Kellogg is located right next to the Mississippi river and is tucked in the beautiful bluffs. It was incorporated on Valentine’s Day in 1877. It was a railway village (railroads still run through) and was named after a Milwaukee man who provided the depot signs. (Note Kellogg’s corn flakes were not invented until 1894 so there is no connection. I was hopping there was though! (Note my official photo of Kellogg is with its water tower.)
Watermelon Festival
The Watermelon Festival is always the first weekend after Labor Day. The small town of under 500 has a ton of fun this weekend! They have a burnout contest, fireworks, free watermelon, parade, bands, stunt shows, tournaments, rides, and so much more! (Check out the website at the bottom.) We had already been to Kellogg (see the next session) earlier in the year but came back specifically for this festival. My eldest LOVES watermelon! We obviously needed to come to this festival.
Earlier in the day we made a trip to Wabasha and the Eagle Center and made our way to Kellogg for the Grand Parade at 2pm. We got there a little after the start since we had to park a bit away (easy to find parking on a lawn near a field) but we had to walk in a bit. I really enjoyed this parade in the sense that my kids got a lot of candy, it wasn’t too hot or too cold outside, plenty of spots to sit, and we got to see a lot of floats from different towns we’ve never seen before. The best part however was the free watermelon at the fire department afterwards!
Lark Toys
We were driving back from Wisconsin Dells and were going to do a stop or two on our way home. We stopped in Winona and then went on to Lark Toys in Kellogg. On that drive home in between those stops is when I decided I was going to do this challenge of visiting every town. So, Kellogg is the first “official” town I have been in, and Lark Toys was the first “thing” I did in a town.
Lark Toy’s is an award-winning toy store. We stopped in and got some lunch here. It’s your typical fare and nothing I’d go out of my way for. They do however have a great treat section. They have fudge (watermelon…. surprise, surprise), candy sticks, saltwater taffy, ice cream and more. After our lunch we did their newly (it wasn’t there in 2006) miniature golf course. Our kids had a lot of fun, and it’s something that is not really available a lot in Southeast Minnesota.
Lark Toys is part toy store and part toy museum. They have a lot of displays of antique toys. I saw some I played with as a kid in there now and am wondering how I should feel about it. I did feel nostalgic. They also have a toy store where they sell their own wood made pull toys. Other typical toys are available for sale as well.
The reason everyone should stop here is for the carousel! My second daughter loves carousels and loved this one. She choose to ride the pink flamingo! This is the most beautiful carousel I’ve ever seen. Each animal is different and unique. They are hand carved from Minnesota basswood. The details are amazing, and each animal has a little plaque talking about it. I wish I could have photographed each one as they are all a piece of art. I completely recommend stopping by to look at the carousel and pick up a sweet treat.
Sources
Kellogg MN, Kellogg Minnesota | City of Kellogg, Minnesota
Watermelon Festival, Watermelon Days Events – Kellogg MN (wabashamn.org)
LARK Toys – Toy Store in Kellogg, MN – Best Toy Store in MN!