BOX CAR DAYS 2025
Nomadic family from Forest Lake makes Tracy the latest stop on their small-town festival tour
There’s already one family looking forward to the 100th annual Box Car Days celebration in 2027. And chances are, you’ve never met them.
They are the Mobeck family — Andrew, Deanna and their son, Jeremy — and they were among the thousands of people in search of a good time at the 98th annual Box Car Days celebration.
And like many others who converged on Tracy this past weekend, they were strangers to town.
But why Tracy? Why Box Car Days as their destination?
Their presence at this year’s annual event is the result of a plan the family devised about four years ago when they were trying to decide in what small town celebration to partake. The first year, it was Harmony in Fillmore County in far southeastern Minnesota, a town about half the size of Tracy and home to Niagara Cave a massive 4th of July party and the largest Amish community in Minnesota.
Next, it was Sauerkraut Days in Henderson, about two hours east of us; and then Ellsworth, WI, for the Cheese Curd Festival (a weekend. They stayed in Tracy at an Airbnb.
IT DIDN’T TAKE LONG FOR JEREMY, DEANNA AND ANDREW MOBECK, shown here enjoying mud volleyball for the first time Sunday, to realize they made the right decision on what Minnesota town to hit this summer for their family tour of festivals.
“All these small towns, people are very friendly, unlike in large cities,” Mobeck said. “They’re very helpful. Each place has their unique features.”
Mobeck said deciding what city to visit every year isn’t complicated. They simply sit down and pick a small town. Then they do a little online research to see what festivals have to offer, paying close attention to unique events that stand out to them.
“We just look for things that interest us, and this year, Tracy interested us,” he said. “I think we’ll be back in two years for the 100th. There are some interesting things we haven’t seen before, like the mud volleyball. There are a couple other things that you guys have that others don’t.”
Of course, one of those things is the mud volleyball tournament, a popular Sunday morning event that seems to grow each year. But that was just one small piece of this year’s Box Car Days puzzle.
And speaking of puzzles, there was another Pizza, Puzzles & Guzzle contests once again this year for grown-ups who got to use beer to wash down their slices.
Other events Saturday included softball, golf and beanbag tournaments, the Box Car Days Road Race for young and “older” alike, the Kiddie Parade and the free street dance featuring the band “Rhino.”
The fun continued Sunday, starting with mud volleyball, horseshoe and pickleball tournaments and loads of fun activities for the kids in Central Park. The evening wound up with the Miss Tracy Scholarship Program and the Singing Qs in the beer tent.
The Fly/In-Drive In breakfast at the aiport kicked off the fun early Monday morning. After people crowded the streets for the Grand Parade, many headed inside the beer tent to watch Lyon County Sheriff’s Deputy Adam Connor smootch a pig for Kiss the Pig, a 2-year old event that serves as a Chamber fundraiser.
THIS YEAR’S BCD KISS THE PIG “WINNER” WAS LYON COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPUTY ADAM CONNOR, who said the smell of the pig lingered with him well after the big smooch. Connor’s donation box clearly outdid his fellow competitors with more than $200 raised. The top two boxes — Connor’s and teacher/coach Derek Ashbaugh’s — were the top two money winners, and the winner was decided by cheers from the audience. “It tasted like bacon,” Connor quipped. He said it was nice to be able to raise money to put back into the town. As for Connor’s plans for the meat he’ll receive from Fultz Family Farms? “Some nice bacon, and some rump roast,” he said. Photos / Per Peterson
SUEANN MOYARS talks to visitors at the Shetek Area Smooth Sailing silent auction.
WINNERS IN THE PIZZA, PUZZLES & GUZZLE CONTEST at Box Car Days was the “Side Pieces” team consisting of Ashley Sell of Slayton, Danielle Beck of Russell, Kim Thooft of Slayton and Sam Wynia, also of Slayton.
ERIC FULTZ worked the griddle for the Tracy Lions, making sure there were burgers to go around at the popular food stand.
