Community Events
The Events Committee holds membership meetings, fundraising events, community events, and conservation events every year. The goal of the committee is to connect and rally our community around our shared resource.
The events include the Spring and summer membership meetings, the Lake Sarah Summer Picnic, 4th of July Boat Parade, and Winterfest. We also coordinate an Ice Clean Up Day each spring before the ice is off the lake to keep trash and waste from entering the lake.
Events Calendar:
Winterfest. February 22 on the lake in front of the Foster’s house.
Annual Spring Membership Meeting. April 27, 2026
Boat Parade. July 4th each year
Summer Picnic, Membership Meeting, and Board Elections. July 12, 2026
2026
Sunday - February 22, 2026
12:00 Noon - Whenever
Lunch and Events start at 12:00 Noon
Everyone is welcome! Invite your friends and family from everywhere!
Ice Report:
2/21/26 (The day before Winterfest) - 16” of hard ice below a snow base. Freezing temps are forecasted for the remainder of the weekend, day and night.
Join the fun Activities and Fundraisers!
Ice Put-Put, Bowling, snow coloring. Prizes for the kids!
Ice Skating/Broomball
Ice Fishing Contest - Pick your hole, catch fish, win prizes. ($5 per hole)
Bake Sale (Prices vary)
Play The official Lake Sarah Ice-out Contest.
$145 is already in the pot from last year! (no winner with a very early ice-out)
$10 per 3 entries/dates chosen, No more than 6 people on any given date.
Ties are split evenly.
The money will be paid out after ice out has been declared in spring.
Lake Sarah Sherpa Blanket raffle. $89 value. ($5 per chance)
Fresh Grilled Hamburgers ($5), Hotdogs ($3), Chips ($1), Drink ($1)
Hamburger meal ($6); Includes Chips and Drink
Hot Dog meal ($4); Includes Chips and Drink
Free hot chocolate
Hang out in the outdoor living room around a warm fire.
Most importantly - visiting with our friends, neighbors, and community.
What to bring:
A Chair. If you think you will want to sit, please bring a chair.
Cash. Eating, bake sale items, entering the ice-out/ice fishing contests, or Blanket raffle require cash.
The Real Minnesota Experience Porta-potty will on site.
Lake Access:
Use the public access if you are driving across the ice.
Please do not bunch up while parking on the ice.
If parking on the street, park along Lake Sarah Heights Drive/Circle, and you can access the lake through the Foster's property at 4755 Lake Sarah Circle.
Please refrain from bringing items to sell for other organizations. Our volunteers have spent hours preparing food and baking in preparation for the bake sale, and grill. This takes away from their efforts and the Association’s fundraising at the event. Thank you for your understanding.
Always remember our Winterfest Sponsors
When choosing where to eat, buy gas, bait, or propane;
Please thank our sponsors for supporting Lake Sarah with your patronage. Support those that support the lake.
A family friendly restaurant located in downtown Loretto, Minnesota.
Your Local Convenience Store at the corner of Hwy 55 and CR 19. Stop in for gas, food, propane, bait & tackle.
Get your official Lake Sarah Winterfest T-shirt
A family friendly restaurant located in downtown Loretto, Minnesota.
Sunday, July 13, 2025
Shady Beach Circle
3:00 - Whenever
Board Elections to be held after Dinner
Celebrate summer, our community, and shared resource by bringing your family, friends, and neighbors to the Lake Sarah Summer Picnic 2025. After a hiatus of a few years, the Lake Sarah Association is bringing back the full Summer Picnic! Come hungry and have a burger, hotdog, and pot luck by your neighbors. Join in the East vs. West volleyball game, jump in the bouncy house, play games, or simply enjoy being with the community. This year’s picnic is hosted by Joe Slavic, on Shady Beach Circle (See map). A board meeting and board elections will be held after dinner (agenda will be sent out to members in advance).
Events include:
East vs. West Volleyball. Sign up at 3:00.
Lots of games and activities for the kids
Bounce House
Hamburgers & Hotdogs grilled by our master grillers
Pot luck side dishes and deserts by your neighbors!
What to bring:
A pot luck side dish to share.
A chair
Bring your own beverages
The 2025 boat parade is in the books. There were 13 boats that decorated and joined the parade. Thank you to all the participants for your great creativity and participation, decorating your floats! And thank you to all the people that came out to watch and cheer on the procession, as well as the volunteers who coordinated the event.
The top three winners for 2025 are:
Fourth of July Boat Parade 2025!
First Place: Jaws! The Cady & Balinski Families
Second Place: Margaritaville. The Sorensen Familiy
Third Place: Patriotic Pirates. The Lau & Lewis kids
Spring Member’s Meeting 2025
Please join us for the annual Spring Member’s Meeting at Camp Ihduhapi
May 14, 2025 at 6:30 pm
Camp Ihduhapi Dining Hall (See Maps)
Refreshments will be served.
This is an opportunity to provide feedback to the association and hear about our current plans for 2025. There’s an important bylaws initiative to remove term limits for volunteers on the board and officers that will be voted on by the members in attendance. The proposed change and feedback will be discussed, and then voted on. All paid members in attendance will receive a ballot upon checking in and confirming your 2025 paid membership dues. Each household will receive one ballot. If you have not paid your 2025 membership, we will be accepting payment at the meeting.
