Tom Carlson stands on the balcony inside the 5 Family Ranch located in outskirts of Marshall. Carlson and other family ranch built the wedding facility after seeing similar facility in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Below shows an aerial view of the facility on County Road 6, next to Greenwood Nursery

With 20-20 hindsight, Tom Carlson found the actual construction of the 5 Family Ranch event venue on the outskirts of Marshall to be the easy part.

“Planning, permitting, zoning, banking, sub-contractor bids, it was almost more overwhelming than the construction itself,” said Carlson.

Marshall’s newest wedding/events venue opened in August 2023, in time to host its first wedding on Aug. 5 and honor contracts that were signed way back in November 2022, “before the first pole went in the ground,” said Carlson.

As for its upcoming first full wedding season in 2024 — May through October — 5 Family Ranch has 40 weddings on the books. “There’s a lot of doubles in there — one on Friday, another on Saturday — and one triple, ” said Carlson.

The venue can also accommodate corporate meetings, holiday parties, banquets, graduation receptions, family reunions — just about any special event. He’s even booked a beanbag tournament.

5 Family Ranch is located on County Road 6, next to Greenwood Nursery.

The event barn itself is 50 feet x 150 feet, and the main banquet area is 50 x 100. It can accommodate both large and small weddings. A 60 x 60 patio area can be the site of outside weddings and serves as an overflow area for indoor receptions. Adjacent bars serve to patrons both inside, and outside. Weddings can be held on-site, indoors and out.

The upstairs loft is a 50 x 50 space which can accommodate overflow seating. It also includes a lounge area, and bridal and groom suites, each with a private bathroom.

The peak of the banquet-area ceiling is 26 feet high, and there’s a large amount of windows and natural light.

There’s a basic venue rental fee and a per-guest host fee. After that, services and additional accommodations can be selected in an “a la carte” fashion. Tables, chairs and dinnerware/flatware are options, as is a sound system.

5 Family Ranch serves as the host site. Those renting the facility may select their own caterer, decorator, and DJ. 5 Family Ranch will stock the bar and provide bartenders. Family members clean up after each event, though with busier calendar this year, part-time help will be hired to assist with that, said Carlson.

The idea for 5 Family Ranch was born out of a trio of weddings that Carlson and his wife, Melanie, attended in Sioux Falls. “(Melanie) is a Frank, she comes from a large family over in the Wabasso and Redwood Falls area,” said Carlson.

It was during that three-wedding stretch that Carlson got to thinking, “Why not build a premier wedding facility in Marshall, giving people a unique option?”Carlson

“I looked at the economics of it, and then first talked to family members to see if they wanted in, that’s how it came about.”

5 Family Ranch refers to the number of investing families. Carlson and his wife Melanie are the majority owners and live in Lucan. Tom is Director of Field Claims for North Star Mutual, and Melanie works at Schwan’s Company. The other investing families are relatives of Melanie’s and include: her sister Nikki Benz and husband Brett, rural Wabasso; her sister Melissa Sagedahl and husband Daren, Olivia; her brother Johnny Frank and wife Ann, Medford; and her sister Amanda Kittelson and husband Cody, Wabasso.

A niece, Alison Fulton, is the facility’s general manager.

After driving just about every road in a 10-square-mile area, Carlson settled on the current site, and purchased just under five acres from Greenwood Nursery. “It’s an ideal location — it’s zoned commercial, it’s served by rural water and Otter Tail Power, it’s close to Marshall, and I drive by it every day,” he said.

Carlson served as the project’s general contractor and, did a “a good amount of the construction, with help,” he said. He calls the layout “efficient” and while Carlson, some family members and friends did the actual construction, “the girls in the family had a lot of input as to the layout — what’s nice, what people want, and what’s not needed. You can always add features.”

He worked in a lumber yard in high school and college “and helped buddies. I’ve also done house flips,” he said. “I like building. There’s a reward; you can see progress. I’ve done remodel projects, too, but this was a different animal.”

He had high praise for major subcontractors Bladholm Construction, Amiret Electric and Bisbee Plumbing and Heating of Marshall. “They did the heavy lifting,” he said. He also mentioned how easy it was to work with Minnwest Bank, Slayton; the Small Business Administration; and Southwest Initiative Foundation. He also praised the county and township officials.

Is 5 Family Ranch what he thought it would be two years ago? “Yes, and more,” he said. “It’s the only barn-style facility of its kind between Minneapolis and Sioux Falls that’s temperature-controlled — cooled and heated. I feel very proud about how it’ turned out. It’s a beautiful facility, and a unique option for weddings and events in the region.”