Photo by Charlene Corson Selbee
The Mabel Lions Club has been actively involved in the Hesper-Mabel Steam Days since the 1960s, when they served the best tasting chicken dinners in downtown Mabel during the town’s annual celebration.
The 72nd annual celebration takes place from September 5-8 in Mabel, Minn. The ever-popular tractor parade kicks off the festivities on Thursday evening. Featuring Case tractors, the parade will start promptly at 6 p.m. in Hesper, Iowa, and over 200 tractors will wind their way through the rolling landscape to Mabel. The tractor parade connects the past with the present as the first celebration was held in Hesper in 1956.
Mabel Lions Club President Stephanie Westby exclaimed, “The Mabel Lions Club can’t thank you all enough for your tremendous support during the Steam Engine Days weekend. And we certainly couldn’t do it without the help of our sponsors and all of our volunteers! See you all at the Hesper-Mabel Steam Engine Days!”
Instead of grilling chicken, the Mabel Lions Club is now responsible for the beer garden located on the festival grounds. Visitors will enjoy live entertainment all three days of the festival, including Smoking Gun Showdown and the Cory Farley band on Friday evening, the Church of Cash band and Verge band on Saturday, and Trouble Shooter on Sunday afternoon.
The Bloody Mary bar opens at 10 a.m. on both Saturday and Sunday in the beer garden.
Check out the following children’s activities also sponsored by the Lions Club, the kids power pedal and tractor pull on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and the popular mutton busting at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday.
Other activities taking place in the Lions beer garden include the queen coronation on Saturday after the parade, the ecumenical service on Sunday at 9 a.m., and drawings for prizes on Sunday at 5 p.m.
The money raised by the Mabel Lions Club supports community organizations, school clubs, scholarships for students, and city events throughout the year.
Upcoming events in
Bluff Country:
- September 20-22, Applefest, La Crescent, Minn.
- September 27-29, Fall Festival, Wykoff, Minn.
The Visit Bluff Country Magazine is delivered to more than 1,000 locations in 35 counties in Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. This magazine has a mission of promoting tourism in the Historic Bluff Country (Driftless) region.
For information on upcoming town festivals and events in Historic Bluff Country, and vacation ideas for lodging, recreation, dining, and shopping, check out the magazine in print or online at www.visitbluffcountry.com.