Fair Season, Fashion, Relay For Life & Pickleball
Spiess in the Morning for Wednesday July 9, 2025.
Rise and Shine Otters, Spiess in the Morning broadcasting and podcasting from the spectacular studios next to the swamp in the heart of the North Star State.
Today to kick things off, we’re talking about fairs. Cotton candy, antique tractors, turkey legs, and a thousand tiny reunions under neon lights.
You ever notice how life shifts after the Fourth of July? It’s subtle. The fireworks fizzle, the flags are folded, and suddenly the air carries this rhythm—part diesel exhaust, part accordion music, part funnel cake magic. That’s because we’ve entered fair season proper.
The June events, well, those are your preseason, your spring training—warm-up acts where the port-a-potties are still figuring out their placement and the food booths are shaking off winter rust. But once the rockets red glare has faded and the sparklers hit the trash bin, the county fair floodgates open wide.
This is where the big leagues begin, folks. From Fergus to Pelican Rapids, Underwood to Vergas, July and August aren't just pages on the calendar—they’re sacred space. Festival territory. The tribal drums of Otter Tail County thump loud and proud.
If you're up before the sun today—maybe because a loon called out your name or a memory stirred you from sleep—well, you’re not alone. I’m here too, riding the radiowaves and reflecting on a peculiar truth: it’s festival season in the land of otters, pelicans, turkeys and loons.
Doesn’t that just sound like a good group to hang with?
Now I don’t mean festivals and fairs like your overpriced mega-concerts or ironic beard contests in a downtown warehouse. No, I’m talking county-fair, sunburn-on-the-nape-of-your-neck kind of festivals. The kind where the air smells like diesel, cotton candy, and deep-fried redemption.
🎡 West Otter Tail County Fair (Fergus Falls) – July 19–22
Take the West Otter Tail County Fair, just around the corner in Fergus Falls. Four days of agricultural excellence, carnival lights, and the sound of teenagers discovering who they are over a funnel cake and a first kiss on the Ferris wheel. There’s something spiritual about the demo derby too—an existential clash of chrome and chaos. As Camus might say: in the heart of absurdity, we crush the rules of the road and cheer for survival.
👑 East Otter Tail County Fair (Perham) – July 24–27
Head east a few miles and time bends in Perham for the East Otter Tail County Fair. A twin sibling to its western cousin, but like any twin—it’s got its own voice. There’s livestock, sure, but there’s also laughter under the grain bins, and the kind of warmth you can’t program into an app. It’s honest. It’s home.
🎨 Phelps Mill Festival (Underwood) – July 12–13
Now, if your soul needs art and your ears need music, you’ll want to drift gently down to Underwood, where the Phelps Mill Festival transforms a historic gristmill into a sanctuary of paint, pottery, and performance. Juried artists, local bands, maybe a jug of local wine if you know where to look. It’s what happens when creativity, commerce, and community decide to throw a party.
🤪 Vergas Looney Days – August 11–13
But maybe you’re feeling a little... looney? That’s okay. Embrace it. The folks in Vergas certainly do. Every August, the town throws Looney Days, a celebration that dances joyfully on the fine line between silly and sublime. We’re talking water-ski shows, dachshund races, and street dances where even your uncle who hasn’t moved since ‘84 remembers how to boogie. Vergas isn’t just leaning into the looney—it’s leading the parade.
🦦 OtterFest (Ottertail) – August 12
Then there’s OtterFest in the town of Ottertail. A little quieter. More music than mayhem. It’s the perfect spot to bring a lawn chair, a blanket, and a beer—and just listen. Maybe talk to a stranger. Maybe don’t. OtterFest gives you permission to just... be.
And coming this week…
🦃 Pelican Fest (Pelican Rapids) – July 10–12
And finally, we land in Pelican Rapids, where Pelican Fest struts into summer like a turkey in a tuxedo. This celebration started as a nod to turkeys and turned into a tapestry of community color. Duck races, kiddie parades, street dances, and barbecue you’ll dream about long after the leaves turn. Pelican Rapids reminds us that being quirky isn’t a flaw—it’s a feature.
You see, folks, these aren’t just events on a calendar. They’re the pulse of the land. They’re how a community says, ‘We’re still here. We still gather. We still dance in the street when the band starts playing.’ And in a world where we often feel like satellites drifting through space, these little festivals—these tiny gravitational pulls—remind us where home is.
