In the wake of Big Lake's annual Spud Fest being canceled, organizers still wanted to give citizens something fun to do this summer. Freedom Festival is a one-off event being held exclusively in 2020 to fill the gap left by the cancelation of the 40-year tradition of Spud Fest.

City leaders decided on Lakeside Park for the event location. The park spans five acres and will allow for proper social distancing for a large group of people to gather safely.

According to Phase III of Governor Walz’s “Stay Safe Plan,” gatherings of no more than 250 people are allowed, and a spokesperson for the Minnesota Department of Health told WCCO that Freedom Festival organizers must ensure all people in attendance can be properly distanced. The Department of Health is also encouraging those attending to wear face masks when possible.

The event will feature live music in the park, a beer garden, food trucks, and a fireworks display at the end of the night. The fireworks will be launching from the high school 1.5 miles from the park. Organizers have assured people that the fireworks will be big enough to be seen and heard far from the festival grounds for those who don't want to be part of the crowd.

There has been a GoFundMe set up to raise money for the fireworks display. They have a goal of $10,000 and are currently sitting (as of June 17th) at about 20% of goal. They also mentioned that all funds raised past the $10,000 goal will go directly back into the Big Lake community through the local Spud Fest non-profit organization.

For all the information on Big Lake's unique summer festival for 2020, check out the Facebook event. 

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