Photo: City of Delano
Delano celebrates its anniversary with a year-long celebration.
In Delano, some families can trace their roots back generations—to when the Crow River powered mills and the railroad first linked the small town to the surrounding region. Others have only recently unpacked their boxes in town. This year’s sesquicentennial celebration hopes to bring both groups together.
Today, Central Park’s gazebo serves as a peaceful gathering space for small or large groups. Photo: City of Delano
As Delano marks 150 years since its incorporation in 1876, the city is using the milestone to connect newer residents with the people, places and traditions that helped shape the historic river town. Today, Delano is home to roughly 7,500 residents and continues to grow as new housing developments expand the city’s footprint.
Catch a glimpse of life along River Street (ca. 1910). Photos: Delano-Franklin Township Area Historical Society of Minnesota
“We are taking the approach of a true year-long festival to celebrate,” says Michelle Dirckx, volunteer chair of the festivities. “We’re calling it ‘150 ways to celebrate our 150th.’” The City of Delano’s Facebook page includes a calendar, providing details for events throughout the year. Many of the festivities build on traditions that already exist in the city.
Borsch General Store (ca. 1879) presents its own brand of storefront advertising.
“One of the unique things about Delano … is that we already have a lot of signature events,” Dirckx says. “So we’re giving the opportunity for all of our community groups to give a nod to the 150th in the way that they want.” For example, the Fourth of July added an all-school reunion, while a historic ornament will be sold during the city’s Christmas festivities. Multiple new public art installations were also unveiled at the annual Sculpture & Blues Fest, including a mosaic made up of tiles designed by community members. Recurring events throughout the year include senior center history field trips and community history chats.
Downtown Delano spills over with parade-goers during this year’s Fourth of July Celebration. Photo: Delano 4th of July Committee
The festivities also extend to the printed page. Local author Marcia Brakke penned Delano on the Crow: 150 Years of Unrivaled Spirit as part of the anniversary, and the city also distributed wall calendars, featuring key dates from the town’s past.
Community art plays an important part in celebrating Delano’s sesquicentennial. Learn more on pages 42 and 45. Photos: City of Delano
For Nick Neaton, Delano community enrichment director, these efforts are an invitation for newer residents to see that “They are part of the story too,” he says, even if their roots in town are only a few years old.
A book signing for local author Marcia Brakke’s Delano on the Crow: 150 Years of Unrivaled Spirit brings out community members and history buffs alike.
The official sesquicentennial celebration, however, will take place October 3 in downtown Delano in the form of a jamboree. “We will turn downtown into a day of celebration, both as a nod to the past and to the future,” Dirckx says. The event will feature multiple musical acts throughout the day. “We’re trying to have a diverse variety of events for all kinds of different audiences,” Neaton says. Many of the events are either free or low-cost, making them accessible to anyone in the community.
This Delano Public School building (ca. 1915) serves as a reminder of the community’s early commitment to education. Photos: City of Delano; Delano-Franklin Township Area Historical Society of Minnesota
Many of the festivities are organized by volunteers. “We’re a community built on volunteers and volunteer efforts,” Neaton says. “The city is hosting it, but it really is the people—the residents—that are driving it.”
Young’s Hotel (ca. 1896) served as a lodging venue and community gathering spot in Delano’s earlier days.
For Jack Russek, who has lived in or near Delano for all 91 years of his life, the people are what make the city special. “Whenever [my wife and I are] going someplace and somebody sees us, boy, the door gets open right away,” he says. “No matter where you go, people are friendly.” Some things, hopefully, will never change!
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