Bed & breakfast stay can be yours

A stay at a bed and breakfast for a day, along with unlimited golf, can be yours if you sign up at the Rochesterfest Information Booth during the Fest and your name is drawn the night of the Saturday Night Street Dance (June 28). You need not be present to win. The package, worth $300, is being donated by South Fork Bed and Golf, located in the scenic bluff country near Lanesboro, MN.
 
The lucky winner will receive one day’s rent (4:30 pm until same time next day) for up to six people and exclusive use of all of South Fork Bed and Golf. No other guests will be there that day. A maximim of six people are allowed in the group or one person or couple may have the place to themselves. There are three bed and & breakfast rooms each with a queen sized bed. The golf course is a nine-hole par three. There is an on line reservation system so guests may see what days are available. They may select any day that is still available at that time and should call to make the reservation (507-875-2400). For more information click here: South Fork Bed & Golf

Borchardt to serve as grand marshal

Steve Borchardt is going from a sheriff to a marshal, a grand marshal that is. The retiring Olmsted County sheriff has been selected to serve as grand marshal for Rochesterfest’s Grand Parade on June 27. Borchardt is no stranger to Rochesterfest. He served as co-chair of the event in 1990 and he also served on its board of directors for several years.

Borchardt, 54, has lived in Rochester all his life has been with the Olmsted County Sheriff’s department for the last 32 years, including his position as sheriff since 1990. He will resign as sheriff, effective April 25. Then he will take on a new challenge of being one of three coordinators in the further development of a new statewide 800 mhz radio communication system for emergency responders. He's been actively involved in that effort for a decade and was a leader in bringing the system to Olmsted County. He will contract to be coordinator of the southern third of the state, including this region. He will be based in Rochester.

Button, button, we have buttons

A standing room only crowd was on hand at Rochester City Hall for the 2008 Rochesterfest Button Kickoff on May 1. The first button was purchased by Rochester Mayor Ardell Brede and pinned on to him by 2008 Button Chair Peggy Mannino. Bob Brown, overall chair for Rochesterfest 2008, emphasized that a $3 button is the best bargain in the universe and beyond. By showing a button, individuals can get discounts (or in many cases they don’t have to pay at all) on 31 different things around Rochester while the Fest is on (June   21-29).

  Proceeds from the button sale is Rochesterfest’s biggest fund-raiser. The Fest, a non-profit organization that is not affiliated with the City of Rochester,  puts the money back into the Fest so that most of its events are free to the public. Buttons are now being  sold by members of several service clubs and other organizations in Rochester and will be available May 28 at various retail   establishments throughout the city.

Music: Everything from polka to boys choir to Think Floyd

Think Floyd. Yes, Think Floyd as in Think Floyd USA. Rochesterfest's downtown Saturday Night Dance (June 28) will feature Think Floyd USA, a Chicago-based Pink Floyd tribute band. It is recognized as the best Pink Floyd tribute band. The nine-member band willl perform all of Pink Floyd’s classic hits from legendary albums such as Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here, Animals and the all time classic The Wall. Pink Floyd, a British rock group that was at the height of its popularity in the 1970s and 1980s, has sold 200 million albums world-wide and 70 million in the U.S. Information on the Think Floyd Band band can be obtained at: www.thinkfloydlive.com

KnuFunK, a newly organized Rochester band, will open for Think Floyd. Doug Porter, a onetime Rochesterfest board member, organized and plays in the band. Other band members are Sarah Burrington, Chris Millner, Lisa Perteete, Doug’s son Joe Porter, Vinnie Hodges, Mylan Fizer, Aundrea Taylor-Douglas and Geoff Matson, not pictured Annie Mack. The band features Funk and R&B music.
www.knufunk.com  

Three more downtown musical acts have been added, bringing the total to nine. Here's the lineup:

Monday, June 23
The Annie Lawler Wheel House Band will take the stage during noontime on Monday. Annie grew up in Rochester and has performed for years in the Rochester area. She continues to record and perform with musicians in Rochester and the Twin Cities. Tom Kochie, one of the band members, also grew up in Rochester. Information on the Annie Lawler Band band can be obtained at: www.annie-wheelhouse.com

