Wild Rice Days Schedule of Events 2026

Sunday, August 30-Friday, Sept 4

Wild Rice Days Culinary Competition

Taste your way through Wild Rice Days! Local establishments will compete by creating a signature dish featuring corn, wild rice, or a combination of both. Stop by participating locations, purchase and enjoy their competition dish, then visit the MNWonders.com Voting page to rate each dish on a1–5 scale. Be sure to rate each dish you try while it’s fresh in your mind! The winning dish will be announced and awardedfollowing the parade on Saturday.

8a-6p

25% off any regularly-priced gift item (limit one item) at Riverwood McGregor Pharmacy

5-9p

4th Annual Music in the Park featuring live music by Scot-Free. Door prizes. Food and beverages for purchase. McGregor Community Center, sponsored by McGregor Lions

5:30p

Meat raffle Jack’s Shack

6-7p

Trivia Night Zorbaz

8a-6p

25% off any regularly-priced gift item (limit one item) at Riverwood McGregor Pharmacy

10a-4p

HUGE used book sale by Friends of the McGregor Area Public Library - $5 bag McGregor Public Library

3-6p

Live music by Formerly Charles Zorbaz

4p

Pull tab “pullooza” Buckhorn Bar

4:30p

Meat raffle Bann’s Bar & Restaurant

5-7p

Burgers and fish or chicken strip basket VFW

5:30p

Meat raffle VFW

6p

Meat raffle Last Chance Pub N’ Grub

Bean Bag Tournament! Call ahead to register or register by 5 p.m. Teams of two for $40. Tournament at 6 p.m. 100% payout to first through third place winners Buckhorn Bar

7p

Live music by Timmy Haussner Bann’s Bar & Restaurant

9p

WEAREONEDJ Zorbaz

7-11a

58th Annual Wild Rice Pancake Breakfast. Adults $12, children $5 VFW

8-10a

Bottomless Bloody Mary’s and screwdrivers - $15 Buckhorn Bar

8-10a

Bloody Mary’s and breakfast Grand Timber Bank, provided by Mark’s Bar

8-1a

37th Annual Auto Show - $10 entry fee. Voting ends at noon. Awards at 1:00. Grand Timber Bank. Nostalgic music and karaoke by Ben’s Hot Country 

9-Noon

Bloody Mary’s and screwdrivers - $6 for rail, $7 for call VFW

Kids Plus-sponsored activities for youth. Thrive Center, 181 N. Maddy St.

9a-2p

25% off any regularly-priced gift item (limit one item) Riverwood McGregor Pharmacy

9a-3p

Specials on local hand-crafted items. NeighborGoods store, 96 N. Maddy St.

9a-GONE

Sloppy Joe luncheon and bake sale. Raffle tickets for cash prizes. Holy Family Catholic Church

10a

Wild Rice Days buttons for sale for $5 for your chance at three cash prizes and various other prizes. Winners called from wagon, centrally located on Maddy St., after the parade and winning button numbers posted. Button Wagon

Beer garden, wild rice soup, wild rice hotdish, walking tacos andpull tab “pullooza” Buckhorn Bar

Beer garden and outside grilling specials - wild rice brats, burgers and foot-long hot dogs. VFW

Beer garden sponsored by Cocktails, Drafts & Eats, Inc. McGregor Fire Hall (partial proceeds benefit McGregor Fire Department)

10a-1:30p

HUGE used book sale by Friends of the McGregor Area Public Library - $5 bag. McGregor Public Library

10a-4p

Bungee trampoline, Kids’ Klimb Tower Challenger and Arcade Highway – for kids of all ages!

10a-5p

CRAFT AND FOOD VENDORS OPEN

Book signing - award-winning author Mary Perrine signing and selling her books Hidden, The Lies They Told, Life without Air, The Storms of Eddie Greer, The Road of Lies, Through the Fire, Throughthe Fall. Downtown

Book signing – award-winning author and artist Julie Barta signing and selling her books Goodnight, I Love You and On Resurrection Day, artwork and handcrafted cards Downtown

Wild rice educational tent by Friends of the Rice Lake National Wildlife Refuge. Downtown.

