It’s going to be a busy weekend ahead for area festivals. This weekend, the communities of Lake Benton and Canby will be adding some new events to their hometown celebrations.

Lake Benton’s 2026 Saddle Horse Holiday kicked off earlier this week, with events like the Miss Lake Benton Pageant. But some of the big days for community events will be Friday and Saturday, said Denise Taylor, Lake Benton Chamber administrative coordinator.

“We have a lot going on,” Taylor said. Around lunchtime on Friday, community members will gather for the presentation of this year’s Lake Benton Citizen and Organization of the Year awards. At the same time, people can enjoy a meal from First Security Bank’s annual hot dog feed.

Later on Friday, the Saddle Horse Holiday will debut some new events, including kayak races that will start from Al’s Landing on Lake Benton. Taylor estimated the kayak race course would be like “a 50-yard dash.”

“It all depends on the wind how far they’ll go,” she said.

Another new event on the lake is Friday night’s boat parade, which will start from Norwegian Creek at 7 p.m. “Everything is patriotic-themed,” so decorated boats will be sporting plenty of red, white and blue, Taylor said. At dusk, a fireworks display is planned.

Events like the Dakota-Minnesota Trail Ride, family fun day activities, a car show and the 80th annual Saddle Horse Holiday Parade will all be held Saturday. Taylor said organizers anticipate more than 100 horses registered for the parade this year. The Saddle Horse Holiday and horse trails near Lake Benton should be a good time for riders.

“The trails are beautiful,” Taylor said. Tom Yockey has put a lot of work into cleaning up and restoring the horseback riding trails, she said.

The Saddle Horse Holiday parade starts at noon in downtown Lake Benton. The annual horse show will be at 2 p.m. A firemen’s dance featuring “Drink 182” will close out the evening at 8 p.m. in front of the Lake Benton fire hall.

Flights and Kites at Canby Hat Daze

Canby’s community festival is also kicking into gear this weekend. In addition to food, parades, and entertainment, this year’s Hat Daze will also feature a new event at Myers Field this Sunday.

Instead of an air show, the first Flights & Kites Food Festival will be held at the airfield from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday. In addition to a trying out a variety of food trucks, visitors can also take airplane rides. Kids can enjoy free inflatables, and the first 100 kids through the gates will receive free kites.

There are lots of events going on Friday and Saturday at Canby’s Hat Daze, too. On Friday evening, the Oshkosh Wide Awake 4-H Club will hold a pork supper. A kiddie parade will start at 5:30 p.m. in downtown Canby.

Saturday is the main day for Hat Daze events, with activities like free swimming at the Canby community swimming pool, kids’ inflatables, and a vendor fair. At 11 a.m., visitors can get a little taste of circus fun at the Interactive Circus Station with Benjamin Domask-Ruh.

The Hat Daze parade will start at 3 p.m. Saturday, followed by a beef supper by the Midwest Cattlemen’s Association. The Canby Fire Department will be holding a water fight in Central Park at 5 p.m., and Rhino Live will bring the evening to a close starting at 8 p.m. at Heroes Sports Bar & Grill.