Eveleth PUCK Days: Mar. 12-13
A few years ago on a cold, dim, short January morning a few engaged Eveleth citizens sat around a table discussing the need to build on the sense of community in town by pulling people out of their homes to rid the feeling of cabin fever. Driven also by the opportunity to bring people from all over Minnesota to our fine community, Eveleth Patrick/Urho Community Kinship (PUCK) Days was born. The group was part of Eveleth Horizons, a citizen run volunteer organization working to make the city thrive and in turn eradicate poverty in Eveleth.
PUCK Days is a group of independently hosted events coordinated during the prior to St. Urho’s and St. Patrick’s Days. Each year varies, but there are some staple events such as the Hoagie’s Chili Cook-off on Friday night, the PUCK Days Parade on Saturday in conjunction with the Antique, Unique, Vintage Snowmobile Show, Reading to the Dogs at the Public Library, and the Arrowhead DARE Sliding Hill event. PUCK Days is sure to have something that the whole family can enjoy!
The Antique, Vintage, and Unique Snowmobile show is the one of a kind in Minnesota because the snow machines then run in the parade! Of course we are at the mercy of Mother Nature and each year coordinators watch the snow level anxiously as the event nears. In 2009 many citizens took to their own shovels to ensure the street had enough snow for the machines to run. This year we are still waiting to see. Even without snow, the machines will be on display by the Big Stick in downtown.
This year’s events also include a dueling piano act at Goodfella’s on Friday night, a fly-in at the Eveleth Virginia Airport coordinated by the Range Flyers, Taconite Aviation, and the Eveleth Lion’s with a pancake feed and a warming shack with a display on the history of winter sports in town at the public library hosted by the Eveleth Heritage Committee on Saturday. The U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Museum offers discounted ticket rates and Wells Fargo has a kid’s booth set-up there as well.
Event sponsors include Eveleth Horizons, Iron Trail Motors, Five Season’s Sports, Short Stop, Ken Waschke Auto Plaza, Team Fast, Up North Title, and Culbert Realty.
Most events are free. For more information on times and possible entry fees please see the Eveleth Horizons website at www.eveleth.blogspot.com. Parade entries are still being accepted by calling Beth at 290-7790.
Submitted by Beth Peterson of Eveleth, MN.
