The rain came pouring down by 9 a.m. for Uffda Day 2017 but a few brave souls participated in the 5K run/walk in the downpour. Luckily the rain tapered off by 10 a.m. and was out of town by 10:30 a.m.

The cool damp weather diminished enthusiasm as little but as the temperature rose the crowd size grew. By the 1 p.m. parade time, a large crowd of happy onlookers lined the streets. The parade included firefighters, first responders, the Vikings and several classic cars and antique tractors.

The car show once again featured a magnificent display of antique, classic and modern autos. The crowd kept craft vendors and food stands jumping throughout the day. There was also a Turn of the Century photograph exhibition at the Old Parsonage which was a collection featuring local photographers and history photographs from Sargent County.

The Finnish wife carrying race drew another crowd to end another successful event in Rutland.

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!