The Paynesville R.O.S.E. Center will be hosting a new event this year. Their casual dinner and dance will be on Saturday, June 17, from 5 to 8 p.m., at the Paynesville Area Center on the west edge of Paynesville. Wally Pickle, a one-man band, will be providing musical entertainment. The dinner and dance are free to the public.
On Sunday, June 18, the 12th Annual Peeper's Family Picnic will be held at noon at the Gazebo Park. The only requirement for the picnic is to bring an item for the food shelf. During the afternoon, children's games, horse and wagon rides, balloons, and clowns will be at the park.
At 2 p.m., the Little Miss Dairy Queen and Dennis the Menace Look-a-Like pageant will be held at the Gazebo Park. This event is sponsored by the Dairy Queen. Competing for the title of Little Miss Dairy Queen are: Jessica Stransky, Natalie Whitcomb, Brittney Hemmesch, Bailey Gray, Trista Thompson, McKenna Evans, Amanda Fenske, Andrea Schlangen, Mariah Schwandt, Abby Johnson, and Breanna Hess. Vying for the title of Dennis The Menace Look-a-Like are: Patrick Latcham, Brian Braegelmann, Tyler Cromwell, Dustin Thompson, Benjamin Youngs, Luke Orbeck, Trey Stanger, Josh Bungum, Logan Lahr, and Matthew Spanier.
The Paynesville Jaycees will have a mini-golf course set up at the park from 2 to 8 p.m. on Sunday and from noon to 8 p.m. on Monday.
On Monday, June 19, the annual queen pageant to select Miss Paynesville 2000-2001 will be held at 7 p.m. in the Paynesville Area Elementary School gymnasium (This is a new location from last year). The coronation theme is also "Millennium Dream." For story and picture of the candidates, click here
On Tuesday, June 20, at 10 a.m., the annual Pet Show will be held on the lawn of the Good Samaritan Care Center. Pet owners should have their dog on a leash and carriers for smaller pets. At 2:30 p.m., the annual Kiddie Parade will line up at the Good Samaritan Care Center. The parade will start at 3 p.m. and head down Washburne Avenue to the Gazebo Park.
Merriam's Midway shows begins its carnival at noon Tuesday on James Street in downtown Paynesville. The carnival runs through Wednesday night.
New events this year will be a family chalk contest from 3:30 to 6 p.m. on the downtown sidewalks and a children's painting booth from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at the public library. Both events are being sponsored by the Consortium of Creative Arts. Cost of the family chalk contest is $2, and each family gets to keep a bucket of chalk. Registration forms will be available at the picnic on Sunday and at the kiddie parade and pet show on Tuesday. Contest categories are: nature/animal; family portrait; town and country days depiction; and most unique.
Games night will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday on James Street. Registration starts at 6:30 p.m. for the pedal tractor pull, sponsored by the Paynesville Area Jaycees. The pedal pull will start at 7 p.m. The tractor pull is open to youth ages 4 to 11. Other available games are a coin hunt, water balloon toss, water relay, basketball shoot, and ring toss.
Several community groups will be selling food to raise funds on Tuesday and Wednesday. The Crow River Trail Guards will be selling root beer floats near the public restrooms. The Nordland Lutheran Church youth will be selling bratwursts in front of Joel's Jack and Jill. The Paynesville Lion's Club will be selling hamburgers between the Community First National Bank and the post office. The Jaycees will be selling cheese curds at the corner of Washburne Avenue and James Street. The Paynesville Area Transit will be selling fry bread by H.F. Paul Insurance.
The Rebekahs and Odd Fellows Lodge will be selling pie and ice cream near the corner of Washburne and James Street on Tuesday only.
The grand parade will be held on Wednesday, June 21, at 7 p.m. Parade grand marshals this year are Dwight and Grace Peteler. Eight bands and more than 100 parade units have committed to the parade. Bands coming are: Paynesville, St. Cloud All-City Band, Cold Spring Junior Band, Sartell, Princeton, Albany, Bertha-Hewitt, and Sauk Rapids/Rice.
The same parade route as last year will be used. The parade will start at the Industrial Park and head south on Washburne Avenue. It will turn west on Mill Street by the elementary school and then turn south on Maple Street. The parade will end at the St. Louis Catholic Church. An awards ceremony will take place near the church.
On Saturday, June 24,a road race will be held around Lake Koronis. Three races will be held, a 5K run, 10K run, and a two-mile walk/run.
Registration will be held from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. at the Veteran's Memorial Park. The races start at 9 a.m. The 5K and 10K runners will be transported to starting points on the south and west sides of Lake Koronis. All races will end at Veteran's Memorial Park. Trophies will be awarded to the top finishers in each race, and other prizes will be awarded for each race by gender in five age divisions.
Interested runners can contact Jay Thompson at 320-243-3887. Registration fees are $8 per adult in advance, $10 per adult on race day, and $6 for children (16 and under).
Check out the Chamber of Commerce's Town & Country website.