News

Red Rooster Days will be celebrated this weekend in Dassel and one of the highlights will be the Quilt Show on Sunday and Monday. Members of the Sew Friendly Quilt Guild will have over 100 quilts on display at the Covenant Church on August 31st from 1-to-4 and September 1st from 10-to-4.

Quilt Show co-chair Amy Wilde says the Quilt Guild has members from Grove City to Howard Lake and from Hutchinson to Kimball and beyond and they meet on the second Monday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at the Covenant Church in Dassel. She says the Quilt Show is free to attend and you will see some very unique designs.

Wilde says you can purchase one-dollar per chance to win a quilt and there will be a viewer’s choice for people to vote for their favorite quilt. She says there will be a craft corner where you can purchase items such as table runners and there will be a rummage sale with fabric and other items to purchase.

Wilde says some other Red Rooster Days highlights include a bike ride Saturday at 9 a.m., a program at the History Center Saturday at 10 a.m., the Grand Day Parade at 2 p.m. Saturday, followed by a pie social at Gethsemane Lutheran Church and the Ambassador Coronation Saturday evening at 6 p.m. at the Ball Park.

Sunday’s main events in Dassel include a community worship service at 10 a.m. at Gethsemane Lutheran Church, followed by lunch, the brat supper starting at 3 p.m. at Spring Lake Park and fireworks at 9:30 p.m. Monday’s big events in Dassel include the run/walk at 7:30 a.m., the Chicken Dinner from 10:30-to-2:30 at the ball park, a classic car show in the Covenant Church parking lot, and the History Center will be open Monday from 9-to-3.

The two-year Highway 12 Litchfield to Cokato resurfacing and concrete repair project is nearing completion and the detour will be removed on September 4th, according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation. Crews will be striping the roadway and finishing up next week, and drivers are asked to use caution in the work zone and slow down near construction workers and equipment.

With the new school year beginning soon, MnDOT would like to remind everyone that Highway 12 is open to local traffic from Dassel to Cokato, including access to the Dassel-Cokato Middle and High Schools.

The project on Highway 12 in 2024 included improvements from Litchfield to Dassel, and the 2025 portion of the project from Dassel to Cokato included concrete repairs, and asphalt shoulder replacement from east of Highway 15 in Dassel to the end of the concrete section in Cokato. Sidewalks and pedestrian ramps in Dassel were upgraded to improve accessibility. Ramps along the trail from Dassel to Cokato were upgraded to improve accessibility.

Benefits of the project include a smoother road surface, improved drainage, and improved accessibility and enhanced safety for pedestrians. Duininck, Inc. was the contractor and the project cost was approximately $11.3 million.

Several events are coming up next month in the Area Faith Community which encompasses the parishes of St. Philip’s in Litchfield, St. John’s in Darwin, the Church of St. Anthony in Watkins and the Church of Our Lady in Manannah. The first event will be the Bazaar and Car Show at St. Philip’s Catholic Church in Litchfield on September 7th from 9-to-1.

Monica Schreiber says the Litchfield Eagles Club will partner with St. Philip’s Church again this year with beverages for the Bazaar.

Schreiber says Glen Everhart will return to provide musical entertainment; and the 20th annual car show will take place. She says people may enter their car or get more information by calling Ashley Huhn at 701-238-1975:

Schreiber says there will be all kinds of food at the St. Philip’s Bazaar for breakfast and lunch including Mexican food, the Knights of Columbus with hamburgers and chicken, and dessert booths with donuts, pie, ice cream, root beer floats, and popcorn; and a farmer’s market, games and more.

Brenda Grates says the 2nd annual bean bag tournament will be held at 10:30 a.m. on September 7th during the St. Philip’s Bazaar, with check-in at 10:15. She says it’s $30 per team and if you don’t have a partner, you can sign up for $15 and she’ll match you with someone.

Grates says there will also be a raffle and $10 tickets are available at St. Philip’s Church or from any parish member.

Also in September, the Church of St. Anthony has its Fall Festival on September 14th from 10-to-5 with an outdoor mass, music, food, games, a cash raffle drawing and more. The Pork Chop Supper at the Church of Our Lady in Manannah will be held on September 28th from 4-to-7 p.m. and that also includes a raffle. For more information on any of the Area Faith Community events, call St. Philip’s Church at 693-3313.