Devils Lake Tip-Up Festival still lots of fun as events adjust to ice conditions

Brad Heineman, The Daily Telegram
·2 min read
Outhouse race participants Chris Bujaki, left, and Rick Ender congratulate each other after winning a heat Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023, during the annual outhouse races at the Devils Lake Tip-Up Festival. This year's races were held on land next to the Manitou Beach Marina and not on the ice because of safety reasons.
Outhouse race participants Chris Bujaki, left, and Rick Ender congratulate each other after winning a heat Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023, during the annual outhouse races at the Devils Lake Tip-Up Festival. This year's races were held on land next to the Manitou Beach Marina and not on the ice because of safety reasons.

MANITOU BEACH — As always, weather plays a large role in determining what events can take place during the Devils Lake Tip-Up Festival weekend.

For this year’s festival, temperatures were just warm enough to cancel some of the popular outdoor events including all snowmobile runs and the traditional opening day Red Light Ride at night. Beyond that, some ice events, like the ice fishing contest, continued with caution and nearly everything else scheduled from Friday to Sunday went on as planned.

While some on-ice and outdoor events were canceled over the weekend during the 71st Devils Lake Tip-Up Festival because of warming temperatures and concerns over the thickness of the ice, other on-ice events, like the ice fishing contest, went on as planned. A number of shanties were situated on the frozen waters of Devils Lake throughout the three days of the festival.

Outhouse races scheduled for Saturday afternoon, which is traditionally the busiest day of the weekend, were held on land, not ice, next to the Manitou Beach Marina. Contestants were advised to adjust their outhouses accordingly.

There were five teams competing in the outhouse races, with the Girl Scouts bringing back their outhouse entry from seven years ago, men’s club member and outhouse race master of ceremonies Andrew Jordan said. Returning for the race this year were teams from Manitou Beach Marina, Two Lakes Tavern and the Devils and Round Lake Men’s Club.

The winning entry was a new entry to the race, “Double Dootie,” a two-holer outhouse pushed by Chris Bujaki and Rick Ender, with Ender’s daughters, Charlotte, 8, and Arabella, 6, seated inside as riders. “Double Dootie” swept the competition, earning the title of fastest outhouse and claiming the people’s choice award for the best designed outhouse.

The outhouse team named "Double Dootie" takes the lead in a race Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023, against the Manitou Beach Marina team during the Devils Lake Tip-Up Festival. The Saturday afternoon outhouse races were held on land at Manitou Beach Marina rather than on the ice due to safety concerns with the thickness of the ice. Riding in "Double Dootie" are Charlotte Ender, 8, and Arrabella Ender, 6.

The decision to cancel some events and to relocate others from the ice to land came last week from the Devils and Round Lake Men’s Club, which is in charge of organizing the annual weekend event. The men’s club said approximately 4 inches of ice was measured Jan. 31 at the public access on Devils Lake.

Local restaurants, bars and retail stores offered deals and discounts throughout the weekend as well as various forms of public entertainment from bar trivia at Boot Jack Tavern to goldfish racing on Saturday at Club 223.

Devils and Round Lake Men's Club members and others Saturday afternoon, Feb. 4, 2023, gather around the fish board near Manitou Beach Marina to check out some of the best catches of the day during the annual ice fishing contest at the Devils Lake Tip-Up Festival. The contest ran Friday through Sunday, and prizes were awarded to biggest and best caught fish in various categories.

Grass Lake’s Brayden Lape, a recent finalist on the NBC singing contest television show “The Voice” was a headlining musical performer Saturday night at Two Lakes Tavern.

The outhouse constructed by the team representing Manitou Beach Marina, designed to look like a pontoon boat, finished in second place at the conclusion of the annual outhouse races held during the Devils Lake Tip-Up Festival, Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023. Team members include, from left, Eric Bachmayer, Dawn Osment and Todd Olsen.
The outhouse constructed by the team representing Manitou Beach Marina, designed to look like a pontoon boat, finished in second place at the conclusion of the annual outhouse races held during the Devils Lake Tip-Up Festival, Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023. Team members include, from left, Eric Bachmayer, Dawn Osment and Todd Olsen.

The festival concluded Sunday with the final leg of the ice fishing contest and the awarding of prizes. The men’s club benefit auction Sunday afternoon at Highland Inn closed out all weekend activities. Proceeds from the auction benefit the club’s community projects throughout the year. More than 100 auction items were up for grabs, the men’s club said.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Devils Lake Tip-Up Festival events adjust to ice conditions