Cold weather didn’t stop hundreds of locals from bundling up and watching the 2019 Aitkin Fish House Parade, but how did a crazy event like a Fish House Parade even get started?

“In 1991, a group of Chamber volunteers were sitting around drinking coffee, and they noticed that there were a lot of fish houses driving down the highway and they figured, ‘hey, we could make a parade out of that,'” said Aitkin Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Taylor Erickson.

The hope was that the parade would make people want to stick around and shop local in Aitkin, and 28 years later, the Fish House Parade is as big as ever with 39 floats on display.

“I actually liked the reindeer banging on the car, I thought that was pretty cool,” said Aira, who attended the Aitkin Fish House Parade.

“We were on the Cub Scout float and the theme was “Camp out with Scouts” and it was all about camping and we were giving out candy, the best part was probably giving it to people, but getting some is a close second,” said Eliot, who was an Aitkin Fish House Parade participant.

There’s even awards that are handed out for some of the best floats. Twin Pine Resort was this year’s winner for most creative.

“This year was Jailhouse Rock – Fishhouse Rock, and we rocked down the street to [a] little Elvis action,” said 2019 Most Creative Float Award Winner Linda Eno.

What makes the Fish House Parade so special is how it brings the community of Aitkin together.

“It’s awesome, it’s fun, it’s cold, everyone can come together after Thanksgiving,” said Riley, who attended the Aitkin Fish House Parade.

“We have family members all the way from Missouri, Illinois, North Carolina, we had about 42 people, and it’s really a great tradition and it’s been a lot of fun,” said Eno. “It has created such amazing memories, we started when some of these teenagers were little, now they’re teenagers, some are out of college, so it’s just been really fun, the kids have grown up with it.”

The Aitkin Fish House Parade continues to be a community favorite event that will be circled on locals’ calendars for years to come.

By — Chaz Mootz