Stand back, brace yourself - and get ready for the stampede!
The wildly popular Agate Stampede in Moose Lake will be the centerpiece of the town's 38th Annual Agate Days event coming up on Saturday, July 19, and Sunday, July 20.
The Agate Stampede, slated to hit the street on Saturday at 2 p.m., features a truck full of gravel spread down the middle of Elm Street and laced with 350 pounds of agates, as well as $300 in quarters from First National Bank, the Star Gazette and Lake State Federal Credit Union.
Participants young and old are invited to join the wild scramble for riches, and it's "finder's keepers" for all that you can get your hands on.
The celebration also features the Agate Days Gem and Mineral Show - one of the Midwest's finest - at Moose Lake High School on Saturday, July 19, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, July 20, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
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The show features fossils, minerals, gems and jewelry - and, of course, agates. Professionals, collectors and enthusiastic "rock hounds" of all ages will enjoy the vast array of gems and minerals on display.
To start the day out on Saturday, the Moose Lake Kiwanis Club will hold a pancake breakfast fund raiser from 7-11 a.m. in the city park.
Plan to stay around and enjoy the Art in the Park event, set to run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, with food concessions available. Kids games will also be held in the park from 10 a.m. to noon.
Also that weekend will be the annual open house at the Moose Lake State Park Agate and Geological Center. The open house will provide a unique opportunity and invitation for local residents and visitors to the Moose Lake area to visit Moose Lake State Park without paying the Minnesota state park vehicle permit entry fee.
As part of the open house, children visiting the park will receive a free "Minnesota State Symbols" coloring book and a Minnesota state symbol temporary tattoo, courtesy of Minnesota state parks.
Visitors are welcome to bring a friend to view the gem and mineral collections and geological interpretive displays, go for a hike or swim, enjoy a picnic, and learn more about Minnesota state parks.
