Vermilion Range Old Settlers Picnic this Saturday

The booyah line grows long at the Vermilion Old Settlers Reunion and Picnic. The annual family fun and feed event is this Saturday, July 19 at the McKinley Lake Campground in Soudan. PHOTO: Jodi Summit

After talking about the Cuyuna Iron Range yesterday, we have to spend a little time talking about the Vermilion as well. I was just up there last month with my Great Northern Radio Show, and am happy to pass along word that the Vermilion Range Old Settlers Picnic will be held this Saturday, July 19 in at McKinley Lake Campground.

As one of the organizers (and Timberjay co-publisher) Jodi Summit told me:

The event was started by the Oliver Mining Company as a summer event for its workers, but then turned into a community celebration. The Vermilion Range Old Settlers is open to anyone born or living on the Vermilion Iron Range. Membership is $6 or $8 per person, and entitles one to a very generous serving of the booyah cooked up at the annual picnic which is held at McKinley Park Campground. Families come with a big pot to hold their booyah, and then bring their own picnic fixings. Attendance usually ranges between 250-300. There is accordion music and a short program.

The picnic is held every year the third Saturday in July (this year its July 19). The night before, about 20 volunteers gather to cut up the 100s of pounds of vegetables needed for the booyah. The crew starts the 4 or 5 big old booyah pots (which most likely date back 100 years) the night before, and the booyah cooks overnight, with veggies added in the morning.

What’s booyah? A classic Minnesota hot dish depicted here:

Booyah. PHOTO: Jodi Summit

This year marks the 100th anniversary of this Vermilion Old Settlers picnic and reunion. You can preregister, but they also start selling tickets at the event at 10 a.m. Booyah is served promptly at noon until it is gone, a time that averages about half an hour.

Here’s hoping people come out of their summer hidey-holes to enjoy a piece of not just history, but present culture still living and breathing in Northern Minnesota. Have some fun at the Vermilion Range Old Settlers picnic this Saturday.