Kick off the holiday season with a Norwegian Christmas celebration at Vesterheim, the National Norwegian-American Museum and Folk Art School, in Decorah, Iowa, on Saturday, December 6, from 10:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m. Admission to the Museum Building is free for youth under age 18, and activities throughout Heritage Park and Hanson Vesterheim Commons are free.
2025 Green Mountain Grill Winner!
On September 30, 2025, Katie Brown, of Millville, Minn., won a brand new Green Mountain Grill Ledge Prime+ Pellet Grill from a drawing for the Visit Bluff Country Magazine Best of the Best contest.
Paul Wagner, of Waukon, Iowa, won a brand new Blackstone 4-burner Griddle in August.
Nancy Brown, of Trempealeau, Wis., won a brand new kayak in July.
Shannon Knoepke, of Rochester, Minn., won a brand new kayak in June.
Tina Darr, of Rushford, Minn., won a brand new kayak in May.
As Visit Bluff Country Magazine celebrates 40 years as the premier tourism publication promoting Historic Bluff Country (a.k.a. The Driftless Area), they conducted prize giveaways each month from May through September. Prizes included kayaks, a Blackstone 4-burner griddle, and a Green Mountain Grill.
The Visit Bluff Country Magazine is delivered to more than 1,000 locations in 35 counties in Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. This magazine has an ongoing mission of promoting tourism for the Historic Bluff Country (Driftless) region.
For information on upcoming town festival and events in Historic Bluff Country, vacation ideas for lodging, recreation, dining and shopping, check out the magazine in print or on this website.
Between April and October each year, Visit Bluff Country Magazine gives away more than $4,000 in gift cards and prizes.
Photo by Jason Sethre
Play Ball: Wykoff Fall Festival Hits It Out of the Park!
In vintage baseball, players do not use gloves, only one ball is used for the entire game, and the bat is a round wooden stick with a maximum diameter of 2.5 inches.
Photo submitted
By Charlene Corson Selbee
The Wykoff Fall Festival is stepping up to the plate this September 25-28, bringing a weekend of crowd-pleasing events, and all-ages of fun that’s sure to be a grand slam for the whole community.
Festival organizers proudly boast that, “This year is bigger than ever!”
This year’s annual classic is shaping up to be the biggest inning yet, as Wykoff celebrates the 150th anniversary of St. Johns Lutheran School – meaning more activities, more excitement, and more reasons to join the fun than ever before.
As the baseball season winds down across southeast Minnesota, fans will get a chance to watch a vintage baseball game as it was played the old-school way, just like it was in the 1860’s. On Friday, September 26, the Rochester Roosters take on the Eagles at St. Johns Lutheran School, and this is no ordinary matchup. It’s a game filled with classic rules of sportsmanship (watch your language, or you’ll face a fine from the umpire!), and plenty of laughs. Stick around for a fireworks finale at 7:30 p.m., guaranteed to be a grand slam!
The festival gets a head start with a mysterious twist on Thursday, September 25. Step into the Wykoff Commons for the Murder Mystery Dinner, “Fall Fest Foul Play: The Big the Bad and the Deadly.” The social starts at 5 p.m., followed by dinner at 6 p.m. This historic stone building, built by the WPA (Works Progress Administration), is located at 201 W. Bartlett Street. Tickets are advanced sale only through Eventbrite or at Minnwest Bank in Wykoff or Spring Valley.
The Wykoff Fall Festival has a lineup that is sure to please all. Attendees will enjoy the egg drop from a helicopter, a pedal tractor pull, a garden tractor pull, a car show, street dance featuring “Door 49,” bean bag tournament, a puzzle challenge, plus a lot more.
What’s a German-inspired festival without classic German cuisine? The United Methodist Church leads off with a traditional German meal at 11 a.m. on Saturday. On Friday night, St. Johns will be serving up Ruebens and Things, while the Lions Club will dish out bratswursts on Saturday.
The Visit Bluff Country Magazine is delivered to more than 1,000 locations in 35 counties in Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. This magazine has a mission of promoting tourism in the Historic Bluff Country (Driftless) region.
2025 Blackstone Griddle Winner
On August 31, 2025, Paul Wagner, of Waukon, Iowa, won a brand new Blackstone 4-burner Griddle from a drawing for the Visit Bluff Country Magazine Best of the Best contest.
Nancy Brown, of Trempealeau, Wis., won a brand new kayak in July.
Shannon Knoepke, of Rochester, Minn., won a brand new kayak in June.
