ABOVE: Visit Fairmont’s new signs sit on TPI Hospitality property along Highway 15 in Fairmont.

FAIRMONT– Some people may have noticed some new signage along Highway 15 in Fairmont. Visit Fairmont’s three new signs aim to promote the city of Fairmont and especially its five lakes.

Nicole Johnston, executive director of the Fairmont Convention and Visitors Bureau, known as Visit Fairmont, is tasked with the job of marketing and promoting the city through a variety of ways.

Visit Fairmont is funded by the city’s lodging tax and the money raised is used to help promote tourism in the area. The new signs are one of the latest additions which the funds were used for.

As part of the job, Johnston attends conferences with other visitors bureaus across the state. She first saw similar signs being used to promote the city of Bemidji. She asked where they were from and learned they came from Your Type 3D Letters, which is based out of Winona.

“I reached out via email and it started from there. That was in January,” Johnston said.

She noted that social media is one of the biggest tools used in promotion. The signs will allow for people to take a photo either of them or with them and post them to social media.

The idea was presented to the Visit Fairmont board, which was in favor of it. They worked together with the company on coming up with a design.

Johnston noted that every town is different and has its own attractions that make it unique. She thought it was important to highlight Fairmont’s five lakes.

“We have five lakes that a lot of travelers don’t know about because they just travel I-90,” Johnston said.

The three signs were ordered in April and as manufacturing them was expected to take 10 to 11 weeks, they arrived in Fairmont last week.

“We were so excited when they finally arrived,” Johnston said.

The signs are meant to stay together but could be separated if need be. There is one in the outline of the state of Minnesota with a heart on the bottom. Johnston acknowledged that it’s not centered, but rather placed where Fairmont is on the map.

There’s also a number five and the word lakes. Johnston said ideally those two would always be together.

The signs weigh between 30 and 40 pounds each, which makes them fairly difficult to move but not impossible. There’s also a way to safely weigh them down even more.

Right now the signs are set on TPI Properties along Highway 15 so they’re visible to travelers. However Johnston said they’d like to have the signs at events in town. Groups or business can rent the signs for their events and Visit Fairmont will transport them to a different location.

“Potentially we’ll have a calendar set up, but right now we’re trying to feel everything out and make people aware of them,” Johnston said.

She encouraged anyone who wants to know about them reach out for the time being.

“I’ve had a conversation with the Parks Department to see if they could be in the parks,” Johnston said.

She said they could also be fun in the winter on the frozen lakes for the annual pond hockey tournament or ice fishing tournament.

“I think they’re colorful and eye-catching. They’re a fun way for travelers to take a photo of and remember Fairmont by. They’re also fun for the community,” Johnston said.