So wherever you are, whether you’re sweeping out the barn, pouring your second cup of coffee, or just staring at the lake waiting for inspiration—consider this your invitation. Go. Wander. Celebrate. You never know what you’ll find under the lights of the midway or in a stranger’s smile during the wiener dog races.
Here’s a lame joke to end this segment along with a fair warning… I’ll see you at the fair.
This is Spiess in the Morning, broadcasting and podcasting from somewhere between a sleeping lake and a rising sun, where the mosquitoes hum lullabies and the loons give the weather report.
It’s July 9th—deep into the heart of fair season, just far enough past the Fourth to smell burnt sparklers and grilled sweet corn on the wind, yet not quite at the part where your boots are permanently dusted from fairground gravel. Welcome to the middle stretch of summer. It’s sweaty. It’s sweet. And it’s Otter Tail, baby.
🌱 Let’s Talk Dirt, Construction, and Community
Out in the fabulous town of Ottertail, folks gathered on a warm July afternoon this week to break ground on a dream. A child care duplex and future community center are sprouting up like milkweed in July. Half the spots are already spoken for. The rest? Open and waiting for young voices, first steps, and juice box spills.
You see, when a town builds space for its children, it’s not just constructing buildings—it’s laying the foundation for legacy. That’s roots, folks.
Meanwhile, near Henning, big trucks and solid plans are underway for a new solid waste transfer station. Now, I know garbage isn’t romantic, but think of it like this: in a world of excess, good waste management is a love letter to tomorrow. It’s about stewardship. It’s about legacy. It’s about not burying our problems—unless, of course, they’re biodegradable.
🏓 Pickleball: A Net Gain for the Soul
Ah, pickleball. Part tennis, part ping-pong, and all heart. It’s taken Otter Tail County by storm like a sudden July thunderhead over Dead Lake.
In Vergas, 400 people a month are picking up paddles and letting loose their inner athlete—some for the first time since gym class in 1983.
Perham’s already got their courts. Battle Lake and Parkers Prairie are next. What began as a sport for retirees has become a way for generations to meet in the middle, on asphalt and over nets. A little volley goes a long way in bringing a community together.
🌕 Relay For Life: Lighting the Night With Memory and Hope
This Friday, as twilight leans in over the East Otter Tail County Fairgrounds, footsteps will fall in rhythm with remembrance.
The 30th annual Relay For Life begins at 5:30 p.m. with the Survivor’s Lap at 7:30. Bring your lawn chairs, your lanterns, and your stories. New teams are welcome. So are hugs.
Because in a world that races forward, events like this remind us to pause, remember, and love the people who shaped us. Even if they’re no longer walking beside us.
🚓 Highways, Hijinks, and Hit-and-Runs
We had a few incidents on the road that remind us July doesn’t just bring sweet corn and fireworks—it also brings a little recklessness.
On Highway 78, a Ford pickup decided to go off-road—without an off-road plan. Thankfully, passenger Jenna Differding is recovering from non-life-threatening injuries.
In Underwood, a car hit a power pole. Driver fled. Power didn’t. Eventually, the law caught up, and the driver now has a DWI and a court date.
Meanwhile, a semi-truck reportedly hit a bald eagle on Highway 210. Sad day for Old Glory.
And just when you thought it was safe to trust the signage on 108... they disappeared. Word is the DOT pulled them, but the sudden lack of directions is causing more than one confused detour.
🎡 The Community Calendar is Getting Full, Folks
Here’s what’s on tap in the weeks ahead:
Tonight, the Planning Commission meets at 6 p.m. Might not be as exciting as a tractor pull, but it’s where the sausage of civic life gets made.
July 10: Household Hazardous Waste drop-off in Perham. Clean out your garages. Reclaim your space.
July 11: Relay For Life
July 12–13: Phelps Mill Festival—think art, funnel cakes, and folk music drifting over the river
July 16–27: West and East Otter Tail County Fairs. Bring your sunscreen and your sense of wonder.
July 22: Hazardous waste drop in Bluffton
July 30: Foster Care info session. Maybe the next chapter of your life starts with one open heart.
Stay super cool out there otters. Keep your windows down and your hearts open. This is Spiess in the Morning asking myself and anyone else listening to remember - The best stories aren’t the ones we tell. They’re the ones we live.
It’s your cosmic companion Spiess in the Morning, watching the mist crawl in over the spruce trees, coffee in one hand, history in the other.
