Festivals offer vintage fun, grumpy fishing, UFOs and old cars

Four very different types of celebrations — focusing on such varied themes as pioneer times, riverfront fun, visitors from outer space and antique cars — are scheduled in the Red Wing area this weekend.

Little Log House Show

The 19th annual Little Log House Antique Power Show will be held from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday through Sunday in rural Miesville. The celebration includes living history demonstrations, reenactments by the Cannon Old West Society Saturday and Sunday, a flea market, threshing demonstrations, food and refreshments, equipment parades at 11 a.m. daily, and plenty of tractors — International Harvester is featured this year.

Musical entertainment is planned from noon to 4 p.m. daily. The Squires Band plays Friday, CW Von Arx and Highway 3 play Saturday and Sunday. A tractor and truck pull, part of a championship pulling series, is set for 4:30 p.m. Saturday.

Visitors can tour the gardens and the restored pioneer village, which includes a replica of the Hastings spiral bridge and numerous vintage buildings which were hauled to the site and come alive one weekend a year — this weekend. Among them are a millinery shop, a blacksmith shop, a one-room schoolhouse, a fully stocked general store and more.

The site is on 220th Street a mile off Highway 61 north of Miesville. For details, go online to www.littleloghouseshow.com or call (651) 437-2693. Admission is $8 adults or $15 for a weekend pass. Children 12 and under will be admitted free.

Riverboat Days

Downtown Wabasha and Beach Park will be the site of Riverboat Days Friday and Saturday. Opening events include a 1 p.m. firemen's chicken feed, 2 p.m. art show and 7 p.m. concert featuring Barra band. Horse and carriage rides will be offered from 4 to 8 p.m. in Heritage Park, where there will be food vendors and a beer tent.

Saturday: 6:30 a.m. Grumpy Old Men fishing contest; 7:30 a.m. Pancakes in the Park; 9 a.m. quilt show; 10 a.m. skateboard competition and art show; 11:30 a.m. kiddie and pet parade; 1 p.m. Swan the Magician and children's activities; 2 p.m. carriage rides and firemen's water fights; and a 4 p.m. children's pedal tractor pull.

The grand parade will step off at 6 p.m.; grand marshall is University of Minnesota football coach Tim Brewster, who will speak at 7 p.m. Music in the Park with John Bernadot will follow, then a dance at Heritage Park featuring Troubleshooter.

For more information, call (800) 565-4158 or check out www.wabashamn.org.

UFO Days

Elmwood will again celebrate its reputation as a favorite spot for flyovers by Unidentified Flying Objects by holding UFO Days Friday through Sunday. Most of the activity is downtown. Food and beer tents open Friday; the specialty is UFO burgers. Also Friday there'll be a UFO Medallion Hunt and coronation of Miss Elmwood at a pageant set for 7:30 p.m. in the community auditorium. A street dance with H3O will follow.

Saturday: 8 a.m. car/truck show and pancakes; 8:30 a.m. fun run; 9 a.m. adult kickball; 9:30 a.m. 20-mile tractor ride departs and kids games begin; 10 a.m. bike race and kids carnival start; 11 a.m. kids water fights; noon horseshoes; 1 p.m. garden tractor pull and beanbag tournament; 7 p.m. bed races; 9 p.m. street dance with D Boys.

Sunday: 10 a.m. ecumenical worship at Butternut Park; 1:30 p.m. kiddie parade; 2 p.m. grand parade; 3 p.m. music by Much Wanted; 4 p.m. greased pig contest for kids.

subs:Old Car Club Show

The 32nd annual Beldenville Old Car Club Show & Swap Meet will take place Sunday at the Pierce County Fairgrounds in Ellsworth. Gates will open at 8 a.m. The car show has 15 classes, with 78 trophies to be presented at 3 p.m.

There also will be a Farm Toy Show for selling and swapping, and a display of antique and collector tractors; a trophy will be awarded for best restored.

Other features will include live music and food on the grounds. Admission is $5, free to children 12 and younger and to anyone bringing a show car. For more information call (715) 273-6211.

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