By Hannah Dillon and Madeline Funk

Emmons Borderfest has been around for 15 years, so chairman Mark Heggestad wanted to make this a festival to remember.

Borderfest will be Friday and Saturday this year in Emmons.

Confederate Railroad of Marietta, Georgia, will be coming to Borderfest along with Minneapolis-based Hitchville and the southern Minnesota band All BS Band.

Heggestad wanted to bring a national act to Emmons to celebrate Borderfest’s 15 years.

Hitchville, a seven-piece country act from Minneapolis, is playing on Friday. Their self-titled debut album came out in 2012 and their most recent single, “Even When It’s Bad It’s Good” came out in January.

The All BS Band will open for Confederate Railroad on Saturday. Confederate Railroad was formed in 1987 and broke onto the southern rock scene in the early ’90s. The band has six albums and its website says the band has 18 charted hits and has sold five million albums.

Other events include a kids pedal pull, a senior center bake sale, a parade, a pork chop supper and a car, motorcycle and tractor show.

Each concert will involve a street dance, and the dances will occur rain or shine, Heggestad said.

Tickets are $8 in advance and $10 at the door for Hitchville and $12 in advance and $15 at the door for the All BS Band and Confederate Railroad.

Confederate Railroad is being sponsored by Norseman Trucking out of Lake Mills and the All BS Band is being sponsored by Pub 69 in Twin Lakes.

New this year for the 15th anniversary is free kayaking and canoeing sponsored by State Line Lake Club. Something else different is that there will be six inflatables with proceeds going to the Summer Rec Program and Parents for D.C.

The DYNO for cars and motorcycles is $20 per run along with a first-time motorcycle show. Shuttle buses will also return this year at $5 a person each night from Albert Lea from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. and from Lake Mills from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m.

 

Emmons Borderfest schedule: 

 

Friday

8:30 p.m.: Hitchville and street dance

Saturday

9 a.m. to noon: Emmons Community Library/museum book sale

9 a.m. to noon: Senior Center bake sale

10 a.m. to 6 p.m.: Six inflatables with kids activities

10:30 a.m.: Border Parade

11:30 a.m.to 3:30 p.m.: Free kayak and canoe rides

Noon to 3 p.m.: Car and motorcycle show

Noon: Registration deadline for antique tractor show, kids pedal pull and corn hole tournament.

Noon: Kids pedal pull

3 p.m.: Early registration for car and bike fun cruise

4 p.m.: Car and bike fun cruise

4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.: Pork chop supper at Emmons American Legion

8:30 p.m.: All BS Band, Confederate Railroad and street dance