Visit Bluff Country

A guide to Historic Bluff Country

Visit Bluff Country

It’s farmers market season

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Owl Bluff Farm, one of the many vendors selling at the La Crescent Farmers Market.
Photo by Charlene Corson Selbee

By Charlene Corson Selbee

Fresh, nutritious, and delicious tasting veggies are now in season! Shoppers will now find a large selection of veggies. In addition to veggies, shoppers will find a selection of jams, pickles, mushrooms, jerky, fish, beef, wine, flowers, homemade pie and bread, handmade dog treats, baby ducks and chicks, handcrafted items like potholders and scrubbers and dish towels, clothing, and art. The items sold vary at each market.

Try a new vegetable whenever you visit your favorite farmers market. Not sure how to cook all the new veggies you are finding? Start with tender kale and make crunchy chips (425° oven, olive oil, and sea salt for 15 minutes). Your kids will love them!

  Farmers markets are also perfect for socializing, relaxing, and enjoying live music. 

  Some farmers market accepts SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) and offers market bucks, a program that doubles SNAP-EBT purchases up to $10 at participating locations.

  Markets are typically open from May to October.

Tuesday

• La Crescent Farmers Market, 595 Veterans Parkway, La Crescent from 4-7 p.m.

• Rushford Peterson Valley Farmers Market, 109 N. Mill St., Rushford from 4-6:30 p.m.

Have you tried kohlrabi? It is delicious raw or added to a pot of vegetable soup.
Photo by Charlene Corson Selbee

Wednesday

• Spring Grove Farmers Market, 107 Maple Dr., Spring Grove from 4–7 p.m.

Thursday

• Chatfield Growers and Makers Market, 305 Main St. S., Chatfield from 3–6 p.m.

Saturday

• Decorah Farmers Market, 300 block of Heivly St., Decorah from 9-11 a.m.

• Caledonia Farmers Market, parking lot behind the Crooked Quarter, Caledonia from 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

• Simple Living Farmer’s Market, 501 E. Prairie Ave., Mabel from 8:30–11:30 a.m.

• Lanesboro Farmers Market, 202 Parkway Ave S, Lanesboro) from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.

• Preston Pop-Up Market, Fillmore Street SE by the courthouse, Preston on August 12 and September 16, from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Upcoming events in

Bluff County

• July 11-15, Winneshiek County Fair, Decorah, Iowa

• July 13, Rhythm by the River, Preston, Minn.

• July 13-16, Rushford Days, Rushford, Minn.

• July 14-16, SummerFest, LeRoy, Minn.

• July 14-16, Root River Antique Engine & Tractor Show, Spring Valley, Minn.

• July 15, Rail Fair, La Crosse, Wis.

• July 15, Spring Creek MX Pro National, Millville, Minn.

• July 15, Southwest Music Festival, Platteville, Wis.

• July 15-16, War of 1812: Battle of Prairie du Chien Re-enactment, Prairie du Chien, Wis.

• July 16, Music in the Bandshell, Peterson, 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, vacation ideas for lodging, recreation, dining, and shopping, check out the magazine in print or online at www.visitbluffcountry.com.

First kayak winner of the summer

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Pamela Eddy, of La Crosse, Wis., stood next to her brand new kayak she won in a recent contest.

On June 2, 2023, Visit Bluff Country Magazine conducted the first prize giveaway drawing of the summer, which was a brand new kayak. As the magazine celebrates 38 years as the premier tourism publication of 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 griddle, and a Green Mountain Grill.

The next drawing for a brand new kayak will be July 31, 2023. Please go to www.visitbluffcountry.com/thebest to enter this drawing.

The Visit Bluff Country Magazine, the premier tourism publication of the Historic Bluff Country (Driftless) region, is delivered to more than 1,000 locations in 35 counties in Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.

For information on upcoming town festival and events in Historic Bluff Country, vacation ideas for lodging, recreation, dining and shopping.

