My, oh my, time does indeed fly when you are having fun
Suddenly it has been a year since I first walked into the Faribault County Register office as the new kid on the block.
I know, it shocks me as well. Time does indeed fly when you are having fun.
Yes, it has been a fun – and very interesting – first year. It has been a year of covering the tragedies, triumphs and events (good and bad) of Faribault County.
It has been fun being part of the team which brings you the news of Blue Earth, Winnebago, Elmore, and all of the towns which make up the area.
I think I realized it has been a year when I started to cover events for the second time this week. I wrote my second set of winter sports previews for instance.
Last year it was one of the first things I did. Being new, I had to learn the names of the coaches, not to mention the athletes. Luckily those coaches filled me in, realizing how little I actually knew about Blue Earth Area or the Bucs.
Sports was not the only education I needed. With a year under my belt, I have learned a bit about each town in the county and what events they host each year.
I may never know everything – or everyone – in the county, but at least I now know enough to get by.
For instance, I know Moto Fest is held in Winnebago and Kernel Days in Wells.
I know Delavan has DHS, Inc., which stands for Delavan High School. The group owns the former school, and has poetry readings there, and a dinner theater.
Easton has a big St. Patrick’s Day celebration, as well as Friendship Days.
Frost has turned their former school into apartments, a liquor store, and an auditorium. They also hold a dinner theater each year as a community fundraiser.
Bricelyn is the place to be for the Fourth of July, as they celebrate Independence Day.
In Kiester, there is Fun Days each summer, as well as an old time threshing show in the fall.
Elmore is the home for Eromle Days, which many people have been kind enough to point out to me is Elmore spelled backwards.
In Minnesota Lake it is Festag, which I at first assumed was a Scandinavian word, but later learned was short for Festival of Agriculture.
Then, in Blue Earth, it is Giant Days, and the Faribault County Fair.
Now I realize a lot of our readers are shaking their heads and wondering why the editor is pointing out the obvious.
While it may be common knowledge to many, it was something new to be learned for me. Just as it is new to every incoming resident of the county.
Now this coming year, I will know when these events are scheduled and what they involve. I went to the fair, drank green beer in Easton, watched the parade in Wells, saw threshing done in Kiester.
And I know what Eromle means.
Summer isn’t the only time for events. This time of year there seems to be a lot of cultural happenings in the area.
By culture, I mean plays, musicals and concerts.
Blue Earth Area High School had a musical, “You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown” last week, and United South Central High School presented “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.” Reports are that both were excellent.
Delavan had its annual dinner theater this past weekend, called “Toy School.”
In Blue Earth, there was a fabulous father-son piano-trumpet concert sponsored by the Blue Earth Valley Concert Association.
It was held Friday night, Nov. 21 at Trinity Lutheran Church.
Saturday night, music lovers could hear the local band “Red Lipstick” performing at Bucs Night Out.
Last Tuesday the BEA Orchestra had a concert at the high school. Tonight, Monday, the BEA High School band has a concert.
Yesterday, Sunday, there was a Holiday Concert featuring a Mankato based handbell ensemble, and a Bricelyn choral group.
There are three more school concerts coming up in the next week as well. One is in Winnebago on Thursday.
See what I mean?
With the holiday season, winter sports starting, and all these cultural events, there is hardly a dull moment. We can’t complain about having nothing to do.
My first year here at the Register was fun and exciting. With this many events going on, I don’t see why year number two will be any different.