Ski’s Exotics Mobile Petting Zoo. FREE thanks to a generous donation by the Sam Oden Memorial Fund. Downtown.

11a

Outside bar, pull tab booth, wild rice burgers and chicken wild rice soup. All day at Mark’s Bar

11a-1p

Meatball luncheon (meatballs, potatoes & gravy, veggies, salads, desserts and beverages). Quilt and craft sale. United Methodist Church

Live music (R&B) by Bryan Bassett Mark’s Bar

11a-2p

Live music by Mike and Jan Cherry Pine Rail Park

Live music by Formerly Charles Buckhorn Bar

Noon

Kids’ frozen t-shirt contest! Limited to first 10 kids registered ages six-14. Sign up at the button wagon. $50 gift card prize! Sponsored by McGregor Lions Club and McGregor Title

1p

Parade line-up Co. Rd. 8, shortcut road

2p

Parade Maddy Street

1-4p

Anniversary party with free hot dog buffet The Sandy Beaver McGregor Fire Relief Association cash raffle drawing McGregor Fire Hall

3-6p

Live music by Pine County Line VFW

3-7p

Live music (R&B) by Bryan Bassett Mark’s Bar

After Parade

Kid’s Scavenger Hunt. Sign up and pick up your clues at the Button Wagon following the parade. Turn completed form in by 5 pm to claim a prize. Open to children of all ages. **Adult Supervision  Required:** Children must be accompanied by a parent, guardian, or responsible adult throughout the scavenger hunt.

Adult frozen t-shirt contest! $200 grand prize! Must be 18 or older. Register at button wagon and meet next to the Button Wagon immediately following parade.

Open house, hot dogs and tours of the McGregor Fire Hall

McGregor Area First Responders’ booth McGregor Fire Hall

Wild Rice Days button CASH prize drawing winners announced1st place, $1,000; 2nd place, $300 and 3rd place, $100! button wagon/platform). Need NOT be present to win cash prizes but MUST claim by October 1. Must be 18 to claim. Button Wagon



Winner of the Wild Rice & Corn Culinary Competition announced Button Wagon

4p

Surf & turf meat raffle The Sandy Beaver

4-7p

Live music featuring Chicken Joe Buckhorn Bar

Live music featuring Formerly Charles The Craft House

6p

Live music by Andy Hauswirth Round Lake Resort & Bar

Open jukebox Last Chance Pub N’ Grub

6-9p

Live music by Tim Haussner Big Sandy Lodge & Resort

8p-12a

Live music featuring Tommy Colby Buckhorn Bar

Ben’s Hot Country Karaoke Bann’s Bar & Restaurant

8:30p-12:30a

Live music by Stranded The Sandy Beaver

9p

WEAREONEDJ Zorbaz

8-10a

Bottomless Bloody Mary’s and screwdrivers - $15 Buckhorn Bar

11a-1p

Outdoor Bloody Mary bar during Gospel with Bryan Bassett Mark’s Bar

Noon

Bloody Mary bar with chicken wraps Last Chance Pub N’ Grub

Noon-4:30p

59th ANNUAL LIONS CORN FEED – Door prizes and drawings, bingo ($500 jackpot coverall), kids’ games and activities, all-you-can-eat fresh corn, variety of food and beverages and Ben’s Hot Country Karaoke. Fun for all ages! McGregor Community Center

1p

Surf and turf meat raffle The Sandy Beaver

1-4p

Live music by Rustic Canyon Round Lake Resort & Bar

2p

Holiday Bingo – guaranteed $350 coverall pot. Bann’s Bar & Restaurant

3-6p

Live music by Tim Haussner Zorbaz

4-7p

Live music by Mike Mraz The Craft House

6-9p

Live Music by Live Bait 2 Mark’s Bar

6:30p

Ben’s Hot Country Karaoke Buckhorn Bar

8p-12a

Live music by Dude Wow! The Sandy Beaver