Celebrate 135 Years Of Albany This Weekend With Food, Music, And Parades

Happy Birthday, Albany!

The Stearns County city along Interstate 94 turns 135 years old this year.

And folks are getting ready to celebrate their Heritage Day this weekend on Friday, August 1st and Saturday, August 2nd.

Friday, August 1st

Heritage Days opens Friday with a car and jeep show -- including burnouts. The Albany Chrysler Center Car Show runs from 4-8 pm.

There's a softball tournament from 5-10 pm.

And The Muffin Man is playing the patio at Rookies from 8:30 to 12 midnight.

Saturday, August 2nd

Bright and early Saturday -- and before it gets too hot -- the Purple Pride 5K and softball tournament get underway at 8 am.

At 10, free kids golf clinics at the Albany Golf Course. (Call 320-845-2505 to sign-up.)

The food booths open at noon.

Also at noon, the craft and vendor market and kids games open.

At 1, Rookies Sports Bar is the sight of the bean bag toss.

At 3, it's the kids pedal pull on Main Street sponsored by the Albany FFA.

The Albany Lions Beer Gardens open at 4.

The Parade and 50/50 cash raffle get underway at 7 pm.

Stone Road begins playing live music at 8.

And at 10, it's fireworks celebrating 135 years of Albany and its heritage.

You can find the complete Heritage Days schedule of events here.

[branded apps}

135 Years of Heritage

What is now called Albany used to be called "Two Rivers" after the nearby North and South Two Rivers.

But when the Great Northern Railway came to town in 1872, the name changed to make the railway stop unique.

The newly-named town incorporated in 1890. The name "Albany" was most likely adopted from the state capital of New York.

But whatever its name, the community was decidedly German-Catholic and farm-based with a strong railroad influence -- and strong community bonds.

Times change and the rail corridor was abandoned in the 1990s. In 1998, the Lake Wobegon Trail opened, creating a new purpose for the former rail bed.

All of this will be celebrated this weekend with the Albany Chamber of Commerce's Heritage Days.