New LaCrosse will debut during Farmer's Festival

A new LaCrosse will be on display during the town’s annual Farmers’ Festival this weekend.

Along with the regular parade, barbecue and mudfest, LaCrosse will celebrate its efforts to turn around an economy that has been struggling for years.

“LaCrosse is not the little town that could. It’s the little town that is,” said Randy Myklebust, one of the board members of the LaCrosse Community Pride nonprofit.

Highlight of the festival weekend will be a dedication of the new grocery store and marketplace building at 2 p.m. Saturday.

LaCrosse Community Pride formed in 2010 after the town’s only grocery store closed its doors. The group has been working since to bring a grocery back to town.

“We’re not only a small town struggling to redefine ourselves, but we hope to become a sort of template of how other struggling small towns can help themselves,” said Mykelbust.

Through fundraisers, donations and grants, LaCrosse Community Pride has been able to purchase the former grocery store building and renovate it with modern appliances.

The remodeled building will also house the town’s library and offices. Also, a Seattle-area chiropractor has committed to practicing in an office in the building weekly.

The store is still under construction, but will be open for tours Saturday.

“It’s going to be exciting,” said Myklebust. “Hopefully people will be able to see not just the grocery store, but also our vision for LaCrosse 25, 30 years down the road.”

Mykelbust said the group is now recruiting an operator for the store, with the intent of being open toward the end of this year. LaCrosse Community Pride will offer reduced lease rates to hold down costs for the store operator.

In addition to the grocery store, the Community Pride group purchased the bank building left vacant when Bank of Whitman was closed by state and federal regulators last August.

They have since recruited Sterling Savings to set up a branch inside the bank. Though the branch will not be open until July, Sterling representatives will be at Farmers’ Fest to meet the community.

“I don’t think they’re giving out free samples, but they will be giving out balloons and other treats,” said Myklebust.

Farmers’ Fest events kick off with the annual spaghetti dinner at the Teapot Cafe Friday night.

Saturday’s events begin at the Teapot with a special breakfast followed by the parade at 10:30 a.m. The Community Club’s annual pit barbecue will be in the city park with music by Cross Country.

Races, a kids chalk art festival, money scramble and free swimming will also be held in the park area for celebrants.

At 1 p.m., a celebration of all things mud will begin on Scott (Red Barn) Road.

Featured in the Mudfest will be a mud dive for children. Young mud lovers can root around for special prizes. (A special shower will be on site to wash the muck off their clothes.)

Highlight of Mudfest is the Mud Bog race, where anyone with a vehicle that can make it through a 100-yard drag strip of mud can compete.

Special Hamboggers will be on sale at the cook shack in the mud bog site.

Farmers’ Fest concludes with drinks and dancing at the Pastime Tavern Saturday night.