RHUBARB PIE YOU BETCHA

We finally made it to the Rhubarb Festival in Lanesboro, Minnesota The 'no rain' forecast albeit 90 degree weather for Father's Day convinced us a Miata road trip was in order for some moving air. This time there would be no overnight at our favorite B&B, the Habberstad, nor bikes nor canoe in tow but a perfect destination. "Why?" you may ask. Well because the charming town 36th annual Art Festival in the Park was being touted as double the size as previous years. 

K Eversole (courtesy website dons special
Father's Day tie wishes

Even if you didn't have kids to help you celebrate Father's Day making one of the special ties in the kids's activity tent. The entire town would be there including outsiders like ourselves. There were the old-timers, young families and the in-betweens, enjoying all the festivities. Great art. AND folks had no problem finding shade and there seemed to be a constant breeze.

A duckling caught these kiddos's attention, some kids were fishing with their Dad

Natureman found us a parking place within the Park and no sooner had we starting walking amidst the booths we were drawn to accordion music from The Minnesota Morris Dancers, clad in white performing traditional English dances. It was my first time to witness their exuberance with the stick dance and also the handkerchief dance wooing a maiden.

Morris Dancers from Winona , MN

  

The gentlemen kiss the maiden's hand at the end of the dance.

Another vibrant group we caught were the Coteries, an acoustic bluesy trio, hailing from N.J.  The trio joked about their announcement to their families that they were quitting their day time jobs and going full time in 'Trusty Rusty', their VW bus with their music a year and a half ago. Thrilled parents, not exactly, but hey, the trio is happy even after their 11,000 mile road trip. Apparently Lanesboro was the first of their 150+ gigs to have ever offered pie and ice cream as perks.  They were thrilled.

Just the mention of pie started me salivating and you bet your sweet bippie I was over at the pie tent after the Coteries's performance. I heard from one of the townsfolk this was the town's first year to fear running out of pie so I grabbed a rhubarb 'n cream slice. A taste of heaven to be sure. 


And before we left town we stopped in at the Art Gallery on Main Street to enjoy the juried art show "In the Moonlight" which had opened the night before. It is delightful and will be up through August 15th. Catch it if you can... 

If you can't be with your kids it certainly fills the void and makes for a perfect Father's Day sharing it with community.  Hope to see y'all there next year. You'll be guaranteed a wonderful day and most important of all there's yummy versions of rhubarb pie...