When the first Street Faire at the Lakes was held back in 2001, it served as the kickoff to the Detroit Lakes area's summer festival season, beginning a tradition that lasted for nearly two full decades — right up until last year, when the COVID-19 pandemic wiped most public summer festivities in the lakes area (and in fact, across the country) off the calendar.
As planning began for the 2021 event, many pandemic restrictions were still in place across Minnesota, so in the hope that those restrictions would ease as preventive vaccines became more publicly available, organizers pushed the annual event from early June to mid-August.
"We wanted to play it safe," said Street Faire planning committee member Rachel Hofstrand.
Their caution — and optimism — proved well-founded: The Street Faire at the Lakes will take place this Friday and Saturday, Aug. 13-14, with pandemic restrictions like social distancing and face masks being state-mandated no longer.
Dozens and dozens of white-tented vendor booths will once again fill the avenues of Detroit Lakes' downtown for the Street Faire's two-day run — though as local residents know, street closures will actually begin the afternoon before it opens, in order to give vendors and volunteers plenty of time to set it up.
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The vendor lineup will include a good mix of new and familiar faces, Hofstrand noted.
"We'll have all the great stuff we've had before, plus a few new things," she said.
"There's metalwork, garden art, home decor, pre packaged foods like fudge, cookies, salsas, breads, maple syrup and honey," Hofstrand continued. "We’ve got hand woven rugs, a handful of jewelry vendors, people who make homemade skin care products, people who work with wood, leatherwork, paintings, photography and pottery. Of course we will also have clothing and children’s stuff — and we even have a glass blower this year. She’s going to be working on site. There's quite a variety."
In addition to all the shopping opportunities, there will also be a food court, a beer garden, and live music playing.
"We'll have live entertainment all day, on both days," Hofstrand said, adding that the stage will be set up on Holmes Street, next to the Eagles' beer garden.
The music schedule is as follows:
- Friday, Aug. 13: 10 a.m., Jake Ingamar ; 12 noon, Island Time ; 2 p.m., The Cropdusters ; 5 p.m., Tim Eggebraaten .
- Saturday, Aug. 14: 10 a.m., Darren Quam ; 12 p.m., Sarrah Morrau & Friends ; 2:30 p.m., The Cropdusters .
Strolling musician Paul Imholte will also be on hand for Saturday's festivities, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Food vendors will include familiar favorites like Oof Da Tacos and the Shake Shack, along with gyros, kettle corn, mini donuts, cheese curds and corn dogs — and there will be a few new ones as well, such as Windsor Waffles . "It's waffles on a stick, with a variety of dessert toppings," Hofstrand explained.
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Parents can even bring their kids along, as a variety of children's activities will be offered. "We won't have the barrel train rides this year, but the Eagles will have a dunk tank, and there will be arts and crafts for the kids to do, along with face painting and snow cones," Hofstrand said.
The Street Faire will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday.
Though some familiar vendors and activities were not available due to the scheduling change this year, Hofstrand noted that most of them said they would be back in 2022, when the Street Faire will return to its usual slot on the weekend after Memorial Day, June 3-4.
If you go
What: Street Faire at the Lakes
When: Friday, Aug. 13, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; Saturday, Aug. 14, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Where: Downtown Detroit Lakes
Info:
dlstreetfaire.com
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