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MPR: A larger-than-life art installation opened Monday, June 10th in and around Detroit Lakes.
The work of Danish artist Thomas Dambo involves very large trolls made of recycled materials and a fairy tale with clues to help visitors find the sculptures and the ultimate prize, a golden rabbit.
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Dambo aims for mystery and whimsy in his work with an underlying message of environmental activism.
“And I go to great lengths to hide them because I want to show us all that trash is a treasure,” he said.
In the spirit of mystery and whimsy, Dambo recently brought reporters to a secret hideaway in the woods near Detroit Lakes to see a giant golden rabbit.
He confiscated cell phones and mandated blindfolds for a portion of the noisy, jouncing ride through the woods on an all-terrain vehicle.
There are five giant trolls made of recycled wood in his story, three mirrored portals and the giant rabbit built of recycled plastic bins.
The installation revolves around a fairy tale created by Dambo.
“And in this fairy tale, there is a little bad bunny, a bad rabbit in the story. And this one is hiding somewhere far away that’s really really hard to find,” he explained. “You can only find it if you can solve a riddle.”
The riddle starts in Detroit Lakes City Park with a large troll wielding a spoon. She’s named Alexa Elixir.
“And because it’s named Alexa’s Elixir, I take it really to heart that Tom has made it like this because I love making him elixirs when he’s not feeling so well,” said Dambo’s wife Alexa Piekarski. “It’s like apple cider vinegar, garlic, onion, cayenne pepper, to really try and knock out a sickness if something’s coming on.”
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Dambo has built sculptures in 17 countries and 19 U.S. states. He called the Detroit Lakes installation his largest to date, and a troll sculpture named Long Leif is, at 36 feet, the tallest sculpture Dambo has constructed.
A work crew of 15 and more than 300 volunteers helped build the sculptures. Dambo creates the heads in his Copenhagen workshop and ships them to the installation site.
Local businesses and individuals donated funds to build each sculpture. Local organizers won’t disclose the total cost of the project.
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Volunteer Renee Fasteen was helping build hundreds of bird houses that are part of the art installation.
“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing that’s happening,” she said. “And I said to myself, ‘If I don’t do it now, I’ll probably regret it.’”
Volunteer Janelle Disrud said the art project has captivated the community.
“People are so excited, from social media to you’ll be sitting in a restaurant and hear people talking about it,” she said. “Everyone’s talking about the trolls and people are very protective of trying to keep the location secret.”
Local tourism officials hope the trolls bring more visitors to a town that’s already a Minnesota tourist destination.
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Dambo is excited to see this installation completed and said he was delighted to hear that the company whose yellow plastic bins he rescued from the landfill to build a golden rabbit has decided to find a way to recycle those bins.
“For me that’s what makes me feel like a proud daddy — that the art can have this impact. It’s those small steps that I think matter so that we end up being able to develop a cleaner, nicer future for the next generation.”
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Men’s Fashion: David Coggins’ Guide to Styling Cool Looks for Hot Weather
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We have a variety of activities going on throughout our festival, so you’re sure to find one you’ll enjoy! From the Polar Plunge to vintage snowmobiles to our famous Frozen Fireworks, there’s something for everyone. Here are some examples of events from years past. Visit our Event Calendar for the full schedule.
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Detroit Lakes, Minnesota
Welcome to the 2024 Polar Plunge for Special Olympics Minnesota
Watch the live feed of the ice palace being built!
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Polar Fest is a festival of frozen fun held annually now through February 27th. It is created and run by an independent, all-volunteer committee of people who have learned to embrace the northern Minnesota winters. Polar Fest is affiliated with the non-profit PropelDL. We hold activities for a variety of ages and interests.
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We have a variety of activities going on throughout our festival, so you’re sure to find one you’ll enjoy! From the Polar Plunge to vintage snowmobiles to our famous Frozen Fireworks, there’s something for everyone. Here are some examples of events from years past. Visit our Event Calendar for the full schedule!
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Polar Fest is held annually in mid-February with the plunge and fireworks on the Saturday night of President’s Day weekend!
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Polar Fest was started in 1996 by Erika Gilsdorf, former owner of Lakeside Tavern. She loves winter and wanted to see some sort of celebration of winter by the lake and outside her restaurant. Coincidentally, at the same time, Ron Zeman, former board member for Develop DL, heard about people jumping into a hole in the lake to raise money for an organization. He took that idea to the Boys & Girls Club and the “Polar Fest Plunge” was born.
Polar Fest continued until 2002 when lack of support left Polar Fest with only its key event — the Polar Plunge, but no other activities. In 2005, a group of crazy, winter-loving citizens came together to reinvigorate and warm up Polar Fest!
Since then, Polar Fest has continued, with the pinnacle event being the Polar Fest Plunge into Little Detroit Lake, plus myriad other activities ranging from golfing on the lake to presentations by polar explorers to dances in the sand. In 2008, fireworks on the last Saturday evening were added and that has become one of the highlights of the week-long winter celebration. Now, in 2021, two epic fireworks displays will take place, one to kick off the festival, and the other to mark its end.
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As Long As The Rivers Shall Run: Artwork by Ellen Sandbeck – Duluth, MN
Polar Fest is 10 days of frozen fun held annually February 4th thru 15th during the weeks leading up to President’s Day. It is created and run by an independent, all-volunteer committee of people who have learned to embrace the northern Minnesota winters. Polar Fest is affiliated with the non-profit PropelDL. We hold activities for a variety of ages and interests. Read here how we started!
We have a variety of activities going on throughout these 10 days, so you’re sure to find one you’ll enjoy! From the Polar Plunge to vintage snowmobiles, crafts to our famous Frozen Fireworks, there’s something for everyone. Here are some examples of events from years past. Visit our Schedule page for the full list. Note: All info, times, dates and details are subject to change due to COVID-19 restrictions and requirements. Please contact individual event sponsors for questions.
Polar Plunge
Ultra Snowmobile Rally
Detroit Lakes, MN
Our city has learned to embrace the long, cold Minnesota winters with this fun 10-day celebration. During the summer we’re known for our abundant lakes with fishing, boating and a mile-long city beach. But we have so much to offer winter visitors, too.
