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Porter
Harvest Festival 2000
Hauling in the New
Millennium
Porter Harvest Festival 2000 celebrated and
marveled the great accomplishments of a small community. This was
the year of great publicity from USA Today, Star Tribune,
Marshall Independent, Canby News and many other local and
national news papers, not to mention visits from FOX Sports, ESPN,
WCCO, KARE 11, KSTP and many other TV stations, magazines and
National Headline Reports. What was all the talk about? The larger
than real, fully functional Steam Locomotive and coal car (operated
on electricity) that was built entirely in Porter by SMI and
Hydraulics INC. for Enron Field in Houston, TX, home of the Astros.
The same stadium that SMI built a retractable roof system for in the
past.
Thanks to this and many other accomplishments in
our small community in 2000 the Porter Harvest Festival Committee
found it only fitting celebrate Porter's "Hauling in the New
Millennium" as it was the trains that first brought settlers to
Porter in the late 1800's and now once again a train, in a town no
longer having a railroad, making the community famous once again.
The celebrations kicked off Friday, August 18 with
a burger feed to benefit the Porter Development project, now in it's
12th year and still running strong. The community then honored the
Nation to which we belong with the raising of the Flag in James A.
Schoneman Memorial Park, followed by the singing of the "Star
Spangled Banner" by local talent, Stacey Knutson. The Civil War
Battle, North vs. South Softball Game then Began, with the North
winning. The night was capped off by the Annual Fireman's Dance at
the Porter Community Hall.
Saturday arrived bright and early with the 12 teem
double-elimination Softball tournament beginning. The Flea Market
and Craft Show also took place Saturday morning drawing numerous
vendors from a 100 mile radius and shoppers from as far as Toronto,
Canada. The Second Annual Commodity contest was also held with an
astonishing number of entries. For the kids there was a Kiddy
Tractor Pull and many kids' games sponsored by the Harvest Festival
Committee. During Saturday afternoon a Whopper Feed was held, and
the committee proudly donated all of its proceeds to the Granite
Falls, Minnesota Tornado Disaster Relief Fund, with all proceeds
being matched by AAL Branch 9960 of Porter's Bethel Lutheran Church.
The Sweetheart, the renown singing sensations from Canby High School
also performed their final performance at James A. Shoneman Memorial
Park from 5 to 6. Entertainment was held in the Porter Community
Hall featuring Granny, a entertainer from Pipestone who has been on
tours with such names as Jim Nabors. Granny spent the Evening
entertaining us with hometown comedy, filled with scripts of Porter
and it's citizen's, especially leaders and business owners. The
night was capped off with a street dance sponsored by Cut Loose
Lounge.
Sunday started bright and early with the softball
tournament finals, which ended late afternoon with the Countryside
Auto team winning. A Sunday Brunch was held at Arlene's Cafe, with
an Ice Cream Social in the afternoon to satisfy all the hungry
appetites. The Annual Tractor Pull was also held on Sunday with the
largest turnout of pullers and fans in over 5 years.
Overall the Harvest Festival Committee was very
satisfied with the results of the 2001 Harvest Festival, and hope
that the Success in the past two years will continue to grow in the
future. We have Hauled in the New Millennium and now look at its
future as room for growth and improvements.
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