Tina Darr, of Rushford, Minn., won a brand new kayak in May, as well.
As Visit Bluff Country Magazine celebrates 40 years as the premier tourism publication promoting Historic Bluff Country (a.k.a. The Driftless Area), they will be conducting prize giveaways each month from May through September. Prizes include kayaks, a Blackstone 4-burner griddle, and a Green Mountain Grill.
The last drawing of the season will be held on September 30, 2025, for a brand new Green Mountain Grill pellet grill. Please go to www.visitbluffcountry.com/thebest to enter for a chance to win.
The Visit Bluff Country Magazine is delivered to more than 1,000 locations in 35 counties in Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. This magazine has an ongoing mission of promoting tourism in the Historic Bluff Country (Driftless) region.
Over the summer months, Visit Bluff Country Magazine will giveaway over $4,000 in gift cards and prizes.
Third Kayak winner of the 2025 Summer
On July 31, 2025, Nancy Brown, of Trempealeau, Wis., won a brand new kayak from a drawing for the Visit Bluff Country Magazine Best of the Best contest.
Shannon Knoepke, of Rochester, Minn., won a brand new kayak in June.
Tina Darr, of Rushford, Minn., won a brand new kayak in May, as well.
As Visit Bluff Country Magazine celebrates 40 years as the premier tourism publication promoting Historic Bluff Country (a.k.a. The Driftless Area), they will be conducting prize giveaways each month from May through September. Prizes include kayaks, a Blackstone 4-burner griddle, and a Green Mountain Grill.
The last drawing of the season will be held on September 30, 2025, for a brand new Green Mountain Grill pellet grill. Please go to www.visitbluffcountry.com/thebest to enter for a chance to win.
The Visit Bluff Country Magazine is delivered to more than 1,000 locations in 35 counties in Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. This magazine has an ongoing mission of promoting tourism in the Historic Bluff Country (Driftless) region.
Over the summer months, Visit Bluff Country Magazine will giveaway over $4,000 in gift cards and prizes.
Photo by Jason Sethre
Step Back in Time with the Toot & Whistle Boys at the Hesper-Mabel Steam Engine Days
By Charlene Corson Selbee
Visitors flock from all over to Mabel, Minn., to take part in the annual Hesper-Mabel Steam Engine Days festivities. You won’t want to miss the oldest steam engine show in Minnesota, held September 4-7, with its origins in nearby Hesper, Iowa.
The members of the Toot & Whistle Club Inc. – locally known as the Toot & Whistle Boys- invite everyone to step back in time and watch the steam engines at work, sawing lumber, rock crushing, and old-time threshing.
If you can’t attend both the Saturday and Sunday parades, make sure you attend at least one. The mighty steam engines and the resounding calliope set the stage for an amazing weekend in Mabel. It never gets old seeing and hearing the toots and whistles of the steam engines.
Long-time member of the Toots & Whistle Club, Sverre Dahl Jr., said that the calliope is a crowd favorite and always draws a large audience.
On Sunday, September 7 at 10 a.m., visitors can enjoy the Antique Tractor and Truck Pull on the Historical Society Grounds, east of the barn.
In addition to experiencing farming as it was in the early 20th century, Steam Engine Days is the perfect time to reconnect with family and friends. Think of it as a reunion, complete with competitive games of softball and volleyball, live music, a Mabel-Canton High School football game on Friday night, three parades, a hearty breakfast of scrambled eggs, pancakes, and sausage at the Hesper Lutheran food stand, and hours of fun activities for the kids, including a foam party.
Saturday night at 6 p.m. on the south side of park is the Tri-State Pullers Tractor & Truck Pull.
Hop aboard one of the “people movers” running throughout the festival grounds and town on Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. for a leisure ride, and to get the lay of the land.
The full schedule of events, including times and locations, can be found online at visitbluffcountry.com.
Upcoming events in Fillmore and Houston Counties
- September 4-7, Hesper-Mabel Steam Engine Days, Mabel, Minn.
- September 19-21, Applefest, La Crescent, Minn.
- September 20, Fall for Harmony, Minn.
The Visit Bluff Country Magazine is delivered to more than 1,000 locations in 35 counties in Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. This magazine has a mission of promoting tourism in the Historic Bluff Country (Driftless) region.
For information on upcoming town festivals and events in Historic Bluff Country, and vacation ideas for lodging, recreation, dining, and shopping, check out the magazine in print or online at www.visitbluffcountry.com.
