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Other stories in "Festivals"

• Great winter festivals
  Enjoy the chilly season with snow sculptures, ice castles, sleigh rides and lots of hot chocolate.
• Great spring festivals
  It's a good time to indulge in brews, birding and blooms.
• Great fall festivals
  Here are the best of the fests in 2010.
• Big apples
  In Bayfield, a fall festival has grown to jumbo proportions.
• Celebrating roots
  No matter where you're from, there's a festival for you.
• Great holiday festivals
  In November and December, check out Santa, Scrooge and shopping markets.
• Toasting Oktoberfest
  Festive tributes to Bavarian tradition put the oompah into fall.
• Great summer festivals
  Here are the best of the fests in the Upper Midwest.
• A German Mardi Gras
  At New Ulm's Bock Fest, the good times roll in on a tide of beer.
• Owl aboard
  In southeast Minnesota, a live-wire named Alice is the star of a late-winter festival.
• Birding in spring
  When the birds return, festivals follow.
• Waking the dragon
  A sport inspired by ancient Chinese legend takes off on local waters.
• Tulip Time in Pella
  In central Iowa, the Dutch celebrate colorful origins.
• A feast of festivals
  At small-town shindigs, get your fill of strawberries and sauerkraut, kolacky and sweet corn.
• Home of the eelpout
  In February, a Minnesota fishing town lets loose.
• Polish for a day
  At Milwaukee's lakefront festivals, visitors get a big helping of another culture.
• The coolest days of winter
  Ditch the indoors to watch ski-jumpers, dog-mushers and snow-sculptors.
• Horror around the corner
  Spoiling for a fright? In October, ghouls lurk at historic forts, boats, mills and lighthouses.
• Jolly Cedarburg
  In southeastern Wisconsin, a historic village has perfected the art of the party.
• Cozying up to the Cornish
  A fall festival honors the miners who left their mark on Mineral Point.
• Great grape stomps
  At harvest festivals, compete with your feet.
• Bash on a bike trail
  Kick up your wheels at a small-town fall festival.
• Everyone loves a parade
  When a town marches, its entire history unrolls before your eyes.
• Agate stampede
  Every year, Moose Lake introduces budding rockhounds to the thrill of the hunt.
• Dancing on the Yellow Medicine
  In history-filled river valley, a wacipi celebrates Dakota culture.
• Nordic nirvana
  Every July, Decorah puts on one of the best fests in the Midwest.

Critter races

In Minnesota resort towns, creatures great and small run for the money.

In June, racing season moves into full throttle in resort towns around Minnesota.

Speeding turtles begin their weekly sprints in Nisswa and Longville. In Perham, the "International'' Turtle Races — the town says they've attracted competitors and spectators from Africa, Europe, Asia and the Middle East — begin the week after Memorial Day.

Pelican Rapids holds weekly minnow races. In Cuyuna, ticks race only once a season, but it's a serious event: Veterinarians check for steroid use before the competition.

Goats, dachshunds and boxelder bugs step up to the starting line in Jasper, Luverne and Minneota. In Wayzata, dachshunds run the hurdles, and they race at Oktoberfest celebrations around the region.

Prizes are awarded, but mostly, the four-legged hot rods win bragging rights for their owners. It's not NASCAR, but competition is fierce.

Wednesdays in summer, International Turtle Races in Perham, Minn. This west-central town is known for turkeys and, in summer, tourists from the many lake resorts in Otter Tail County. Races begin downtown at 10:30 a.m.; visitors can borrow a turtle or bring their own. Turtle Fest is in mid-June. 800-634-6112.

Wednesdays in summer, Turtle Races in Nisswa, Minn. Races in this village, the heart of the Brainerd Lakes, begin at 2 p.m. Cost to rent a turtle is $3 and prizes are awarded. 800-950-9610. For more, see Speed demons of Nisswa.

Wednesdays in summer, Turtle Races in Longville, Minn. In this town on the shore of Girl Lake, just south of big Leech Lake, games and contests start at 1 p.m., and the races at 1:45 p.m. There's fair food, too. Turtle Town Art Fair is the last weekend in June. 800-756-7583.

Tuesdays in summer, Minnow Races in Pelican Rapids, Minn. This Otter Tail County town, not far from Perham, holds its free races in EL Peterson Park, starting at 10:30 a.m. 218-863-1221.

June, Tick Races in Cuyuna, Minn. They're at the Woodtick Inn, two miles north of Crosby on County Road 31, between Brainerd and Mille Lacs. The inn holds a jockey meeting at noon, and races begin at 1 p.m. Purchase your racing steed or bring your own. Veterinarians will check personal ticks for steroid use on site. 218-546-5313.

July, Wiener Dog Races during Hot Dog Night in Luverne, Minn. This town in the far southwestern corner of Minnesota holds its races on Main Street at 7 p.m.  The top dog gets a trophy. 888-283-4061.

July 22-25, 2010, Dachshund Races at German Fest in Milwaukee. There's also a costume contest at this big festival at Henry Maier

August, Goat Races in Jasper, Minn. This southwestern Minnesota town, between Pipestone and Luverne, holds races during an all-school reunion and festival that also includes a tractor pull, quarry tours and a Saturday-evening parade. Bring your own goat. 507-348-3701.

Sept. 11-13, 2009, Boxelder Bug Races during Boxelder Bug Days in Minneota, Minn. In this southwestern Minnesota town, near Marshall, races are held during a festival that also features a pedal tractor pull, street dance, carnival and parade.

Sept. 12-13, 2009, Dachshund Races during James J. Hill Days in Wayzata, Minn. In this western suburb of Minneapolis, dogs compete in the hurdles, sprints and sofa jump, followed by a costume contest and smart pet tricks. Races start at 1 p.m. Saturday at Wayzata West Middle School. 952-473-9595.

October, dachshund races at Oktoberfest celebrations. For details, see Toasting Oktoberfest.

Last updated on February 13, 2010