August.

The Ma & Pa Kettle Days events are scheduled for Aug 12-14. Saturday is the centerpiece with street sales, a pie social at the senior center 12-2 p.m. and bingo 1-4 p.m. at the Veterans Building, and Tony Tracy and friends will perform 7 p.m. to midnight at the Tower Tap. Plus, there's karaoke Thursday at the Tower Tap, and music under the Big Top on Friday. The Tower Tap will also host the Battle of the Bars on Sunday.

Look for more on the upcoming community celebrations in the Pine Knot News.