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HermannFest back with the Hermann 5K

Saturday, New Ulm is celebrating Hermannfest, the festival that commemorates Arminus’ (Hermann’s) victory against three Roman legions at the Battle of Teutoburg Forest over 2,000 years ago. The entire celebration is held in Hermann and Harmon Park in the shadow of the Hermann Monument.

New Ulm is often called the City of Festivals, with its wide range of celebrations, but Hermannfest has the distinction of being the most unique. It’s not connected to any other seasonal event celebrated in other communities. Outside of Germany, there are no other communities honoring, much less remembering the Battle of Teutoburg.

The method in which New Ulm celebrates Hermannfest is also unique. Aside from the music and fireworks, New Ulm has a line of Civil War era cannons firing to the music of the New Ulm Municipal Band. This year will also see the return of the Hermann5K. The Hermann 5K was previously run during Oktoberfest, but it has been on hiatus since COVID in 2020. It’s back now and it’s attached to its namesake. This year will also feature a fun run for kids. It should be a memorable event.

THUMBS DOWN

Xcel Energy Center no longer

The home of the Minnesota Wild is no longer known as the Xcel Energy Center. After 25 years, the naming rights for the arena have changed. Grand Casino Mille Lacs and Grand Casino Hinckley now have the rights. The facility will now be known as Grand Casino Arena.

A sports and entertainment center changing its name is not necessarily a bad thing. Change can be fun, however the sports facility formerly known as Xcel Energy Center had an interesting advantage. Most patrons of the facility never said its full name. The “Energy Center” portion would be dropped in favor of “Xcel” or in some cases “X.” There was an efficiency to this nickname. It’s likely the facility will continue to be called X by diehard fans. However there is potential for Grand Casino Arena to use the nickname “The Grand.” Only time will tell if this catches on with sports fans.

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Third Garden Terrace Apartment to benefit Oak Hills

For years, there have been two Garden Terrace Apartments located on the North end of Garden Street, a block away from Oak Hills Living Center. The apartments were owned by New Ulm’s Economic Development Authority (EDA), but as of March, ownership has transferred to Rebound Real Estate. As part of the purchase agreement, Rebound has promised to construct a third Garden Terrace Apartment on a vacant lot near the original two buildings.