Bemidji City Council To Revisit Paul Bunyan “Dress Up” Ordinance

They are one of the most iconic roadside attractions in the United States. But now, Bemidji’s statues of Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox find themselves at the center of controversy after being dressed in a giant hockey jersey for Bemidji’s Hockey Day Minnesota announcement.

For the Hockey Day Minnesota committee, a lot of time and planning went into preparing the jersey for the big announcement.

Over the years, many items have adorned Paul Bunyan promoting special events happening in the city. Some of those items still remain on display inside the Tourist Information Center.

Each year, thousands of visitors come to Paul Bunyan Park to get their photograph taken with the iconic statues, and some of those guests tell us that they wouldn’t mind if Paul Bunyan was dressed up for an event.

At Monday’s work session, Bemidji City Council members said they are ready to revisit the ordinance that was put in place in 2014.

With conversations talking about repealing or replacing the ordinance, pro or con, the main objective is to keep Paul Bunyan standing tall and proud.

The Bemidji City Council will discuss possible changes to the ordinance at next Monday’s work session.