A Lake Minnetonka Weekend -Apple Days and James J. Hill Days

Apple Days, September 9th - Excelsior 8am-4pm
James J Hill Days, Wayzata - September 8-10th

Apple Days in Excelsior will herald in the Autumn Season. It is a an event established in the 1930s that has been re-established in the last 20 years. Events include boat rides, Golden Apple Treasure Hunt, boat rides and streets brimming with antiques, apples from the Aboretum, food vendors (Yes, Biella's too!) arts and crafts.


I am of Swiss heritage so I will include here a brief outake from one of the most famous "Apple Tales" of all. William Tell and his famous life and death archery shot ordered by the governor in the Swiss Canton of Uri:

"Shoot, father, I am not afraid. You cannot miss."
"Ping!" went the bowstring. The arrow seemed to sing through the frosty air, and, a second later, the silence was broken by cheer after cheer. The apple lay upon the ground pierced right through the centre.
One man sprang forward and cut the rope with which Walter (William Tell’s son) was bound to the tree; another picked up the apple and ran with it to Gessler (the cruel Governor). But Tell stood still, his bow clutched in his hand, his body bent forward, his eyes wild and staring, as if he were trying to follow the flight of the arrow. Yet he saw nothing, heard nothing.
"He has really done it!" exclaimed Gessler in astonishment, as he turned the apple round and round in his hand. "Who would have thought it? Right in the centre,too."

Google and read the full story, it is very good!

Further Note on James J. Hill
:
The ghost of James J. Hill will haunt the Wayzata area this weekend. The Canadian born “Empire Builder’ will haunt in exile from St. Paul where he is now a “Spirit non grata”. Current Mayor Chris Coleman has derided the St. Paul founding father James J. Hill, referring to him as a “robber baron” in a recent speech. Robber Barons were men who amassed fortunes on PUBLIC FUNDS and largesse.

This From A History of Wealth In America:

“Among the great railroad tycoons, certain are remembered for the great systems they built; Cyrus K. Holiday for his Santa Fe, John Murray Forbes for the Burlington. Others became famous for the wealth they accumulated : the Vanderbilts, Russell Sage and John Insley Blair. There were those enriched by alleged privateering on government funds; the Pacific Quartett and the Credit Mobilier ring. And some idealistic souls like Charles Francis Adams, who almost seemed lost among the sharks.
Some successfully built profitable local roads into large regional systems without government support: Hill in the Northwest, Plant and Walters in the South East.

Note the last line.

Back to the festivals:
Finally - I suggest going to both events, they are not overly large and only a few miles apart.