Four Word Cause, which was formed in Ames, Iowa in 2007 by three Iowans and two Minnesotans with diverse musical backgrounds ranging from classical to hardcore punk, will perform twice during Rochesterfest, once during Teen Night (June 23) and the other time at Noontime (June 25). There are five members in the band, all students at Iowa State University. Drummer Matt Dery is from Rochester. Guitarist-volcalist J.P. Peterson grew up in Bemidji but has also lived in Rochester. Other band members are Steve Williams of Algona, Iowa, Austin Rader of Winterset, Iowa, and Tyler Higdon. Information on the Four Word Cause band can be obtained at: www.myspace.com/fourwordcause/

Tuesday, June 24
The Phoenix Boys Choir along with the Bella Voce Young Women's Choir of Rochester, will stop by Rochesterfest to perform during noontime on Tuesday. Both choirs will also perform on Monday at Rochester's Christ United Methodist Church. The 50-member Phoenix Boys Choir, which includes boys ages 7-14, was formed in 1948. It is regarded by many as the best boy choir in the U.S. It has performed for four U.S. presidents and in 2000 won a Grammy for best choral performance for its recording of Penderecki's Credo with the Oregon Bach Festival Orchestra. The Phoenix Boys Choir is directed by onetime Vienna Boys Choir director George Stangelberger. Information on the Phoenix Boys Choir can be obtained at: www.boyschoir.org

The Rochester Concert Band, conducted by Charles E. Blattner, will take the stage before Tuesday's Game Night festivities kick off.

Wednesday, June 25
Four Word Cause will perform at noon on Wednesday. The second annual Rochesterfest Fiddle Contest will take the stage in the evening.

Thursday, June 26
Swing Street, a 17-piece jazz and big band ensemble that was formed by musicians from the Rochester Concert Band, will perform during the noon hour.

The Wisconsin-based Marshall Star country-rock band will provide the entertainment on Country Night. The group plays original and cover songs, and headlines for nationally known artists such as Kenny Chesney, Lonestar, The Bellamy Brothers, Collin Raye and the Beach Boys. Information on the Marshall Star band can be obtained at: www.marshallstar.com

Friday, June 27
The Hill Billy Swing Kings will take the stage at noon on Friday. The group is made up of Jay Doughty, guitars and some singing; Todd Owen, double bass and most singing; and Mike King, guitars and a little singing. Information on the Hill Billy Swing Kings can be obtained at: www.hillbillyswingkings.com

Two bands will perform on the Fabulous Friday Night Dance after the Rochesterfest Grand Parade.The first to take the stage will be the Spring Grove MN-based Jim Busta Polka Band. It will be the first time a polka band performs at Rochesterfest. Most of the musicians in the group have been with the the band for decades. Jim Busta is the leader of the band and also plays the concertina and button accordion. When he isn't playing polka music he serves as Spring Grove's superintendent of schools, a position that he has held since 1985. Other members of the band are Jim's son Chad of Onalaska, Wis, who joined the band at age 7 in 1984; Jeff "Sparky" Biermann of Cascade, Iowa, who has been with the band since 1981; Steve Kenny of Anamosa, Iowa, a band member since 1985; and Jim's daughter Mollie of Spring Grove, who officially joined the band in 1991 at the age of 11. Information on the Jim Busta band can be obtained at: www.jimbustaband.com

Taking the stage after the Jim Busta Band will be Next 2 Nothing, a Rochester group. It's a five-year-old variety band, mixing Top 40 and country hits like "Purple Rain" and "Fishing In The Dark" into their sets of old and new rock 'n' roll. Christopher Janvrin is the band's founder and bassist. Other members of the group are guitarists Robert Tamayo and Jeff Lien, drummer Pat Whalen and singers Dennis Thompson and Kendra Walker. The band has performed at a variety of venues in the Rochester area, including Whiskey Bones Roadhouse and Striker's. Information on the Next to Nothing band can be obtained at: www.next2nothing.org

Saturday, June 28
Think Floyd USA, a Chicage-based Pink Floyd Tribute band will be featured at the Saturday Night Street Dance. Rochester's KnuFunK will open for them.

Do we have a Triathlon for you

If you're interested in triathlons, Rochesterfest has one for you. The first Rochesterfest Triathlon scheduled June 29 at Foster Arend Park will be a dandy.

A total of 254 entries had been received when the early time period for entering was reached on April 1. Entries will continue to be taken that are postmarked on or before June 26. A limit of 500 entries has been set for the 2008 event by race director Bill Nevala. If there are any slots open registrations will be taken on Saturday, June 28th at packet pick-up.

