2017 Bemidji Water Carnival To Be Held In Two Locations

The rides, the music and the fun are some of the things that keep people coming back year after year to the Water Carnival. After weeks of the unknown the 73^rd Annual Water Carnival has a new home.

“We’re going to split the location into two sections,” said Nicole McKinnon, Water Carnival Chairman.

The Bemidji Jaycees are doing something that’s never been done before by having two locations for the Water Carnival.

The entertainment tent down by the lakefront by Paul and Babe and the rides and some food vendors will be over in the Sanford Center lot,” said McKinnon.

The Jaycees announced a new solution where the Bemidji City Council voted unanimously 6 and 0 to approve the new location. Both the Jaycees and downtown businesses were affected by the previous downtown location of the carnival.

“Having something in the lakefront, having a presence near the downtown is also going to be pretty good too,” said Ron Johnson Council Ward 3 member. “So I think it’s a pretty good compromise. It’s going to help both the downtown and serve for a better carnival keeping it here at the Sanford parking lot.”

Community members won’t have to go very far to enjoy the carnival. It’ll only be a short distance to get from one location to the other. The Jaycees hope the community will embrace the new plan.

“Well we’re hoping that people will spend time down at the rides and then come down to the entertainment tent in the evenings and see the bands, said McKinnon. “We’re hoping that they’re ok with going back and forth a little bit.”

“If they don’t like having it all split up I imagine it’s either going to have to all go one way or the other, but I’m not so sure this isn’t such a bad idea,” said Johnson.