You ever feel like time isn’t just passing but circling back? Like you’ve lived this moment before — not exactly, but in spirit? That’s the premise of Neil Howe’s heavyweight of a book, The Fourth Turning. He and the late William Strauss weren’t just historians — they were cartographers of time, mapping out the rhythm of generations like seasons in the soul of a nation.
According to Howe and Strauss, history spins like a great wheel, made up of four turnings: The High, The Awakening, The Unraveling, and finally The Crisis. Right now, folks… we're in that fourth act. The Crisis. The Turning where the world sheds its old skin, and either emerges reborn… or broken.
And each season? It has its cast.
First came the G.I. Generation — the Heroes of the last Crisis. They stormed Normandy, built highways, and came home to raise picket fences and baby boomers. Think Tom Brokaw’s Greatest Generation — they didn’t ask why; they asked how high.
Next up, the Silent Generation — born into the Great Depression and World War II, they were cautious, conformist, and quiet. They didn’t make waves, but they kept the engine running.
Then came the Baby Boomers, loud and proud, born in the sunshine of postwar prosperity. These were the prophets — questioning, rebelling, and reshaping the culture with Woodstock and Watergate. But in the autumn of their years, they’ve turned from rebels to rulers, clinging to the very power they once distrusted.
Enter the Generation X crowd — my people. The Nomads. Grew up watching the world unravel on a flickering TV screen. We were the latchkey kids, the skeptics, raised in the shadows of broken institutions and broken homes. We don't trust easily, but when the chips are down, we make damn good troubleshooters.
Then you’ve got the Millennials — the Heroes in waiting, if Howe’s wheel is to be believed. Raised on self-esteem and social media, they’re optimistic, collaborative, and a little idealistic. The world has thrown a lot their way — recessions, climate doom, and avocado inflation — but they still show up, still believe they can change the world with a podcast and a plan.
And just behind them, rising like a quiet storm, is Generation Z — the Artists. Sensitive. Adaptive. Digital natives. Born into chaos, raised on anxiety. They may not shout, but they listen — and when they speak, the tremors are felt.
Now here's the rub — according to Howe, each generation is born with a role in the turning. Heroes rise in Crisis. Nomads guide with pragmatism. Prophets reflect and warn. Artists bring balance and beauty.
So, is it matching up?
Well, look around. Institutions teetering like old barns in a prairie wind. Global tension. Economic whiplash. Culture wars that feel less like debate and more like demolition. Sounds like Crisis to me.
But in that storm, there’s a pulse. A heartbeat. A generation — maybe two — that aren’t just watching history, they’re shaping it. The Millennials, marching with conviction. Gen Z, shaping the language of tomorrow. Even us Gen Xers, dusting off our cynicism and trying to find a little purpose before the curtain falls.
It’s easy to fear the storm, folks. But remember: winter always comes before spring. The Fourth Turning isn’t the end — it’s the threshold. And whether we cross it on our feet or on our knees… well, that’s up to us.
This is Spiess in the Morning, reminding myself and anyone listening that history may not repeat, but it sure does hum the same tune. Stay warm my beautiful otters. Hug your neighbor. And if you’ve got a young person in your life, tell ‘em the world’s not ending. It’s just turning… again.
Spiess in the Morning here, and if your socks match your soul today, consider it a fashion miracle. Because this July 9th, we’re tipping our hats, adjusting our scarves, and walking the metaphorical runway in celebration of Fashion Day.
Now, before you roll your eyes and dismiss it as frivolous — a parade of price tags and air kisses — let’s just pause for a moment and take in what fashion really is.
Fashion, my friends, is more than fabric. It’s language. It’s ritual. It’s a message stitched into our sleeves, painted on our faces, sculpted into boots, rings, jackets, and that weird hat you only wear when you need confidence but can’t afford therapy.
Even in ancient times — before Vogue, before TikTok hauls — fashion was sacred. The Egyptians used linen and gold to honor the gods, their bodies wrapped like prayers. The Greeks sculpted tunics like marble. Feathers adorned warriors in the Americas, signaling courage, status, and connection to the divine. In Japan, the kimono told stories through stitching — not just who you were, but who you loved, what season you stood in, and where your soul was walking.
And yet... for all its glory, fashion is also mischief.
