2023 Fish House Festival in New York Mills, MN

9th Annual Festival
Friday, July 7, 2023
Held in conjunction with Lund Mania festivities in New York Mills

Come join the fun of artists painting in the street, outdoor games, sidewalk chalk, bubbles, youth decoy painting, vendors, food, and live music by Darren Quam, plus decoy and nature paintings INDOORS in the gallery and “Art in Your Park” art activities for kids upstairs in our 2nd-floor studio space.

Fish House Festival events take place indoors & out at the Cultural Center, 24 Main Avenue North in NYM, between 10AM-4PM on Friday, July 7, 2023. (This half-block stretch of Main Ave will be closed to traffic and open to pedestrians only during this time.) Most family-friendly activities are available as “come & go” style activities between noon-4pm.

 

 

At the Fish House Festival, a fish house, decoys, and other items will be painted in the street by local/regional artists throughout the day. The fish house will be the grand prize in a raffle drawing to be held at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, July 7. Raffle tickets are for sale at the Cultural Center for $10, with just 220 sold. Stop by the Cultural Center or call 218-385-3339 to purchase over the phone!

2023 Raffle Ticket Prizes:

  • Grand Prize: Custom-Built Artist-Painted Spear House
  • 2nd Prize: Half-Day Guided Fishing Trip with PT’s Guide Service
  • 3rd Prize: John Peeters Fish Painting on Wood Slab
  • 4th Prize: $50 Overflow Creative gift certificate (towards photo session or graphic design work)
  • 5th Prize: Lund Boats gear

Raffle tickets just $10 each! ONLY 220 SOLD!

There will also be a Live Auction by Perala Bros. Auctioneers immediately following the raffle drawing at 6:30 p.m. in front of the Fire Hall on Centennial Avenue. Live auction items will include decoys, fish-house-style bird houses, and other wildlife art created by local artists.

THIS IS YOUR CHANCE to win a one-of-a-kind ice-fishing spear house and buy incredible locally carved and painted fish decoys, birdhouses, and artwork that you will treasure for years to come! We hope you’ll join us. ALL are welcome!

 

Fish House Festival Artists

Artists make the Fish House Festival happen!  We would like to thank and recognize all of the talented artists we have worked with over the years. Here is the list of artists who are confirmed so far to paint/create in the street this year:

  • Shirlee Aho Daulton, Ottertail, MN
  • Cheryl Bannes, Wadena, MN
  • Matt Clementson, Park Rapids, MN
  • Tom Dimock, Minneapolis, MN
  • Lindsay Kennedy, Perham, MN
  • Noah Noffsinger, Moorhead, MN
  • John Peeters, New York Mills, MN
  • Howard Pfeil, Little Falls, MN
  • Sandy Reed, Little Falls, MN
  • Paul Sparks, Wadena, MN
  • Nancy Valentine, Underwood, MN
  • Patricia Ann Wahl, Fergus Falls, MN

A special thanks goes out to Ron Hamm, who custom-built nearly 20 spear houses for this event over the first eight years of the Fish House Festival. Not only did he build great spear houses, he made and donated custom spears, and always showed up with a smile on his face. Ron is unable to attend this year’s Festival, and he and his handiwork will be greatly missed.

Another thanks goes out to Rod Osvold, our primary partner and the original mastermind behind the Fish House Festival 9 years ago! Rod has helped us develop relationships with decoy artists and engage with new organizations and artists in our region and beyond. Rod is always full of great ideas and we thank him for sharing his energy and hard work with us over the years.

Join us as a vendor!

Artists and vendors are invited to the Fish House Festival, a family-friendly community art event! This event is free to the public and will include both free and paid activities/products. We are opening the event up to vendors to sell their goods. Vendors pay a fee of $25 and keep all their profits. Artist vendors can also donate an item for the live auction in lieu of paying the $25 fee. (If you are NOT selling goods, or if you are a nonprofit organization or school group, there is no cost.)

Register and pay online by clicking below, stop by the Cultural Center, or call us at 218-385-3339.

If you register and pay the vendor booth fee online, please also email us the following information to info@kulcher.org:

  • Phone Number
  • Booth Name
  • What you’re selling
  • Any special accommodations, accessibility needs, etc.

Click here to register as a vendor

We are excited to have the following vendors planning to join us for this year’s Fish House Festival on Friday July 7th:

  • Julie McClellan – All Tied Up handmade jigs and lures
  • Olivia Hoppe Crafts & Seeds – original arts and crafts
  • Greysen Saewert – handmade fishing lures
  • Baby’s Bagels Food Truck
  • Food/treats by Close Up New York Mills High School students
  • Ice cream floats by New York Mills Dream Team – EOT Relay for Life (event July 14 in Perham!)
  • Smoothies and teas from our friends & neighbors at Sisu Nutrition
  • ADDITIONAL VENDORS WELCOME! Email your info to betsy@kulcher.org to be added to this list!

