The Miss Czech Slovak Minnesota Pageant is looking for queen and junior ambassador candidates for its 37th annual event.
    If you are of Czech or Slovak decent and live within Minnesota, and are between the ages of 12-15 for junior ambassadors or between ages 16-23 for queen by Aug.1, you can apply through their website at missczechslovakminnesotapageant.com.
    The applications are due by Aug. 1 and a contestant meeting will be held on Aug. 9. The pageant will be held at the Park Ballroom in New Prague after the Dožínky Days on Sept. 19.

    Le Center’s downtown bustled with jubilation in honor of the United States of America’s 250th Anniversary Celebration on Saturday.

    A packed, electric crowd turned out at Memorial Field to celebrate Kolacky Days Night on Wednesday, July 22, but defensive miscues and early quiet bats dampened the hometown festivities as the Montgomery Mallards fell 8-2 to the Veseli Warriors.
    The Mallards also played the Webster Sox on Monday, July 27, but details of the game were not available before the Messenger went to press

    The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) will be offering free nitrate testing onsite at Farmfest at the Historic Gilfillan Estate near Redwood Falls Aug. 4-6.
    Nitrate levels above 1 mg/L are considered elevated, and those above 10 mg/L are known to be harmful, especially for infants and pregnant women. Recent studies also suggest that exposure to nitrate in drinking water over long periods even below 10 mg/L may increase the risk of prematurity, birth defects, thyroid problems, and colorectal cancer.

    Montgomery’s 92nd Kolacky Day’s Grand Day Parade will commence at noon on Sunday, July 26, with about 100 units. This is down slightly from last year’s 110 units.
    The parade will start at Vine Avenue West and 3rd Street Northwest at Most Holy Redeemer Catholic Church, travel south to Oak Avenue Southwest where it will go east two blocks by the Montgomery Public Library to go north on 1st Street South until it meets up with Boulevard Avenue Northwest to travel one block west, terminating at the city’s public works lot.

The Kolacky Days royalty has been crowned for the 92nd annual festival.

Friday's pageant at Tri-City United High School's performing arts center gave way to the next set of representatives of the city of Montgomery. Allison Rynda was chosen as the 2026 Kolacky Days Queen, Aubrie Barnett as 1st Princess, Raena Wiess as 2nd Princess, and Aubrey Flicek as Miss Congeniality.

    Kolacky Days in Montgomery being one of the longer running festivals has instituted two opportunities for youth to help continue the tradition.
    This year’s six Kolacky Queen candidates brought six Little Sisters to the table: Ella Shimota, daughter of Kara Shimota; Hattie Birdsell, daughter of Jason and Hilary Birdsell; Mya Goettl, daughter of Steve and Melissa Goettl; Sylvie Prochaska, daughter of Tyler and Sarah Prochaska; Charlotte Norgren, daughter of Paul and Catherine Norgren; and Sawyer Stasney, daughter of Pete and Colleen Stasney.

    This is your comprehensive list of Kolacky Days eats! Look for the new vendor and/or food choices that are indicated in blue.
    The Royal Table Dinner at the Revival on Main, with current candidates and 2025 royalty, gets a menu overall to a pulled pork sandwich. While you won’t be able to get that fix of a “Czech Happy Meal” with the pork loin, the Miss Czech-Slovak Minnesota Pageant has what is arguably even better in Memorial Park with their “Czech Meal Deal,” substituting pork loin for jiternice or a polish sausage instead.

    While many people may have an idea that Kolacky Days is one of the oldest Minnesota festivals around, does anyone really know? 
    This question set forward an adventure to try and find the answer to both how old is the oldest festival in Minnesota and where does Kolacky Days actually lie on that spectrum. This then put forth further question of where does it lie on the spectrum of kolacky and Czech heritage-related festival in the United States.

    The Montgomery Area Community Club (MACC) chose long-time Montgomery residents Don “Corky” and Kathy (Loeffler) Westerman, ages 80 and 79, as the 92nd annual festival’s grand marshals.
    MACC’s announcement of the honor was made last month on June 22 during the Meet and Greet in Memorial Park.
    Community member and past grand marshal Dale Ruhland nominated the Westermans for the honor. Ruhland referenced how the Westerman name had been “etched into the fabric of Montgomery since the mid-1800’s” with Westerman Lumber. 

    Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF) is currently accepting applications for its Economic Development Grant program. Requests of up to $10,000 will be considered. 

    Every year since about 2018, a few of us friends have gotten together at Belle Plaine BBQ Days to cook a gigantic burger. It originated with my friends Zachery Schoenecker (also my nephew), Josh Mosbeck, and Alex McCarty. According to my nephew, the first burger was made in 2017 but it didn’t move to its current state of affairs until at least 2018.
    McCarty’s father and he both lived in a house along the BBQ Days parade route, which made for a convenient place to have a cookout and then watch the parade on Saturday of the event. As each year went on, the burger grew.

Montgomery Public Library -- tinyurl.com/bdhzec8y

•     Virtual Author Dr. Marisa Franco — Adults are invited to register for an online virtual author talk on Tuesday, July 28, 1 p.m. Dr. Marisa Franco will discuss her nonfiction book "Platonic: How the Science of Attachment Can Help You Make & Keep Friends." Register at the library or at wasecalesueurlibraries.com/getregistered. Virtual events are made possible by the Traverse des Sioux Library Cooperative.

Montgomery Mallards 6, St. Benedict Saints 1

SAIL Fitness Class
    Catholic Charities for Southern Minnesota’s Stay Active for Independent Living (SAIL) fitness class for ages 55+. M&Th, 9-10 a.m., except holidays, at Center Stage Dance in Montgomery. No registration, just show up. Free.

Through Sept. 19 — Genealogy & Research Center
    The Le Sueur County Historical Society Genealogy and Research Center, 301 NE 2nd St, Elysian, is open F/SA, 1-4 p.m., through Sept. 19.

    Kids from around the area gathered at Tri-City United PreK-8 Montgomery and Le Center schools last Thursday, July 16, for a quick lesson in science and theories on dinosaurs from Jason Lindsey.