There will be an Olympic course and a Sprint course. The Olympic course will be .95 miles for the swim , 24.72 miles for bicycling and 6.12 miles for   running. The Sprint will consist of a .25-mile swim, a 10.09-mile bike race and a 3.14-mile run. The swim will take place on Foster Arend Lake with the bicycle and running races to follow, both starting and ending at Foster Arend Park. There will be individual competitions and all-male, all-female and co-ed relays. There will be a $2,000 cash payout for the top elite participants. Among early entrants Harvey Hutchings of Rochester is the oldest at 68 and Jordan Hoel of Pine Island and Shawn Nevala of Oronoco are the youngest at 17. Early entries came in from eight states, one as far away as Mississippi.

Entry forms can be downloaded at http://www.winmultisportevents.com Individual entries for Olympic Distance is $65 postmarked April 2-June 15 and $75 postmarked after June 15. For sprint distance it's $55 postmarked April 2-June 15 and $65 postmarked after June 15. For relay teams, olympic and sprint, it's $110 postmarked April 2-June 15 and $120 postmarked after June 15. For everything you need to know about the Triathlon including maps of courses, click on http://www.winmultisportevents.com I

Mayowood Family Festival part of Rochesterfest

The second annual Mayowood Family Festival, which is part of Rochesterfest for the first time, will be from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. June 28 at the Historic Mayowood Mansion in Rochester, MN.  Sponsored by the Olmsted County Master Gardeners and the History Center of Olmsted County, this year’s magical theme draws from historical accounts of the Mayo children’s fascination with fairies and brownies.

The job of the festival, according to Jane Yunginger, committee chair, is to interpret history and tell the stories in interesting and entertaining ways.  As such, this year’s festival focuses on recreating a day in the rich life of the Charles W. Mayo family who moved into the mansion in 1911 and lived there until his death in 1939.  His descendants continued to occupy the mansion until the 1960s.

After finding a picture of Charles Mayo surrounded by his grandchildren who were dressed as fairies and brownies, or elves, the committee decided this would be a fitting theme.  At the heart of any Mayo family function was an element of education, and the festival continues that purpose. What separates the Mayowood Family Festival from other summer activities is its emphasis on providing outdoor and hands-on learning experiences in an historical setting, thus becoming a fun classroom without walls.

The hillside at Mayowood, its winding ribbon road, the woods and even the courtyard are all places of learning for children and adults of all ages. Imagination and creativity come into play as Joan Woxland guides participants in sculpting an entire fairy village that will be placed in the woodland surrounding Mayowood.  Additionally, children may dress up either in bird wings, fairy costumes or in clothing from the period. Adult costumes also are available, and photographer Cat Thisius, will take your family’s photo for a $5 fee.

Comb the acreage on  a “history hunt” or go on a nature hike with naturalist Kirk Payne.  Lectures by Terry and Joyce Grier will help you identify birds on the grounds both by sight and sound.   A visiting Faerie Queene will regale visitors with tidbits of history and perhaps even sprinkle you with fairy dust.

Other activities include Birds of Prey from Oxbow Park, fairy gardens to make and take home,  hillside water garden tours by Master Gardeners, Revival Dance Group of Rochester performing in costume, Mayowood Mansion tours, and Charles H Mayo II, also known as “Young Dr. Charlie” visiting with guests, reminiscing about growing up at Mayowood.  Additionally, there will be farm animals and animals from Paws and Claws.   Daube’s Bakery will provide picnic lunches.

Tickets may be purchased before the day of event at a reduced price of $8 for adults, $5 for children 4-17, and children under 3 are admitted free.  Tickets are available at Sargeant’s on Second Street, Hunt Drug at Silver Lake, the History Center and at the Leisure and Lifestyle office at Mayo Clinic.  Tickets may be purchased the day of the event at the History Center or at Autumn Ridge Church for $9 for adults and $6 for children 4-17. Parking is at Autumn Ridge Church, 3611 Salem Road SW.  A shuttle is provided for transportation to the mansion and back.