The location of the dining hall is up the road from the welcome center. See these downloadable maps for the location of Camp Ihduhapi and the Dining Hall.
There is parking outside the building and along the road if necessary. The building is handicap accessible with an elevator from the parking lot.
2025
Needless to say, we had a great time at Winterfest! Nature delivered a picture perfect, warm February day.
We would like to thank our Volunteers and Sponsors, who worked tirelessly and enthusiastically to pull off the event. Please take a moment to thank the following volunteers:
Brent & Heidi Foster (Hosts), Karen & Scott Beaupre, Missy & Andy Sorensen, Nancy Vergin, Lukas Sorensen (live music), Jack Cady, Ann Slavec, Sarah Evjen, Dan & Jane Cady, Joe Baker, Joe Slavec, Dan Mularoni, Mike & Heide Bistodeau, Jeffrey Ramsden, Matt Klingelhutz, Steve Balinski, and Scott Engle.
Please remember our sponsors for their support when choosing where to eat out or visiting a convenience store! These great, local businesses provided prizes, as well as bait for the Tip-up contest.
A family friendly restaurant located in downtown Loretto, Minnesota.
Your Local Convenience Store at the corner of Hwy 55 and CR 19. Stop in for gas, food, propane, bait & tackle.
A family friendly restaurant located in downtown Loretto, Minnesota.
2024 Ice Cream Social & Membership Meeting
The membership met to present and discuss a broad range of lake issues and acheivements at Shady Beach Circle. The board presented progress and updates to current programs, financial condition, and membership (minutes to follow). In addition to the meeting and ice cream, the boat parade winners were announced.
Congratulations to the Cady/Balinski Families as the overall Boat Parade winner this year with their “Olympic Spirit” float, and their amazing enthusiasm (See photos below). Second place went to “Alien Invasion” by the Sorensen Family, and third place went to “Fun Under Construction” by the Johnson Family. Thank you to all the participants and volunteers that made the event happen this year!
There was also a special award presented by the City of Independence, called the “Lake Stewardship Award”. On hand to present the award was Mayor Marvin Johnson, and our own Brad Spencer. For all of their hard, dirty work on the outlet this year, Steve Balinski, Scott Walsh, Joe Slavec, and Jon Arneson were awarded this recognition. Without their efforts monitoring and clearing the outlet of the lake, we would be in a no-wake situation and perhaps worse. We all as lakeshore owners benefited from the efforts directly. If you see one of them out and about, please take a moment to thank them for their volunteerism!
Lake Stewardship Award
Left to right: Brad Spencer, Joe Slavec, Jon Arneson, Steve Balinski, Scott Walsh, and Mayor Johnson
2024 4th of July Boat Parade
Uncle Sam - USA! The Vanyo Family
Aliens - The Sorensens
Fun Under Construction- The Johnsons
The Olympic Spirit - The Balinski/Cady Families
Really nice ski boat with a Flag - Dan Cady
The 2024 Boat Parade got off to a rough start this year. Weather shut down the parade on a soggy 4th of July. But that did not hold down these boat parade die-hards, that came out for the 2024 Boat Parade Redux on Saturday after the 4th. On hand were a group of pinch hitters to organize, and some really great floats.
You can see a larger image of the floats by clicking on the photos. Prizes will be awarded at the Annual Picnic on July 15th (Mark your calendars).
In the running:
The Vanos Family
The Johnson Family
The Balinski and Cady Families
The Sorensens
And a special thanks to the volunteers:
Sarah Evjen - Lead Organizer
Andrew Sorensen - Second Parade Organizer
Craig Hertog, Camren Blank, Scott Engle, & Alex Engle - Judges and Procession leads
Last but not least - Everyone that came out to watch and cheer us on!
We have rescheduled the 2024 Boat Parade for Saturday, July 6th, at 1:00 pm. Meet at the starting point, west basin at 1:50. Parade begins at 2:00 p.m. Join the procession, or watch the parade from your boat or dock. Contact us if you have any questions. See you there!
Parade Rout
2024 Spring Membership Meeting
The Lake Sarah Association held its annual spring membership meeting at Independence City Hall. Highlighted at the meeting:
Kicked off the membership drive
Announced our new website and its features
Provided an update to our Clean Water efforts for 2024
The introduction of our new logo, as well as the availability of our branded Lake Sarah Gear merchandise through our new website
The membership voted to have Joe Slavic manage our Fisheries Committee due to the resignation of our prior chair. Thank you Joe!
For 2024, dues were raised for the first time in memory by $10 to $45 because of the rising cost associated with the basic operation of the organization. The additional $10 will help to offset some of those higher costs.
Additionally, we are requesting a donation of $200 toward our Clean Water Fund in order to deliver lake wide weed control, phosphorous mitigation, required monitoring for weeds and invasive species. This amount is in line with past requests and keeps our programs operational for the benefit of our lake and the community.
Meeting minutes will be posted on the Meeting Minutes page as soon as available.
