Albany Pioneer Days Celebrates City’s Heritage

(KNSI) – Albany’s annual heritage celebration will help bring the city’s history to life this weekend.

The 50th Pioneer Days is scheduled from the 12th to the 15th. Antique farm equipment will be on display to pay homage to Albany’s status as an agricultural hub in Stearns County. Prairie and Wheatland tractors with Fuller and Johnson engines will be featured.

Speaking of engines, the 150 HP Case is coming all the way from Andover, South Dakota. It is the largest steam traction engine ever produced.

Trains will also get a chance to shine. A model railroad museum will be set up and a small locomotive will take kids for a ride.

Construction demos, including rock crushing, will showcase Albany’s industrial heritage. Blacksmith and print shops will help visitors imagine what it was like to be a tradesman. Operational flour, lumber, and shingle mills will further flesh out what commercial life was like at the turn of the 20th century.

The Ladies Room takes you inside the home, with demonstrations of loom weaving, crocheting, knitting, sock making, crafting, and lacework. You also get a glimpse at how they used to cook on an old-school stove.

Pioneer Days also looks forward to the next generation. A Pioneer Queen and Princess are crowned Friday night. You can buy passes for the whole celebration for $25 or get in for one day only for $12. If you want to camp on-site, the cost is $40.

Pioneer Days is organized by The Stearns County Pioneer Club. It is held on 360th Street near North Lake.

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