Seniors Get Hooked on Garrison

This senior discovered another “find” in North Dakota called Garrison. I found it searching for The 10 Most Beautiful Towns in North Dakota. This town in McLean County, with a population of around 1,500, is a scenic small town nestled on the edges of Lake Sakakawea, one of the nation’s largest manmade lakes.

Garrison’s lakeside location and abundant fishing opportunities has earned it the nickname of ‘Walleye Capital of the World’ with avid anglers flocking to town in hopes of catching record-breaking walleye, northern pike and small mouth bass.

Garrison was laid out in 1905 when the railroad was extended to that point in the state. The town took its name from Garrison Creek. A post office has been in operation at Garrison since 1903.

A major attraction for senior visitors is the Fort Stevenson State Park Arboretum which contains over 50 native and non-native trees, shrubs, wildflowers and grasses.

Seniors Enjoy The Dickens Village Festival

At Fort Stevenson State Park, senior visitors will find a partial reconstruction of Fort Stevenson, the 19th-century Missouri River fort from which the park takes its name. Beyond fishing, Garrison is home to the Heritage Park and Museum – an open-air museum dedicated to town life in the early 20th century – and events like the annual Dickens Village Festival. The event turns the community of 1,500 into a quaint Victorian town from the era of Charles Dickens.

Beginning Thanksgiving week, the Dickens Village Festival runs three consecutive Fridays and Saturdays and the Sunday after Thanksgiving. As the official Christmas Capitol of North Dakota, Garrison and its Dickens Village Festival are a must for anyone who wants to turn the holiday season into a special experience.

Events fill up Garrison’s Calendars 12- Months out of the year. Other events range from Cook-off Challenges and 4th of July Events to Frontier Military Days and other festivals.

 Seniors Enjoy Fishing, Biking and Kiting

The Garrison Convention & Visitors’ Bureau is home to the ND Firefighter’s Museum, Dickens Village Festival, and CANDISC (Cycling Around North Dakota in Sakakawea Country), a bicycle loop tour around some of the greatest frontier of North America.

Bring along a bathing suit and take in a Beach Party ending summer with a bang by enjoying a party by the water.

The North Dakota Fishing Hall of Fame is located in Garrison. The annual North Dakota Governor’s Walleye Cup Tournament has grown from its humble beginnings with less than 100 teams in 1976 to a 252- team field.

Seniors can join the kids at Sky Fest Over Fort Stevenson, an annual kite festival for all ages. Fly your own kite, build your own kite, and see kites of all shapes and sizes being flown including many award winning art kites.

Take a spin around town and get a feel for Garrison.  -jeb