Dear Crookston,
As Chair of the 2026 Ox Cart Days Committee, I would like to sincerely thank everyone who attended our events last month. The 2026 festival was a little different from past years, and I appreciate the willingness to try a few things on new nights and new locations. I absolutely loved seeing the buttons out in the community that week and always kept me moving forward when I was a little exhausted from another long day hoping the rain misses us.
A special thank you to our volunteers, vendors, patrons, and our sixty-four sponsors whose contributions made the 2026 festival possible. We could not put this on without your support.
We also wish to acknowledge the hardworking city employees who worked diligently behind the scenes to ensure the success of the event. Our gratitude extends to Scott Butt, Ashley Rystad, Darrin Selzler, the Crookston City Council, Mayor Dale Stainbrook, Keenan Devier, as well as the Parks and Recreation and Public Works teams. Additionally, we sincerely appreciate the ongoing support of our local police, fire, and sheriff’s departments. I apologize for the headache I caused this year with a second parade but was so happy to see it run (from someone who wasn’t familiar with the inner workings of things) without a hitch so successfully and to the delight of our residents.
Our executive board this year consisted of Tera Heiser, Jess Bengtson, and Dan Erdman. A special thank you to Jana Hodgson, Mark Ecklund, Bo Brorby, Laurie Stahlecker, Nell DeBoer, Monica Kustritz (for our amazing new website), Rae St. Oro and family, Melanie Lessard, Brian Frisk, Tiffany Biermaier, Steve Krueger, Jasmine Melsa, Libby Boucher, Stacey Bruggeman, and Fred Parnow of Get Kids Outdoors.
And I could not write this without thanking the Kem Shriners for helping organize the Thursday parade that I’m still hearing about in the community. Thank you to Steven Renslow, Chris Larson, Chuck Hiles, and everyone else responsible for putting on something this town won’t soon forget. And another thank you to our Parks Department for making that evening possible.
Our months (and in the case of the Shriners Parade, years) of planning turned into one of the most successful weeks this festival has ever had. We reached a point early Saturday night where we literally sold out of buttons and had to switch to wristbands. From the packed houses at Drafts, Grocery Bingo at Trinity Lutheran, the incredible number of people at Taste of Crookston, and the downtown square show the support this town has for the biggest small-town festival in the state of Minnesota. Thank you.
Being able to do a week’s worth of events for a five-dollar admission price is almost unheard-of in this day in age. Our costs have gone up just like everyone else’s but we have done everything we can to keep this affordable for families in our region. Thank you to our sponsors and everyone who attended for keeping this as accessible as possible for next year.
Our goal is always to deliver a festival that reflects the community’s expectations and spirit. Most of the feedback for 2026 was overwhelmingly positive, and we’ll take note of the few complaints. The schedule was slightly turned on its head with the addition of the second parade, and a few events had to be stacked on top of each other. We’ll take what we’ve learned this year and make a few changes for next year. On the plus side, we did have fewer yellow jackets to worry about this year.
I want to thank the city of Crookston, both its government and its people, for showing support for Ox Cart Days. I’m stepping down from the chair position but plan on being heavily involved next year. Being the chair of this festival has been one of the great highlights of my life, and I’ll always look back fondly at the weeks I barely slept trying to coordinate so many moving pieces. I also greatly appreciate working with all of you in the community to ensure we have a festival to be proud of. A big thank you to Tera Heiser for taking this on for 2027 and moving Ox Cart Days forward. I can’t wait to see what the future brings!
The 2027 dates will be announced soon along with community planning meetings. More details will be posted on our social media, website, and media outlets such as KROX. We’ll see you next year, and as always, don’t forget your buttons!
James Pogatshnik
2026 Ox Cart Days Committee Chair
