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A Good Time Starts In Lester Prairie
From Prairie Days in the summer, to holiday celebrations in the winter, Lester Prairie offers year-round festivities.
Community members take great joy in planning the city’s events, which are meant for all ages.
Prairie Days
Prairie Days moved to a July celebration in 2009. The 2010 festival is currently being planned.
Prairie Days coronation
The Lester Prairie royalty coronation, conducted by the Lester Prairie Ambassador Program, is another highlight of Prairie Days.
Coronation takes place Saturday in the new downtown park, near the intersection of Central Avenue and Juniper Street, whether permitting. The program for ambassadors lasts all year long.
The program is open to young women under the age of 22, who are at least high school seniors. Judges pick royalty based on personality, community involvement, academic achievement, and future plans.
Candidates participate in the Prairie Days parade before the three new ambassadors are named. The ambassadors then go on to represent the community of Lester Prairie at parades, fundraisers, and coronations in other communities during their year-long reign.
Prairie Days Committee
Those interested in being involved with the planning and production of Prairie Days are welcome to join the Prairie Days Committee. Meeting dates and times vary.
For more information, contact Scott Christenson at (320) 395-2172.
Baseball for all
Young boys and girls of Lester Prairie can keep busy during the summer months by joining the Youth Baseball/Softball program. This program is sponsored by the Lions Club, Lester Prairie Fire Department Relief Association, the Lester Prairie Business Association, New Germany Commercial Club, and Hollywood Booster Club. The program has been in the community for more than 20 years.
The league, part of the Waconia Community Education, Crow River Youth Baseball, and Crow River Fast Pitch, is staffed by coaches and receives funding from registration fees, as well. The fees range between $15 to $35. The league generally has 13 to 14 teams a year, and is available to ages preschoolers to 18.
Registration begins in March, and the games begin the end of May. The season concludes at the end of July. For more information, contact Lisa Feltmann at (320) 395-4162 or go to www.lpbaseball-softball.org.
American Legion baseball is available for boys ages 15-18. The program is sponsored by Ray Kirkpatrick Legion Post 463 and has been in operation since 1982. The team plays against other Legion teams in the area. No fees are required to participate. Necessary funds are raised through fundraising events.
Members are provided full uniforms and catcher’s equipment. For more information, contact Mark Detlefsen at (320) 395-2813.
Garage Sale Day to celebrate 30th year
The Garage Sale Day committee is getting ready for its 30th year of putting on the sale, believing that the success of the event is due to the fact that the sale is only one day, rather than an entire weekend. This means that garage salers know that the sales won’t be picked over if they are only able to come on Saturday.
The sale is set for Saturday, Sept. 19. Garage Sale Day is a tradition dating back to 1980. Lester Prairie has more than 100 garage sales to choose from, and the sales are between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Flyers, with the locations of the sales, are available at local businesses. Local organizations run a food stand in downtown Lester Prairie to help hungry shoppers along the way.
For more information about Garage Sale Day, contact Charlotte Ehrke at (320) 395-2097.
Holiday Celebration
The first Sunday in December is always exciting for the community because that’s when Santa Claus comes to Lester Prairie’s Holiday Celebration. The event features food, music, arts and crafts for children, and of course, a chance to visit with Santa and pose for pictures.
Children are given gift bags from the Lester Prairie Lions Club. A bake sale to raise money for the After Prom Party is also part of the Holiday Celebration.
The business association has contributed refreshments and decorations for the event, and many of the activities take place in the Lester Prairie High School gymnasium.
Sponsorship for the celebration comes from several groups, including the Lester Prairie Business Association, the Lester Prairie Lions, and the Prairie Arts Council.
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