FAIRMONT– Interlake Heritage Days (IHD) is a beloved event that takes place annually in the city of Fairmont. The festival is held on the second weekend in June but organizers spend all year planning for the many events associated with it.

Dustin Tino is one of just about seven members who make up the IHD committee. He’s the current president though he’s been a part of the committee just a few years. He shared why he wanted to get involved.

“It’s amazing all of the stuff, the pedal pull and magicians, a parade and the community meal. It’s a lot of things and then you find out that it’s put on by about five to seven people. I feel like if it goes away because there’s not enough people to do it, what a big hit for our community,” he said.

The committee tries to do as much as it can with what it has and while it’s always thankful for donations, there is still a lot of work and planning that is involved.

“We meet every month, but we take December off. As we get closer to the event we have weekly meetings to bring us to the finish line,” Tino said.

He said that the committee members all share the workload but that they all have different areas of the festival that they’re passionate about. For Tino, it’s all of the vendors and attractions that are set up at Gomsrud Park.

He noted that they still have space this year for non-profit booths, which can set up there for free.

“Fairmont has so many great non-profits that people don’t always know about. It’s a great opportunity,” Tino said.

As far as what other attractions the group looks for, Tino said members typically get many good responses so they offer a lot of repeat features every year, but they also look to bring in new attractions to try them out.

Planning for the parade, which traditionally has around 70 units is no small feat and new groups are always encouraged to join.

“One of the things we’re excited about is celebrating our parks,” Tino said.

This year the dance at the conclusion of the festival will be held at the Sylvania Park Bandshell. Last year it was planned to be there but was cancelled because of the rain and moved indoors but planners are hoping that it works out this year.

Tino said that the committee is always grateful for the various donations that it receives. Annually it gets $6,000 from the city of Fairmont and get annual support from

organizations and businesses like the American Legion, Olson Rentals and Culligan Water.

“Everyone helps. There’s so many small businesses that donate money and it all adds up. It’s really amazing to see,” Tino said.

However, he said they’re always in need of a combination of both finical support and volunteer support.

“Anyone who cares about the community, we’re happy to take. We need a variety of people and thoughts and opinions,” Tino said.

IHD will be held this year on June 7 and 8. A list of events will come out closer to the event. In the meantime more information can be found at ihdfairmont.org.