Plans for the Mayville State University Farmers Bowl 2017 festivities are well underway. Scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 9, the day-long festival celebrates the proud agricultural heritage of the area. The MSU Foundation coordinates the event annually. Many community volunteers and MSU supporters work together to make sure this event is successful year after year.
Farmers Bowl 2017 will begin with the “Farmers Bowl Field Frenzy 5K” run/walk. A majority of the fast out and back race course will be located on the beautiful MSU campus, starting and finishing in front of historic Old Main. Runners and walkers of all ages are welcome. Race time is 8 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 9. The registration fee is $20 per person. The fee will be waived for Mayville State students who show their official university identification. Proceeds of this event will benefit the fundraising efforts of the Farmers Bowl. You can register at www.mayvillestate.edu/farmersbowl.
A parade featuring farm equipment, bands, antique vehicles, and floats will begin in downtown Mayville at 10:30 a.m., make its way through town, and end at Jerome Berg Field on the Mayville State campus.
There will not be a corn and hot dog feed this year, as there has been in the past, but Comets fans are encouraged to check out tailgating opportunities. The tailgating area opens three hours prior to kickoff and closes one hour after the game. Spaces are available for the year or by the game. For more information, contact Mike Moore at 701-788-4706 or mike.moore@mayvillestate.edu.
The MSU Comets will take on Sterling College in the Farmers Bowl football game. Game time is 1 p.m. at Jerome Berg Field.
The Farmers Bowl auction will be held for the 21st time in 2017. In the first auction, held in 1997, more than $14,000 was raised. The total amount raised has grown steadily over the years. The proceeds of the auction are administered by the MSU Foundation for the benefit of Mayville State University and its students.
The auction will be held in the MSU Campus Center Luckasen Room. A silent auction will begin at 5 p.m., and an hors d‘oeuvres buffet and cash bar will be available throughout the evening. The excitement of the live auction will begin at 7 p.m. Tickets for the auction sell for $30.00 each and are available at the MSU Foundation office and online at www.mayvillestate.edu/farmersbowl.
A cash drawing fundraiser and the raffle of an original watercolor painting by Doug Anderson will also add to the proceeds of the auction. Tickets are available at the MSU Foundation office or at www.mayvillestate.edu/farmersbowl.
A couple of community events are also planned on the day of Farmers Bowl. Start the day out at the Mayville Fire Department annual French toast breakfast. Breakfast will be served at the fire hall from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. Freewill donations will be accepted to support the fire department. There will also be a farmers market in Mayville’s Island Park from 9 a.m. until 12 noon on Sept. 9.
For more information about Farmers Bowl 2016, call 701-788-4750, email alumni.mail@mayvillestate.edu, or go to www.mayvillestate.edu/farmersbowl.