The Sound of Music

You can enjoy the fully-staged production of Sound of Music, one of the most beloved musicals of all time, during Rochesterfest 2008.   This true story of the Trapp Family Singers is full of songs known to all, among them, “My Favorite Things,” “Edelweiss,” “Climb Ev’ry Mountain,” and of course, the glorious title song that immediately conjures up images of the Alps and a young woman spinning in the sunlight.  The show is produced by Honors Choirs of SE MN with a talented cast of young people and adults from all over the region.  They will present 5 performances June 26-29 at Rochester Century High School.  Tickets are available online at www.HonorsChoirs.org and by phone at 507-252-0505.  The event is sponsored by THINK, Olmsted Medical Center, MPR, and Hitachi GST.
 

Changes in hot balloon races

It will be up, up and away from a new site for Rochesterfest’s Mayors Cup Balloon Race scheduled June 26-29. The launch area has been moved from John Adams Middle School to Badger Ridge Park, which is located near the intersection of West Circle Drive and Valley High Road in northwest Rochester just to the south of the Celestica/Mayo Clinic building. The new venue offers more parking and a better view of the launch site. The balloons were squeezed out of John Adams because of the construction of baseball and softball fields and the addition of a fence at the launch site.

More balloon launches and moon glows are scheduled this year than ever before. Launches are scheduled June 26 at 7 p.m., June 27 at 5:45 a.m. June 28 at 5:45 a.m. and 7 p.m. and June 29 at 5:45 a.m. All launches are dependent on wind speeds. If the winds are too strong the balloons don’t fly. Moon glows are scheduled June 26 at 8:30 p.m. at the Mayo Civic Center circle in downtown Rochester and on June 17 at 8:30 p.m. and June 28 at 9 p.m. at Badger Ridge. When balloonists fire up their burners and blast hot air into the balloons that are anchored to the ground, it makes for a colorful spectacle that is known as a moon glow.

Water ski show moving to new site

The Rochester Water Ski Club will again put on a show during Rochesterfest, but it won’t be held at Silver Lake because of the anti-goose work being done there.  Instead it will take place at Foster Arend Lake on Sunday, June 29. Ski club officials say some of the acts will be modified because there isn’t the room for boats  that pull skiers to maneuver at Foster Arend like they did at Silver Lake, but they say Foster Arend will work just fine for their show.

Million dollar shootout staying put

When a developer purchased land from the city of Rochester that the Hawthorn Golf Learning Center stood on, the question for officials of Rochesterfest’s Million Dollar golf shootout was: Where do we go now? Hawthorn was the site of the shootout. Well, as it turns out the shootout isn’t going anywhere. It will be held at the Hadley Creek or Hawthorn site once again. But there will be one change. The shootout will run from Tuesday, June 24 to Friday, June 27 instead of Wednesday to Saturday. The event is put on by the Rochester Senior Center.    

Mike Pruett wins button contest

And the winner is Mike Pruett. The president and CEO of the MLT Group designed the button that is being used for Rochesterfest 2008. The winning button was selected from 45 entries by members of the Celebration of a City board. This was the first time a button designed by Pruett turned out to be the winner, although he had entered the button contest before.

The button includes a clock, which signifies Best of Times, the theme for this year’s Rochesterfest. It also includes a goose, which is a symbol of Rochester. This is the sixth time in 26 years of Rochesterfest that a goose (or geese) has appeared on the button. The button design will appear on 250,000 Diet Pepsi cans, which will be available in the Rochester area beginning June 1.
Pruett established the MLT group in Rochester in 1984. It started as a corporate video and marketing service and in 1996 it added web development and hosting services. In addition to its office in Rochester, MLT also has offices in Portland, OR, and Houston, TX.

Fest going to dogs, really

Okay, okay, we can hear it now. Rochesterfest 2008 is going to the dogs. But it is true. There will be two competitions featuring our canine friends during this year’s Fest. On June 22 there will be the Minnesota Disc Dog Club Frisbee Competition, which has become such a popular event, and for the first time there will be a Dachund Dash, which will feature mostly Dachunds
but also others weighing 20 pounds or less. The event is the brainchild of Derrick Chapman of Rochester, who (you guessed it) has a Dachshund. He has witnessed other competitions featuring these dogs and says they are popular not only for dog owners but for people watching the races. The Rochesterfest races will be held on Saturday, June 28 behind Mayo Civic Center in connection with Riverwalk Family Fest. Registration will start at 11 a.m. and the races will begin at noon. Registration forms can be obtained by calling the Rochesterfest office at 507-285-8769. Registration is free. Chapman plans to keep the competition simple. “Line the dogs up at one end of a track, let them go and see who wins,” he says. He points out that these small dogs are faster than you think. He plans to have several categories of competition for the dogs.