It can misguide, mislead, manipulate. Think of the Emperor in his "new clothes" — strutting in his imagined finery while the crowd, too afraid to speak, nodded along in naked delusion. And isn’t that still with us? Social media influencers peddling $700 sneakers made in the same factory as $50 knockoffs. The illusion of luxury. The power of perception.
Fashion can deceive. But oh — it can also liberate.
You throw on a leather jacket, and suddenly you're braver than you were five minutes ago. You slip into a sundress and sandals, and you're ten years lighter. A suit makes you feel important. A hoodie makes you feel safe. A pair of flip-flops? Well, that just means you’ve given up, or you’ve finally found peace. Maybe both.
We humans are funny creatures. We assign value to metal and stone — gold, diamonds, emeralds — and yet scoff at pleather, which, if you think about it, is just the democratization of cowhide. Jewelry might hold value on the books, but your grandfather’s threadbare flannel? That’s priceless.
Fashion has also always been utilitarian. From the wool cloaks of shepherds to the aprons of blacksmiths, to steel-toed boots and high-vis vests. Sometimes the outfit doesn’t make the man — it just makes the man safer. Form follows function. But function, over time, can become form.
And let’s not forget fashion as territory — literal and figurative. Gangs have colors. Brides wear white. Judges don robes. Soldiers have uniforms. We wear our affiliations like flags stitched to our backs, signaling our tribes before we ever open our mouths.
But even the most devout minimalist makes a fashion choice every day. Denim or khaki. Glasses or contacts. Wild hair or clean cut. It’s all a form of silent poetry. A Rorschach test made of cotton and thread. We wear who we are — or who we wish we were.
So today, whether you're rocking haute couture or holey jeans, whether you spent hours curating or just pulled a sweatshirt off the floor — take a moment and honor the weird, wild, wonderful dance between skin and style.
Because fashion, like art, says something when you don’t have the words.
This is Spiess in the Morning, reminding myself and anyone listening that clothes may not make the person, but sometimes they give them the courage to be themselves — or at least fake it until they do.
Walk your walk today, otters. Whatever you wear — wear it like a prayer.
Otter and Out.
The OtterTalk media network – Doing our best to keep the small town smiles alive, fish tales told and the coffee percolating.
CLICK HERE FOR SPECIAL PARAMOUNT PLUS PARTNERSHIP PAGE
OTTER TALK COMMUNITY CALENDAR
Kate’s Korner Antiques & Collectables is NOW OPEN in Elizabeth! Located across the street from the liquor store on Hwy 59, Kate’s Korner is a must stop and see. If you see the flags flapping in the wind, she’s open and ready to serve your nostalgic needs.
Paul’s Farm Fresh Eggs - $3/dozen - call or text 218-205-7779 (The Greater Elizabeth Area)
Abbie’s Farm Fresh Eggs - $9 for 30 eggs - washed or unwashed - call or text 320-349-0942 (The Greater Morris Area)
IBC Totes for sale - Endless uses for these totes from firewood storage to rainwater catcher to stacking two for an outdoor shower. Pick up encouraged, delivery available. Food grade are $100 each and non-food grade are $65 each. Call 218-639-1116
The Shoreline Bowling Alley in Battle Lake has open bowling All Summer Long. Call 218-864-5265 for more info or stop by 505 N Lake Ave, Battle Lake, MN.
The Bookmobile has books, movies & magazines to check out, but the Bookmobile and member libraries also offer a wide variety of electronic resources including Ebooks, downloadable audiobooks, streaming movies, TV and music, and a wide variety of educational databases and distance learning resources.
The Bookmobile stops across from the Parkers Prairie Post Office every other Wednesday throughout the year. You can find the Bookmobile there from 3 pm to 4 pm.
The Bookmobile stops in Elizabeth, only this stop isn’t at the community center or the public park, rather it’s a private house. Next stop is July 3 in Elizabeth and it’s a block north of the C-Store on the gravel road, or 206 N Pelican Street, for you GPS folk.
Check out more Bookmobile towns by clicking here
If you have a community event for the Community Bulletin Board, email studio@ottertalk.media
Want Otter Talk to highlight a local musician or upcoming gig? Email studio@ottertalk.media
Feel free to like, share and or comment!
Please tune in tomorrow for more local lakes area tunes, totally tubular tales, and some small-town smiles.
Know someone who might enjoy today’s program? Give a gift subscription or share it on!
Have some news? How about an idea for the show? Email studio@ottertalk.media