Turtle Fest brings free food, concert and family fun to Perham

St. Henry’s School and United Community Bank handed out free food on Thursday, June 19, as Turtle Fest turned Perham into a weeklong citywide gathering built around fellowship, music and a steady flow of local faces.

The Thursday program offered a free concert and all-ages fun, with St. Henry’s serving sloppy Joes, homemade pies and ice cream, and United Community Bank providing free hot dogs, brats, chips and drinks. The setup gave families an easy reason to stay downtown, linger and move between the food tables and the music.

The Perham Area Chamber of Commerce listed Turtle Fest 2026 as running from Wednesday, June 17, 2026, at 10 a.m. through Sunday, June 21, 2026, at 10 a.m. The festival lineup stretched beyond one evening, with games, shopping, raffle tickets, turtle races, a farmers market, beer tasting, a parade and a fire department pancake breakfast.

Children had their own draw. The chamber said the first 200 kids received a free goodie bag, and families could look for photo opportunities with Shelldon the Turtle and the Inner Otter mascot. Sponsored by the Perham Events Committee and McDonald's, the event kept its focus on the kind of details that make a summer celebration feel rooted in town rather than imported from somewhere else.

That local identity starts with the races themselves. The chamber said Perham has been home to the International Turtle Races since 1979, and Perham Focus has noted that the turtle races have been part of Perham’s summers for 40 years. The chamber said races were held every Wednesday in June, July and August at City Hall Park, with registration at 10 a.m. and races at 10:30 a.m. Winning turtles went home with goodies from local businesses, a commemorative ribbon and bragging rights.

Perham Focus also said last year’s Turtle Fest included a Medallion Hunt with clues announced on public property and no digging required, showing how the celebration has expanded into a full civic calendar instead of a single marquee event. In 2026, the mix of food, music, mascots and races again gave downtown Perham a reason to stay busy and gave local businesses and organizations a chance to meet the crowd where it gathered.