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Located about 15 miles north of Brainerd, the community of Nisswa serves as a gateway to Minnesota’s fabulous lake country. All year long, residents of this charming city revel in the experience of living their dreams amidst the lakes and forests of the northland. The winter season is no exception.

Seemingly all 1,953 residents of Nisswa turned out Feb. 16-18 for the 35^th Annual Nisswa Jubilee, a celebration of life in northern Minnesota that warms the spirit of everyone during what can be the coldest time of the year.

This year’s event, hosted by the Brainerd Lakes Area Lions Club, began Feb. 9 with the Miss Nisswa pageant at the Lutheran Church of the Cross. The event was sponsored by the Nisswa Women of Today club. Eight contestants vied for the title.

A popular adjunct of the Miss Nisswa pageant is the Little Miss Nisswa contest. This year, 20 second-grade girls vied for the title. Since all of the girls are so darn cute, each year the winner is drawn from a hat.

The 2007 Jubilee really kicked off Friday, Feb. 15, with a Medallion Hunt sponsored by the Lakes Area Lions Club and the Nisswa Chamber of Commerce. The medallion, featuring the image of a loon made by Ken Hansen of Ken’s Mini Donuts, was found on Saturday in downtown Nisswa. The finders won a $200 cash prize.

Friday’s activities were capped off by a dance at the Nisswa American Legion Club. You had to have an official two-dollar Jubilee button to get in the door to listen and dance to the live music of The Country Jim.

Saturday dawned bright and crisp with just a nip of a wind as winter revelers gathered in downtown Nisswa for a full day of events. A food court set up in the parking lot of The Pickle Factory bar and grill was serving pork on a stick and turkey sandwiches along with hot beverages for the hungry crowd.

A snow sculpture contest Saturday had friends and families creating several large imaginative sculptures. One sculpture featured a 1930’s era filling station and a pickup truck while another was of a boatfull of anglers trying their luck for walleye.

Children were entertained by fun and games at a Mini Jubilee held in the Nisswa Community Center while adults participated in a broomball tournament at the Nisswa Park. All the while, a helicopter provided scenic rides over the Nisswa area to those who preferred an aerial view of the festivities.

More than a thousand hardy souls lined both sides of Main Street as the big Jubilee Parade got under way at noon. As the theme of the Jubilee was “Generations of Nisswa,” the parade featured the Dullum family. Enough generational representatives of the Dullum family were on hand to fill four vehicles.

A highlight of the parade was the Nisswa Fire Department which brought out its shiniest red equipment. Sirens blared as the hose trucks and pumpers rolled down the parade route.

Following the parade, a wood splitting contest was held for both men and women. Axe wielders vied to see who could split a 20-log pile in the fastest time. Several hundred spectators cheered the choppers along as they worked their way through the ricks.

As Saturday came to a close, revelers adjourned to the Nisswa Legion for a meat raffle and pork sandwiches. The day wrapped up with a dance at the Legion featuring live music provided by the group Silent Partner.

On Sunday, the Nisswa Fire Department sponsored The Scott “Mike” Thurlow Memorial Scholarship Fishing Derby on beautiful Nisswa Lake. Hundreds of anglers stood over holes drilled through more than two feet of ice in hopes that a big one would come their way.

Events like the Nisswa Jubilee prove that Minnesota’s fantastic lake country is a great place to live, no matter what the season may be.

Photo and article courtesy of Frank Zaworski. Frank is a freelance writer based out of Menagha, MN.