Over the summer months, Visit Bluff Country Magazine will give away more than $4,000 in gift cards and prizes with four different contests.

The Visit Bluff Country Magazine Golf Tour offers $25 gift cards that will be given away with a contest on the Visit Bluff Country Facebook Page.

The Brewery, Distillery & Winery Contest runs on the Visit Bluff Country Magazine Facebook page.  This contest will include a weekly $25 gift card giveaway for 13 consecutive weeks.

Visit Bluff Country Magazine will also giveaway $100 in gift cards with the Choose Your Adventure Contest, accessible at www.visitbluffcountry.com/adventure.

Summer outdoor concerts are the best!

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Sit back and enjoy an outdoor music concert in Bluff Country. Photo courtesy of Dana Gunn

By Charlene Corson Selbee

Kick off the Fourth of July weekend at one of the many outdoor music concerts scheduled in Bluff County this summer. 

Community Spirit Caledonia, a community-driven group of volunteers, is hosting the annual Music in the Park series. The four outdoor music concerts are held at the Gazebo Park, within walking distance of downtown Caledonia, Minn. In case of inclement weather, head to the city auditorium.

Reserve Tuesday, June 27, July 11, 18, and the 25 from 6–7:30 p.m. on your calendar. Organizer Dana Gunn mentioned that every night at 5:30 p.m., a picnic dinner is available for $6, adding that different groups in the community prepare the dinners as a fundraiser. There are also root beer floats and popcorn for sale.

“It’s a nice way to spend a summer evening. There is a variety of music over the five weeks, something for everyone! It’s a free, family-friendly event,” emphasized Gunn.

Bands scheduled for your enjoyment include the Buck Hollow Band, The Executives, Dan Van, and the Barbershop Quartet (Thick N’ Thin – male quartet and A Note Above – female quartet). 

On Thursday, July 13, and August 10, head to Preston, Minn., for Rhythm by the River from 6-8 p.m., to hear the soul-resonating sounds of River Crossing and Root River Jam, respectively. 

A favorite lawn chair nights music series takes place throughout the summer on Thursday nights at either the courthouse square or downtown on Washington Street in Decorah, Iowa. Bands scheduled to perform include Decorah Municipal Band, Michael McGrath, Kristen Ford, Nordic Dancers, Ronley King Blues Band, Clare Doyle, Jake Manders & Gretta Hunstiger, Buck Hollow Band, and Holding Hemlock.

Spring Grove Chamber of Commerce is hosting the 2023 Music & Market events on Wednesday evenings in Viking Memorial Park from 4–7 p.m., with the music starting at 5 p.m.

The City of Harmony Arts Board is hosting the 2023 Back Alley Jam Series. The next concert is on July 20, featuring The Paper Clips. The concerts are held from 6-8 p.m. in the alley behind Harmony Spirits in downtown Harmony, Minn. Food and beverages are available  for purchase from local restaurants.

The Root River in Lanesboro is the perfect setting for Rhythms on the Root. Saturday, July 8, features Sleeping Jesus and on Saturday, August 12, is singer-songwriter Faith Boblett. Concerts begin at 6 p.m.

Concertgoers should bring their lawn chairs.

Upcoming events in Bluff County

• Through July 30, Great River Shakespeare Festival, Winona, Minn.

• June 30-July 4, Riverfest, La Crosse, Wis.

• July 2-4, July 4th Celebration, Harmony, Minn.

• 4th of July Celebration, Charles City, Iowa

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, vacation ideas for lodging, recreation, dining, and shopping, check out the magazine in print or online at www.visitbluffcountry.com.

Fiddlin’ in the bluffs

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Sausage Grinder is performing at the upcoming Bluff Country Gathering.
Photo submitted

The 23rd Bluff Country Gathering will take place in Lanesboro, Minn., May 18-21. A celebration of American traditional music and dance, the event brings masters of old time music to teach two days of workshops covering such things as fiddle, banjo, mandolin, guitar, ukulele, singing styles, square dance calling, etc. Though the workshops are only open to registered participants, the public is invited for a concert Friday, May 19 and barn dance on Saturday, May 20. These events are held in the Lanesboro Community Center and start at 8 p.m. The concert is $15 per person and the dance is $10.

