Gopher Count
The Gopher Count is an annual community festival held in Viola, Minnesota, United States. Since 1874, the event has been on the third Thursday in June. Some the events include a parade, a tractor show, a nail-driving contest (women only), a pie-eating contest, fireworks, and dancing. Gopher Count is thirteen years younger than Minnesota's longest, continuously-running celebration, Stiftungsfest, which began in 1861.
The festival is named for the practice of collecting a bounty on killed gophers, still paid by the township as of 2009[update], though other aspects of the festival are more actively promoted.
References
[edit]- Schuett, Dawn (2007-06-21). "At Viola festival, every gopher counts". Rochester Post-Bulletin. Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2007-06-21.
- Stern, Jane (1978). Amazing America. Random House. p. 298. ISBN 0-394-73410-6.