Island Park Show Brings the “Bison” Out of Local Vendors

More than one hundred local vendors set up shop downtown for the annual Island Park Show.

After a rough start on Saturday with rain and some hail, the show had near perfect weather today.

Food, shops and live entertainment surrounded hundreds of people at the show.

I met two local vendors who both happened to be former teachers that now take on a new approach to creativity.

At fairs we’re used to smelling the scent of fried food, but there was something else in the air you couldn’t ignore.

It’s handmade all natural soap.

“They will often start to walk by and then just sort of stop and veer into the booth and it’s usually that lavender rosemary soap I have. It just kind of grabs people,” says Erin McMillan, owner of Stubborn Oaks.

Erin says the customers she’s met locally since moving to Detroit Lakes stand out.

“I always get asked ‘where are you from, where are you from’ and when they know I’m from within an hour…an hour and a half away it makes a difference to them. You can see the decision process. Everybody likes the sense of supporting someone in their community,” McMillan explains.

Supporting the community huh? I think I’ve seen that in Fargo before.

“She makes NDSU cheerleading outfits and because they won last night it’s even better,” says Jan Baker, Sew and Tell.

American doll…meets college…meets football.

Local vendor “Sew and Tell” thought a Bison loss might be bad for business.

They were nervous throughout the season opening game that went into overtime.

“We thought we’d want to sell outfits to the winners,” Baker says.

But Bison win and the people of Fargo can dress up their dolls proudly…even the college students.

“You know, there’s girls who go to college that take their doll to college and they want to dress them in NDSU outfit. I think that’s funny but they like that you know,” Baker says as she laughs

The Island Park Show is always the last full weekend in August.

If you’d like to participate as a vendor, you can apply through the Fargo Park District’s website.