All this summer, we are exploring places in Minnesota that you can get to on one tank of gas. This week, WCCO's Susie Jones takes us to Granite Falls Minnesota, where folks are celebrating the 31st annual Western Fest -- which features the Stampede Rodeo and hometown hero Tanner Aus.
He is a bare back rider in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. He was born and raised in Granite Falls where his parents taught him how to ride. "My mom and dad competed in the rodeo and we traveled around the country and state, and whenever I had the chance I would enter the mutton busting, so I actually got started riding sheep," Tanner Aus told WCCO's Susie Jones.
His dad went on to compete nationally until 1998, and at that time, he was ready to start participating in the youth rodeos around the state. His sisters also started to ride as well.
He recalls a time when he was a kid, showing up to Western Fest early in the week and taking in the sights and sounds of the livestock being brought in. He'd think about what it might be like one day to ride in the rodeo himself. That sentimental feeling is still there.
"Every time I show up there now, I still get that same feeling."
It's the Hometown of Andrew Volstead, a name you may not immediately recognize. Vostead authored one of the most infamous pieces of legislation in U.S. history. "Andrew Volstead was the author of the prohibition bill which was passed 100 years ago," said Ashley Hanson, with the Department of Public Transformation and the YES! House in Granite Falls . The Volstead Act became the amendment that would prohibit the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcoholic liquors.
"The YES! House "is an artist led non-profit, which uses the arts to help rural communities connect across difference, revitalize their rural spaces and create new narratives across the United States," said Hanson.
The Minnesota River is also a vital part of the city. "We have the Minnesota River Run, which is an opportunity for folks to put in, just below our dam here with kayaks and canoes and you can paddle a nice long stretch down the river," Hanson said.
Lifelong resident Mark Sannerud and daughter Lydia also shared some of their favorite places in town. “Carl’s bakery was voted one of the sweetest bakeries in the United States," Lydia said.