The crowd had to shift a few feet to the left when a ladder problem caused the ball drop to take place over Gallery 512 Boutique instead of Lola’s. Balls were dropped upon a happy crowd for approximately fifteen minutes. Kids scrambled at the front of the mass of people, while most everyone else reached up with hands and bags at the ready.

“It’s always kinda crazy. We got some chamber dollars,” said Heather Huebner who attended the event with her family.

The balls were labeled with deals for other things, too, like State Street Theater tickets, Free Swedish dish cloths at A to Zinnia, percent off at Sota Street Studio, a free carwash at Midwest Detail, and more. Brothers Grayson and Colton Johnson caught 7 Ping-Pong balls.

“Everyone was pushing me out of the way,” said Grayson Johnson.

The crowd in front of Gallery 512 Boutique as hundreds of Ping-Pong balls are dropped from the rooftop for Crazy Days.

Andrea Krenz and son Joey Krenz caught some deals, too.

“My best Crazy Day deal was a Maurices 15% off ball. I think the funniest part of crazy days is the Ping-Pong ball drop, but shopping the local stores is so much fun, too,” said Andrea Krenz.

After the great ball drop, the crowd dispersed down Minnesota Street to enjoy MarktStrasse, where local handcrafted vendors set up along both sides of the street, or to the Farmer’s Market located in the A to Zinnia Parking lot, or Shop the Lot, which also had dozens of crafters & vendors in the City Hall Parking Lot, or to shops around town like Runnings and Maurices that had wild even more wild deals.

Carrie Barnhart and her dog Herman the German Shepard shopped MarktStrasse along with Andrea Chicoine with her puppy, Feta.

“We found goat soap and 3D printed items. I’ve been eye this wooden sunburst piece of artwork and am working up the courage to ask how much it is,” said Barnhart.

Kids crowded the sidewalk in front of Gallery 512 Boutique for the Ping-Pong ball toss Saturday morning.

“I also found some goat soap and bread at the bakery, it was English muffin bread,” said Chicone. “Feta, like the cheese, is just a puppy but she likes it down here and she likes being pet.”

Saturday continued with dancing in the streets for Polka Palooza and dining at one of the food trucks parked along Minnesota Street on the artificial turf. By evening, there was a lull in the crowds, leaving only a few to the shade and their lawn chairs for music on the south end of the street, and to the north it was Sippin’ Southern MN which had tickets for beer, wine, and distilleries, at the Downtown Tasting Expo.

“We’ve had groups coming through. This is our first year for this, so it’s been pretty good,” said Erica Kimsey of the Tasting Expo.

“We’re hoping to have even more vendors for next year. Several others have already signed up for it; we also have a booth for Buddies soda and 1919 Root beer. Sweet Haven Tonics could make just about anything non-alcoholic for kids and those who couldn’t drink.”

GeWayne Mack, an attendee of the Street Dance Saturday evening, summed up the Crazy Days experience with a smile, “It’s alright,” said Mack.

Andrea and Joey Krenz and all their Ping-Pong ball deals.

The crowd reaches up as hundreds of Ping-Pong balls are thrown from the roof of Gallery 512 Boutique in downtown New Ulm for Crazy Days.

Braxton, Kyla, Heather, and Lukas Huebner collected handfuls of Ping-Pong balls from the ball drop.

Vendors lined both sides of Minnesota Street in downtown New Ulm for MarktStrasse over Crazy Days weekend.

The evening heat and a break in the bands caused a lull in the crowds for Crazy Days Saturday around 6 pm.