Staff photo by Clay Schuldt A Minnesota State Patrol helicopter landed at the Brown County Fairgrounds as part of the scouting expo held there. Hundreds of scouts from the southern Minnesota region were camping at the fairgrounds. The helicopter arrival gave the scouts an opportunity to learn about helicopters and the Minnesota State Patrol from the flight crew.

NEW ULM — Hundreds of scouts from dozens of troops set up camp at the Brown County Fairgrounds over the weekend.

Troops from all over southern Minnesota and part of South Dakota spent the weekend at the fairground as part of the Scouting Expo.

The New Ulm troop scout master and facility director for the event Dan Kotten estimated there were a little over 400 scouts and parents at the fairgrounds. The expo is a once-every-four-years event. The last scouting expo was held in Blue Earth. This is the first time it was held in New Ulm.

The scouts arrived Friday and stayed through Sunday morning. On Saturday, scouts were able to take part in a variety of events to earn merit badges. There were 12 different types of merit badges a Scout could earn. Badges are earned in everything from fire safety, farm mechanics, truck transportation, aviation, chemistry and others.

The event chair and Scout Council commissioner Lisa Boomgarten said with the time it took to earn each merit badge, most scouts would only be able to earn two this weekend.

The scouting expo was not all about work, but also about a chance to have fun. Games and entertainment were spread across the fairgrounds, with a special performance in the grandstands Saturday evening.

At 2 p.m. Saturday, the scouts were treated to a visit from the Minnesota State Patrol helicopter. The helicopter landed on the fairgrounds. Pilot Michael Olson and camera operator Brett Stricker were on hand to answer any question the scouts had about the helicopter and their work with the Minnesota State Patrol.

The fun continued after dark with multiple evening campfires. The expo was a rare chance for scouts from different troops to meet with each other through friendship fires.