Performers this year include Sausage Grinder (California), Adam Hurt & Beth Hartness (Virginia), Sheila Kay Adams (North Carolina), Whitt Mead (Ohio), Paul Bradley (Massachusetts), and Chirps Smith and Dot Kent (Wisconsin). Dot Kent will also be calling the Saturday night dance.

The music you will hear is old time country music, fiddle, banjo and stringband music, unaccompanied ballads, harmony singing, and more. For the dance, no experience is necessary, you need not bring a partner, and the caller will teach you moves before each dance.

For more information, you can check our website by going to www.boveeheil.com and clicking on the button for Bluff Country Gathering or give us a call at (507) 498-5452. There are no advance tickets sold for the concert or barn dance, only at the door, but there’s plenty of room!

Norwegian for a day

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The Decorah Nordic Dancers performing at Spring Grove’s Syttende May celebration. Photo by Charlene Corson Selbee

By Charlene Corson Selbee

You do not have to be Norwegian or a kid to enjoy Spring Grove’s Syttende Mai celebration Wednesday. May 17 through Sunday, May 21.

On May 17, Norwegians celebrate the 1814 signing of the country’s constitution. In Norway Constitution Day is a party for everyone especially children. Spring Grove has planned a weekend of events for children, so don’t leave yours at home! There will also be plenty of activities for adults.

Barnetoget, the children’s parade starts off the activities at 1:15 p.m. on Wednesday at the Spring Grove School. The parade heads down Main Street to the Viking Memorial Park. Kindergarteners will ride in the Viking ship and children in grades 1-6 will follow behind singing and waving Norwegian flags. At the park the children will weave a Maypole and play familiar outdoor games like Kubb, rope pulling, and sack races before enjoying a delicious snack of Varme Pølse (hot dog wrapped in lefsa) and Spring Grove soda.

What could be more fun than Running with the Gnomes 5K race on Saturday? Join in and dress up as your favorite Gnome.

At noon on Saturday is the Grand Parade featuring the Nordic Dancers, a group of youth from Decorah, Iowa, clowns, dogs, antique cars, floats, and more.

On Friday evening from 7-10 p.m. is a dance specifically for teens at the Fest Building.

On Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the Viking Park and the Trinity Church grounds will be filled with children’s activities including the pedal pull competition, inflatables, yard games, nerf war, petting zoo, bingo, human hamster balls, Balloons by Kevin, Tappy’s Face as well as Kaptain Kirby Train. The annual soap box races will be held on South Division Ave.

Adults have not been left out of the fun! Visitors will find Pat’s Brewery selling wood fired pizza and craft beer; for the book connoisseur, local author Joanne Griffen is signing her new book and there is a quilt show, live entertainment, and vendors will be setup at Viking Park plus Spring Grove stores will be open. Town residents will open their garage doors for the city-wide garage sale on Friday and Saturday plus there are special exhibits at the Giants of the Earth Heritage Center.

Visitors will not leave hungry. Enjoy tradition Norwegian delicacies, brats, pork burgers, and waffles.

Walk the Norwegian Ridge Trail located in the wooded hills on the outskirts of Spring Grove during your visit.

Visit sgsyttendemai.com/schedule for the complete schedule of fun activities.

Upcoming Bluff County events

•SEMBA Spring Bluegrass Festival, Houston, Minn., May 19-21

•Preston Trout Days, Preston, Minn., May 19-21

•Root River Triathlon, Houston, Minn., May 20

•Spring Valley 100 Bike Race, Spring Valley, Minn., May 20

•State Veterans Cemetery Memorial Day Ceremony, Preston, Minn., May 28

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, vacation ideas for lodging, recreation, dining, and shopping, check out the magazine in print or online at www.visitbluffcountry.com.

