Photo by Mike Lamb Mothers and their children relax under a tree at Freedom Park after participating in Fun Friday activities July 7. The older children were playing baseball on the baseball diamond. Fun Fridays is held every Friday during the summer at the park.

MARSHALL — Five years ago Chad and Trisha Bergjord moved here from Brookings, South Dakota, with their six children and were looking for way to meet people.

They came up with the idea to hold Fun Fridays at Freedom Park.

“We wanted to get to know people and we remember as kids everybody went to the park,” Trisha Bergjord said.

Every Friday between 10 a.m. and noon during the summer, Fun Fridays is open to anybody who wants to join in. Arts, crafts, games and sports are offered.

“I know as a mom, I didn’t want to go to the park because I didn’t want to sit by myself. So this is a way for moms to go and somebody is going to be there,” Bergjord said. “I kind of set up a theme. One of the other gals comes to help and we do whatever. I originally planned to do water wars today (July 7), but I saw the forecast. It was only going to be 74 at 10 o’clock. So we will put that off for another day when it’s 90s.”

The group recently held minnow races.

“That’s something most moms are not going to do for one or two kids. But to come out and do that at the park is a blast. And for some kids to touch a minnow was exciting. We try to incorporate a lot of different things,” Bergjord said.

She also said the park is a good place for arts and crafts because the activity won’t mess up the house.

“One day we did pine cone bird feeders. You put peanut butter with bird seed. It’s a mess. The kids were a disaster. But when you are right here in the gazebo — ahh, oh well,” she said. “One day we did Play-Doh. it was a mess. But if you are outside, it doesn’t matter.”

Bergjord said she usually gets between 40 to 80 people at the park participating in Fun Fridays. But not all stay for the whole two hours.

“They just come. They don’t need to RSVP at all. They just come for whatever their schedule allows,” she said.

Information on the Friday gathering can be found on the Facebook page Fun Fridays Marshall.