The parade at 1 p.m. was again led by the Rutland American Legion Color Guard. The parade was a bit shorter this year but it included several of the classic cars and horse-drawn entries.
A new event this year was an Ole & Lena Contest. Planning and eliminations started back in May with couples (two guys, two gals, or one of each) competing based on costumes, humor and originality with the Best Ole and Lena from each of three events competing at 2 p.m. in the Rutland Town Hall.
Another new event this year was a Wife-Carrying Contest that drew a crowd to watch the fun.
The Uffda Day Pedal Pull was again one of the best in the region and the participation was excellent with 62 children and 15 adults – eleven men and four women – competing. In addition to the pedal pull, there were the usual games and nickel scramble along with the fun bouncy houses that entertained the kids for hours.
Uffda Day dawned cool and breezy as the community got moving for the 30th annual Uffda Day. Entrants for the 5th annual 5K Run/Walk took off at 9 a.m. sharp. The cool morning weather encouraged visitors to head inside for coffee, conversation and good things to eat, along with visits to craft booths and demonstrations of pioneer skills through the downtown area.
Dave and Pat Bladow organized another outstanding display of antique and classic motor vehicles that included a classic Packard sedan and a unique Lincoln pickup. By parade time, the wind went down aa little and temperature reached the mid-50s with an enthusiastic crowd along the parade route. The parade was a little shorter than the prior year, consisting of 50 units and political candidates were scarce for an election year. The American Legion Color Guard lead the parade and the hit again this year was the Aberdeen Fire Department Bagpipe Band from Aberdeen, South Dakota. The band members wowed the crowd with the wailing bagpipes and beating drums.
After the parade, the first annual Uffda Day Pedal Tractor Pull was held with competitors ranging from age 4 to well over 21 years of age. Visitors enjoyed the remainder of the day with good music, good fellowship, and good fun in the little city that can.
The weekend forecast for October 6, 2013, looked pretty dim but by the time runners and walkers were toeing the mark for the 4th annual Uffda Day 5K event, it was obvious that sun would soon be shining on Rutland. More than 30 participants, some as far away as Hawaii, competed in the event. By the time the last of the participants crossed the finish line at Gay and Bagley Streets, arts and craft vendors were opening for the day.
Lefse, live music, scalloped potatoes, rommegrot, rice pudding, sandbakkels, krumkake, rosettes, Uffda tacos and other goods were all available at the Rutland Town Hall, Senior Center, the American Legion Hall and the Rutland Fire Hall. By the time the American Legion Color Guard, Bergman-Evenson Post #215, led the Uffda Day parade down the main street at 1 p.m., another large crowd, estimated to be more than 3,000 , was on hand for the fun. Lowell Wyum had set up his PA system at the corner of First and Arthur Streets to announce the parade entries as they passed by.
Wine tasting, set up by the ND Grape & wine Association, continued to be popular with attendees. Steffes’ Prairiewood Winery of Elliot, ND, had a booth set up on the south porch of The Old Parsonage and reported a very successful day. Several vendors and demonstrators also reported a good day. Wolfie the clown provided activities for kids of all ages. Doug Spieker and Roy Hildebrand had their high stepping Percheron-Belgian draft horses and a wagon on hand to provide recreational rides and transportation around top. Gay Street was blocked off for the car show and the antique tractors.
The afternoon had the new, first ever, pig races put on by Gary Dauer and family of Leader, Minn., and their stable of thoroughbred racing pigs. Several adults got in on the fun and games with races of their own. It was a fun way for the crowd to end their day at the Uffda Day event.
Uffda Day 2012, dawned clear, cold and breezy with the thermometer registering 27 degrees at 7 a.m. as the Rutland community got underway for another celebration. Entrants in the 3rd annual Uffda Day 5K run/walk faced a stiff wind causing more than one entrant to wonder if they would get frostbite by the time they reached the turnaround point a mile south of town. All participants made it across the finish line with times raging from 22 minutes to 1 hour and 10 minutes.
The cold weather kept most visitors inside throughout the morning, enjoying coffee, conversation and a lot of good things to eat, along with visiting the craft booths in town. By the 1 p.m. parade time, the wind had gone down to a gentle breeze the temperature climbed into the upper 50s. The parade was a little shorter than last year consisting of 55 units that included several political candidates. There were a number of interesting entries in the parade but the biggest hit of the parade was undoubtedly the Aberdeen Fire Department Bagpipe Band from Aberdeen, South Dakota. With bagpipes wailing and drums beating, the band members wowed the crowd, many of whom had never heard bagpipe music that actually sounded like music. Following the parade, the pipers also performed at several locations on main street, in front of the Hall, and at the Fire Hall.
Once again, Chair Lori McLaen, commented on the success of the day made possible by the time and commitments of the residents of Rutland who work for months to prepare for Uffda Day. When the day is finished, it takes time to recover. Uffda!
Sunday, October 2, 2011, started with exceptionally nice weather that drew a large crowd. The activities of the day started with 21 individuals participating in the 2nd annual Uffda Day 5-K run/walk. Each of the participants received a commemorative T-shirt for their effort
By 10 a.m. the arts and crafts vendors were opening their stands. Demonstrations and food sales began promptly at 11 . David and Pat Bladow had the classic and antique car show organized on Gay Street and Mary Ann Thornberg showed folks how grandma did her baking with a wood burning cookstove at the Pioneer House.
The parade started promptly at 1 p.m. with Dollar Bill Smith announcing the parade entries to the crowd on Main Street. Before and during the parade, individuals consumed 18 roasters of scalloped potatoes and ham at the Town Hall, and all the other foods stands were sold out by the end of the day. Chairperson Lori McLaen declared the day another unqualified success.
The sun was barely above the eastern horizon at 8 a.m. when nineteen runners and walkers were at the starting line to compete in the first annual Uffda Day 5-K event that had been organized by the 2010 Chairperson, Lori McLaen. The group included walkers from age 8 to 72, 11 from North Dakota, 6 from South Dakota and 2 from Minnesota. By the time the last participant crossed the finish line, the arts and crafts vendors were setting up for the day.
The American Legion Color Guard from Bergman-Evenson Post #215 led the parade past another large crowd estimated at 2,500 to 3,000. Many of the classic cars rolled down main street followed by the tractors, horses, Miss Sargent County, and several new and unique participants all to the fun and delight of those watching the parade.
Leading the way
Another first-time event was the wine tasting sponsored by the ND Grape Growers Association. Prairiewood Winery of Elliott ND and Red Trail Winery from Buffalo ND had booths set up in the dining room at the Lariat Bar. The old Lariat Bar building, now at the corner of First and Arthur Streets, was the center of action for a number of vendors and Wolfie The Clown and other activities for kids of all ages. The Rutland-Cayuga Rural Fire Department offered time for the kids to cool off and water down with the fire hoses.
The street from the Bank to the Legion Hall was blocked off for the car show and antique tractors. Dave and Pat Bladow did another outstanding job of organizing a fascinating collection of antique and classic automobiles.
Throughout the day, music, food, demonstrations and displays, coupled with a beautiful sunny day, made Uffda Day another festive event.
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