Rhubarb: Minnesota’s funniest fruit? Or is it really a vegetable? On Saturday, June 3, 2017, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Lanesboro invites cooks, comedians, runners and everyone with a taste for sweet and tart foods to come celebrate rhubarb at the annual Rhubarb Festival. A legion of good-humored vendors and volunteers from the Lanesboro area will be raiding area garden patches and cooking up a tasty festival packed with loads of fun and free entertainment for the whole family.
The celebration day kicks off at 9 a.m. with two events in two locations: the Lanesboro Farmers Market, selling homegrown and homemade edibles at the festival epicenter, Sylvan Park; and the wacky Rhubarb Run at the ball field on County Road 8.
At 9:30 a.m. in Sylvan Park, Lanesboro’s own Rhubarb Sisters burst into song to welcome race finishers and offer a festival pre-show for the general public with a new flight of rhubarb-flavored tunes. Then, at 10 a.m. the Rhubarb National Anthem signals the official start of the Rhubarb Festival, as KTTC News celebrities Jess Abrahamson and Ted Schmidt toss out the first rhubarb stalk – let the Rhubarb Games begin! The festival’s line-up, including Rhubarb Run pie awards, games, music, rants, crafts, food vendors and more, continues until 3 p.m.
At 10:30, it’s your chance to taste the rhubarb specialties. Step in line to try dozens of delicious, interesting or unexpected items, all made with rhubarb – from pies to pickles, savories to sweets, libations to lollipops. Vote and help choose this year’s winners. Have a favorite rhubarb recipe? Come on, enter the contest! It’s easy and fun. See the call-for-entries at rhubarbfestival.org.
Rhubarb Festival is all about rhubarb. Pick up an Everything Rhubarb cookbook. Browse a fun, funny, tasty selection of rhubarb-inspired arts, crafts, entrees, treats and more. Enter a pie-making contest. Say hello to a round-up of real, live possibly-rhubarb-eating creatures at the Cock-A-Doodle Zoo – including a kangaroo, lemur, alligator and other exotic beasts. Dress up for the Rhubarb Fashion show – all entries welcome! Challenge family and friends to a set of Rhubarb Games. Let the Story Tree read-aloud entertain your littlest listeners. Check out church bake sales, food vendors, largest leaf contest and more.
Bring your lawn chairs and settle in for fun-loving musicians and tongue-in-cheek entertainment: The Rhubarb Sisters, The Bandanas, Tom Schramm and the LPs, and Hubba.
Stick around town. Come for Rhubarb Festival, stay the night, the weekend or check out the local real estate. Visit the Lanesboro Chamber of Commerce site www.lanesboro.com for your options: lodging, camping, dining, shopping and more.