When you think of rural lake charm, you think of Perham.
Nestled in the northeast corner of
Founded more than 125 years ago, Perham is named after Josiah Perham, the first president of the Northern Pacific Railroad. The railroad arrived in
Perham has 2,559 citizens as of the 2000 U.S. Census. The median house value is $69,300 as of 2000. More than half the residents claim German ancestry, with Norwegians, Irish, English, Polish and Swedish rounding out the heritage.
The big festival in town is Turtle Days, but there is a lesser-known attraction visitors can see.
Perham resident Verona Larson, who celebrated her 80th birthday in 2000, collected dolls. She had so many they took up a large part of her home. Several years ago, she began working with the Perham Area Chamber of Commerce to create a doll museum which became
There are approximately 500 dolls, one of the largest doll museums in the state. There are displays of Native American dolls, Eskimo dolls, Campbell Kids dolls, Cabbage Patch dolls, Wizard of Oz dolls and much more. Some of the favorites are the Gone With the Wind dolls, the Dionne Quintuplets and the wedding dolls of Charles and Diane and Fergie and Andrew.
But the big draw in Perham is the Turtle Festival held each year during a weekend in June. The feature? The daily turtle races, of course. On Wednesday through Saturday at 10:30 a.m. at the City Hall Park, the International Turtle Races are open for kids of all ages. Turtles will be provided or you can bring your own turtle. The winner is the Turtle Fest Champ.
There are other festive features:
-- All your favorite food from your favorite food vendors.
-- A model plane demonstration. The Screamin' Eagles show off their model planes.
-- The pet and toy parade on Friday. Dress up yourself and your pet and win some prizes.
-- A street dance Friday night, which is a fundraiser for the Perham Jaycees.
-- Fireworks on Saturday after the demolition derby at dusk. Organizers say it is the area's most awesome display of fireworks.
-- The Lions Club demolition derby on Saturday at the Perham Fairgrounds.
-- The Saturday basketball shoot. Winner gets a portable basketball hoop.
-- The Rotary breakfast on Sunday. Rotarians serve and occasionally sing to patrons. This is a fundraiser for scholarships for Perham residents.
-- The Grand Parade is at 1 p.m. Sunday. Many Perhamers bring their lawn chairs, their favorite beverage and enjoy the show.
-- Other events include an arts and crafts bazaar, airplane rides, softball tournaments, a pancake breakfast, 5K and 10K automobile road races, a quilt show and a medallion hunt.
