250 in the 218: your 2026 guide to the 4th in the north

Posted by Colton Maher on June 22nd, 2026

250 in the 218: your 2026 guide to the 4th in the north

America turns 250. IT'S A PARTY IN THE B.L.A. 

There are a few weekends each year that remind you exactly why people fall in love with the Brainerd Lakes Area.

The Fourth of July is one of them.

Boats on the water. Flags off the dock. Kids waiting for parade candy. Fireworks over the lake. Main Streets full of neighbors, visitors, family, friends, and familiar faces. It is the kind of weekend that makes “up north” feel less like a place and more like a tradition.

And in 2026, that tradition gets even bigger.

America is celebrating its 250th birthday, and the Brainerd Lakes Area is showing up with hometown parades, fireworks, turtle races, live music, lake days, family…

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DAD’S DAY IN THE B.L.A.: A LOCAL GUIDE TO FATHER’S DAY WEEKEND

Posted by Colton Maher on June 16th, 2026

DAD’S DAY IN THE B.L.A.: A LOCAL GUIDE TO FATHER’S DAY WEEKEND

JUNE 2026

Father’s Day weekend in the Brainerd Lakes Area has a pretty simple recipe: get outside, get on the water, grab something good to eat, and support the local places that make this area feel like home.

Whether you’re celebrating a fishing dad, a beer dad, a golf dad, a grill-master dad, a pizza dad, a “just take me to the lake” dad, or the dad who says he doesn’t want anything but absolutely does, here are a few locally loved ways to spend Father’s Day weekend in the BLA.

1. FOR THE DAD WHO WOULD RATHER BE FISHING

Start with the essentials: bait, tackle, a new lure he probably “needs,” or a few upgrades for the boat bag.

Local stops to check out:

Sportland…

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HEAD NORTH FOR THE 4TH

Posted by Colton Maher on July 1st, 2019

 

For me, the 4th of July brings to mind nostalgic memories of Lake Country; small town parades, pork on a stick, sunburned skin from too much lake time. The energy, excitement and pure bliss in this area, especially over the 4th of July is nothing short of contagious - once you experience “the 4th up north”, it’s just something you want to be a part of, over and over again. Even once we moved out of the area, year after year we would “head up north” or return home to celebrate the 4th of July - it’s where we always wanted to be. We love celebrating these childhood memories over and over and now we have the opportunity to pass these traditions on to our own little family.

Holiday events such as these are important to us on so many levels. They…

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