 

In the Gallery
June 28 – July 29, 2023
Annual Outdoor Art and Decoy Show

We are proud to feature decoy artists Howard Pfeil & Sandy Reed and painter Tom Dimmock in the Gallery this year!

There will be an Gallery Reception on Friday, July 7 from 1-3pm. Artist Tom Dimock will be available to connect with visitors and will give an Artist Talk at 1:30 p.m. This is free to attend and open to all.

Admission to the Gallery is always free and open to all. Hours are Wednesdays & Thursdays 10am-7pm, Fridays 10am-5pm, and Saturdays 10am-3pm. Private viewings can be arranged anytime by calling Cheryl Bannes at 218-385-3339 or emailing cheryl@kulcher.org.

Live Music by Darren Quam 2-4PM

Darren Quam is a singer-songwriter from Battle Lake, Minnesota. His music is a unique blend of blues, rock, and folk, drawing influence from some of the greatest blues and rock & roll musicians of all time.

Darren’s original songs tell stories of his travels around the world, as well as his own experiences living in the small town of Battle Lake. He also covers music from Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Mississippi John Hurt, and many more. Darren got his start with the band Confusion which performed in the lakes area for over a decade. Darren is an accomplished musician and storyteller, and his music will take you on an unforgettable journey.

Learn more: https://www.darrenquam.com/

 

FISH HOUSE FESTIVAL Schedule of Activities:

  • 10am-4pm: Art & Artists on Main Ave and inside the Gallery
    • Artists painting in the street: fish house, bird house fish houses, decoys, wildlife art, etc.
    • Decoys by Howard Pfeil & Sandy Reed and Nature Paintings by Tom Dimock inside the Gallery
  • 12-4pm: Family Fun indoors & out @ the Cultural Center!
    • Family-friendly fun in the street: games, bubbles, chalk, painting & more!
    • Art In Your Park free kids art & craft activities upstairs inside Cultural Center in 2nd floor studio (stair access only)
    • OTC Precious Plastics: create fish art to be included in a Sculpture Park installation and/or make a creation to take home!
    • Chainsaw art demonstration by Matt Clementson of Viking Tree Sculpting, Park Rapids, MN and CMT’s Chainsaw Gang TV Series!
    • Face painting by The Painted Turtle (fees vary by design)!
    • NYM Public Library Used Book Sale
    • FOOD by Baby’s Bagels Food Truck, Close-Up students from NYMHS, Relay for Life NYM Dream Team, and visit our neighbors Sisu Nutrition, open 7:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.!
  • 1pm: Youth Decoy Painting. Limited space; $5/decoy; best for ages 10+; please pre-register*
  • 1-3pm: Gallery Reception Artist Talk at 1:30 p.m.
  • 2-4pm: Live Music! Darren Quam will play outdoors on Main Avenue.
  • 6:30pm: Raffle Drawing & Live Auction on Centennial 84 Drive, in front of NYM Fire Hall.

*Limited spots available for Youth Decoy Painting; please call 218-385-3339 to pre-register and claim your decoy!  Thanks to East Otter Tail Darkhouse & Angling Association for their sponsorship support of this activity! Learn more at http://mndarkhouse.org/

 

 

Thanks to the National Fish Decoy Association, Decoy Education, and Rod Osvold for their invaluable partnership in producing this community event and connecting us with the country’s best decoy artists.

 

Thanks also to the following sponsors for helping to make the Fish House Festival a success: Lund Boats, Lumber Depot, PT’s Guide Service, and EOT Darkhouse & Angling Association. Additional sponsors welcome! Contact betsy@kulcher.org or 218-385-3339.  Please support these generous local businesses/organizations!

PT’s Guide Service

 

At the conclusion of Fish House Festival activities at 4:00 p.m., stroll around the corner to Centennial 84 Drive for a variety of fun Lund Mania activities including food and vendors in Central Park, bouncy houses, and the following activities:

  • 4:30 p.m. Boatville Drags
  • 5:30 p.m. Lund Mania fishing tournament results
  • 6:30 p.m. Raffle Drawing & Live Auction
  • 7:00 p.m. Parade
  • 9:00 p.m. Street Dance featuring live music by Tripwire!

Lund Mania is brought to you by Lund Boats Brunswick New York Mills Operation and the New York Mills Civic & Commerce Association.

Join us to celebrate the fusion of some of our local favorites: ART + FISHING + COMMUNITY!

 

We hope to see you July 7th in New York Mills! Call 218-385-3339 with any questions.

 

This activity is made possible in part by the voters of Minnesota through an operating support grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.