Trout Fishing – An activity for all ages and skill levels

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By Charlene Corson Selbee

Do memories of fishing as a child swirl in your head? Have you wanted to learn to fish and did not know where to begin?
You may not be familiar with Bluff Country.

The scenic Bluff Country region of southeast Minnesota and northeast Iowa offers hundreds of miles of streams of quality trout fishing. In addition, the natural cold streams make for a healthy habitat where trout can thrive.

People come to this region to fish for brown, brook, and rainbow trout. Most fish caught in this area are rainbow trout. Experienced fishers come to this region angling for brook trout, which are native to Minnesota and Iowa.

“Stop into Root River Rod Co. to talk with us. We can answer your questions. We also carry the DNR map and regulation books. We sell all flies and lures for the non-fly fisher,” shared Lance Prado, owner of Root River Rod Co. “Fillmore County boasts the best trout fishing in southeast Minnesota. In the Root River, you can fish for trout, smallmouth bass, pike, and walleye. We do not sell licenses here, but they are easy to purchase online or at the BP gas station in town.”

Owner and fishing guide, Lance Prado, Root River Rod Co., Lanesboro, fly fishing the trout rich Root River.
Photo courtesy of Lanesboro Chamber of Commerce

Don’t forget your fishing license

Minnesota DNR reminds residents and visitors to only buy fishing licenses either through the Minnesota DNR website, calling (888) 665-4236, or from a state-approved vendor. DNR has a list of approved vendors by county available on its website. There are 12 locations in Fillmore County and nine in Houston County.

The Iowa DNR website also lists the state’s approved vendors. For example, there are 13 vendors in Winneshiek County.

Minnesota DNR
Iowa DNR
Wisconsin DNR

Include a stop at Driftless Fly Fishing Co. in Preston and talk with owner Mel Hayner for information, tips, and directions. Hayner proudly boasts, “We can help you catch trout in SE Minnesota!” If visitors are wondering what the current conditions are, Hayner offers a fishing hotline, (507) 327-4276, every other Saturday during the fishing season, and he provides free fly-fishing classes. Driftless Fly Fishing Co. guides are Orvis endorsed guides.

Trout fishing for all ages, abilities and skill from Sylvan Park fishing dock in Lanesboro, Minn.
Photo courtesy of Lanesboro Chamber of Commerce.

Root River Rod Co., a full-service fly shop in Lanesboro, offers full and half day guided drift boat and guided wade trips.

Serious fishers recommend reading Trout Streams of Wisconsin and Minnesota by Jim Humphrey and Bill Shogren in addition to the Minnesota and Iowa DNR regulation books. The book contains everything you need to know, and it names specific creeks and streams, plus the book includes maps.

In memory of Steve Sobieniak

Steve Sobieniak, a nationally known maker of bamboo fly fishing rods and owner of Root River Rod Co., a full-service fly shop in Lanesboro, Minn., died September 22, 2022, after a year-long battle with cancer.   

Throughout his 67 years, he was recognized as an artisan carpenter in the Twin Cities which combined with his love of fly fishing that he learned from his father as a young boy, paved the road to becaming a master bamboo fly fishing rod craftsman.                

In 2017, after leaving the construction industry to make rods full time, he and his wife Vicki opened Root River Rod Co in historic Lanesboro. The store is now owned and operated by his daughter Alayna and son-in-law Lance Prado.     

His knowledge of the trout fishing in Southeast Minnesota as well as his deep knowledge of fly-fishing history is a loss felt throughout the area and the wider fly-fishing community. Steve often was the smiling face greeting anglers as they walked into the fly shop. He was known for his kindness, generosity, integrity, and support for trout stream conservation. From diagnosis to the very end, Steve traveled his path with complete strength, courage, and an amazingly positive attitude.               

Steve loved the Root River and being a part of the Lanesboro community. There will be a Root River cleanup this summer in Steve’s honor.