Disc dog competition will take place on Sunday, June 22, at Rochester's Soldiers Field Park, starting at noon. This will be the third year the event will take place during Rochesterfest. More on disc dogs at: http://www.MNdiscdogclub.com

The monsters are coming

Monster Mojo Live Events, a Midwest-based motorsports promotion company, will present Monster Madness at the Olmsted County Fairgrounds at 2 p.m. on June 28 as part of Rochestefest. It will be the premier event for Monster Mojo Live Events. Ken Navitsky, local organizer of the event,expects the show will be huge. He says it will feature some of the biggest names in the industry, many who have appeared on monster truck events on ESPN Television. Information on the show can be obtained at: www.monster-mojo.com

Minnesota quilters to blanket fest

The 30th annual Minnesota Quilters Show, which will take center stage during Rochesterfest 2008, is no stranger to Rochester. This will be the fifth year that Rochester will host the show. The first time it was in Rochester was in 1992 and it has been in the city every four years since then. The dates for the 2008 show are June 26-28 and it will be held at Mayo Civic Center. Organizers of the event expect about 5,000 exhibitors and spectators. Information on the show can be obtained at: http://www.mnquilt.org

Author to conduct Pill Hill homes tour

Pill Hill The History Center of Olmsted County and Rochesterfest, in conjunction with Ellerbe Becket, will conduct a guided walking tour of historic Ellerbe Homes on Rochester's Pill Hill including the  Mayo Foundation House.  Ken Allsen, author of Houses on a Hill: The Life and Architecture of Harold Crawford, will conduct the tour. His book is available at the History Center.  

The walking tour will be offered six times during the week of Rochesterfest (rain or shine). The times are: Sunday June 22 at 2 and 7 p.m.,  Wednesday June 25 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. and Sunday June 29 at 2 and 7 p.m. The fee for the walking tour is $10.00 with a Rochesterfest button.  Advance registration and pre-payment are required and can be done so by calling the History Center of Olmsted County (HCOC) at 507-282-9447.

Tours will last approximately two hours and will cover about two miles (20 blocks) at a leisurely pace.  Participants will be told where the tour begins and where to park when they register.  Each tour will be limited to a maximum of 25 Participants.  

No more fried faces

Rochesterfest's Midwestern Lumberjack Championships will take on a new look this year. After complaints about spectactors having to look into sun hot enough to fry eggs and faces to watch the competition, it’s been decided to move the stage from Foster Arend’s water’s edge to the flat area to the north of the parking lot. The bleachers will be situated so spectactors will be looking east toward the stage and not directly into the sun. In addition there will be screening placed over the bleachers so spectators will be shaded. It will also be a shorter walk from the parking lot to the competition area for fans. This will be the 13th year of the Midwestern Lumberjack Championships and the fourth year it will take place at Foster Arend Park.

Bob Brown takes brick

The first question Bob Brown had to answer when he officially became chair of Rochesterfest 2008 is whether he could work with his wife Carole, who has been Rochesterfest’s executive for the last 15 years. "IIf we managed to get through 43 years of marriage, this should be a piece of cake,” he said.

Bob has been close to Rochesterfest for the last 15 years, wearing many different hats including one as beer co-chair for 11 years and a member of the City of a Celebration Board for 10 years. Bob is the retired executive sports editor of the Post-Bulletin where he worked for 38 years.

These people have pull

The Fed-Ex Airplane Pull will again be part of Rochesterfest. It’s an event where teams from various walks of life try to pull a 160,000-pound Fed-Ex plane tug of war style. All teams in last year’s competition got the plane moving, some farther than others.
This year’s event will take place on Rochesterfest’s first weekend (June 21) rather than the last weekend. Al Mannino, chair of the event, reports that the pulling will again take place at the airport. No kidding, Al.

Sachs to host Country Breakfast

The Country Breakfast on the Farm for 2008. It will be held on Rochesterfest’s last Saturday (June 28) at the Charles and Carrie Sachs-owned Towerview Farm, located at 9019 Silver Creek Road NE, Eyota. The Sachs own 340 acres and rent 40 more and milk 170 to 200 cows twice a day. The farm is located 10 miles east of downtown Rochester on Olmsted County 9 and one mile north on County All of the farm is in Olmsted County. The Sachs have three children -- Jay 10, C-J 8 and Anna Marie 7.