In Minto, N.D., it's time to celebrate bologna

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The 25th annual Bologna Cook-Off in Minto, N.D., will celebrate a quarter-century of bologna today, beginning with a live radio broadcast and cooking, sampling of judging of bologna plus games, music and dancing tonight in the Minto Community Center.

Sponsored by Harvey Avenue Saloon, the annual event is a fundraiser for local charities. Organizer Chris Misialek said Thursday that he expected more than 100 entries in the bologna cook-off competition this year. Last year’s contest was won by Delinda Long of Minto. The Oslo Hog Farm holds the record with six wins. If you want to enter, have your bologna at the community center by 5 p.m.

The contest will be the highlight of a daylong celebration, which starts at 8:30 a.m. when Joel Heitkamp of KFGO Radio will broadcast his show live from the center. A lunch from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. will feature, among other things, Polish sausage stew, sauerkraut and sausage and scalloped potatoes, all for a freewill offering.

Judging and sampling for the contest will begin at 7 p.m., and around the outer perimeter of the event, there will be food and alcohol venues, including stands featuring Nicki’s Salsa, Country Smokehouse meats from Grafton, N.D., Yvonne’s Homemade Lefse, wine and cheese sampling, Mancave products and bean bag games and sponsored by Budweiser. There’s also a game called hammerschlager and, at 9 p.m., a cracker-chewing-and-whistling contest.

Kenny and Classics will play music from 8 p.m. to midnight with contest prizes awarded about 10 p.m.

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