At the Fish House Festival, a ice-fishing spear house, decoys, fish signs, 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 11.
Raffle tickets will be sold at the Cultural Center and other locations to be announced soon (need not be present to win). Stop by or call 218-385-3339 to purchase over the phone! See more details below.
FISH HOUSE FESTIVAL Schedule of Activities:
- 10AM - 4PM: Art & Artists on Main Ave and inside the Gallery
- Artists painting in the street: fish house, decoys, wildlife art, etc.
- In the Gallery: PJ Eiden Paintings + Rod Osvold Decoys + YOUR Vintage Lures, Decoys & Fish Stories
- 12PM - 4PM: Family Fun indoors & out @ the Cultural Center!
- Family-friendly fun in the street: games, bubbles, chalk, painting & more!
- Scribbletastic Fun-O-Matic Command Post - fun-shaped whiteboards for the artists in all of us!
- Art In Your Park free kids art & craft activities upstairs inside the Cultural Center in 2nd floor studio (stair access only)
- NYM Public Library Used Book Sale inside Library Meeting Room
- FOOD & DRINKS by Something Good and Continental Divide Brew Pub
- 1PM: Youth Decoy Painting. Limited space; $5/decoy; best for ages 10+; please pre-register*
- 1-3PM: Gallery Reception. Meet & Greet Artist PJ Eiden, and hear an Artist Talk at 2PM. Free & open to all!
- 1-3PM: Live Music by Darren Quam. Outdoors on the Library Patio.
- 6:30PM: Raffle Drawing 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.
Following the conclusion of the 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. Fish House Festival Raffle Drawing
- 7:00 p.m. Parade
- 9:00 p.m. Street Dance featuring live music by Whiskey Business!
Join us to celebrate the fusion of some of our local favorites: ART + FISHING + COMMUNITY!
2025 Fish House Festival Raffle
This year's Fish House Festival Raffle is BIGGER & BETTER THAN EVER!! Raffle drawing will be held at 6:30 p.m. in front of the Fire Hall on Centennial Drive. Need NOT be present to win. Tickets $10 each; only 300 sold!- Artist Painted Fish House
- John Peeters Painted Paddle - 11th Annual FHF
- 1/2 Day Guided Fishing Trip with PT's Guide Service
- Lund Boats Gear
- Overflow Creative $50 gift certificate
- Paul Sparks Fish Art
- PJ Eiden Print
- Pat Gerlach Snowy Egrets Framed Photographs (set of 2)
- Handmade Bird House - Gourd Painted by Cheryl Bannes
- Painted Cast Iron Pan - Painted by Jessica Geiser
- Personalized Wood Fish Sign
- "HOME" Wood MN Sign
- Finn Creek Gift Certificate
- Cultural Center Artist-Made Mug & Fish-Printed Dish Towel
- Continental Divide Brew Pub - 32 N Main Ave, New York Mills
- Farmers & Merchants State Bank - 11 N Walker Ave, New York Mills
- Gene's Sport Shop - 150 E Main St, Perham
- Mills Liquors - 26 W Centennial 84 Drive, NYM
- New York Mills Regional Cultural Center - 24 N Main Ave, NYM
Fish House Festival Artists & Vendors
Artists make the Fish House Festival happen! 2025 confirmed artists and vendors include:- Lindsay Kennedy - fish house
- Aryn Lill - fish house
- John Peeters - fish house
- Mati Turunen - fish house
- Paul Sparks - painting/demonstrating on the street
- PJ Eiden - gallery artist - paintings, reception 1-3PM, artist talk @ 2PM
- Rod Osvold - gallery artist - decoys
- Cheryl Bannes - wood signs (personalization options available!)
- Beth Kern - face painting
- Greysen Saewert - handmade fishing lures
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. Vendor fee just $20 this year! Vendors and artists are invited to donate an item for our raffle if you'd like to support this and future community events at the Cultural Center. Register by clicking below, stop by the Cultural Center, or call us at 218-385-3339.Click here to register as a vendor
In the Gallery: PJ Eiden Paintings + Rod Osvold Decoys July 2 - 26, 2025
+ YOUR Fish Stories, Vintage Lures & Decoys are Welcome!
Join us during the Fish House Festival to MEET THE ARTISTS! We will host a Gallery Reception from 1-3PM on Friday, July 11, for a chance to meet Artist PJ Eiden and Rod Osvold, and hear an Artist Talk at 2PM. We also invite the community to JOIN THE SHOW! Share your fish stories and vintage lures & decoys to add to the display. Share on social media and/or bring them into the Center to be included in the Gallery Exhibit July 2-26, 2025! Admission to the Gallery is always free and open to all. Summer Hours are Tuesdays 10am-5pm, 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.
About the Artist: PJ Eiden
PJ Eiden was raised in the beautiful lakes region of central Minnesota. Growing up, he was always fascinated by the outdoors, the colors of nature, and wildlife. Today, PJ is a corporate leader with an education in engineering. His passions include exploring state and national parks, spending time on a boat, and appreciating fine art. Learn more: https://pjeiden.com/About the Artist: Rod Osvold
Rodney A. Osvold is a lifelong spear fisherman, decoy carver, and collector, as well as the founder of the National Fish Decoy Association and The Gathering, a national sporting collectible show, and the National Fish Decoy Competitions held each year in Perham, Minnesota. Rod tirelessly provides his time and energy to make The Gathering the very best for carvers and collectors alike. Rod carves and promotes the fish decoys year-round and is an asset to his community for bringing together so many carvers, collectors, and folk art appreciators. Rod's unique decoys will be on display in the Cultural Center gallery from July 2-26, 2025. The Cultural Center would like to sincerely thank Rod for being our primary partner and the original mastermind behind the Fish House Festival 11 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!
Live Music by Darren Quam 1-3PM
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.BIG THANKS to these Fish House Festival sponsors!
Thanks to Lund Boats – New York Mills for being our primary event sponsor!
Learn more at https://www.lundboats.com/our-heritage.html
Thanks to East Otter Tail Darkhouse & Angling Association for their sponsorship support of this Youth Decoy Painting, for volunteering at the event, AND for building this year's fish house!
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.
