DARWIN, Minn. — It was a festival of a different kind in a small town west of the metro today.
Despite having a small population, the community came together in a big way to celebrate its annual town day, all with the world's largest ball of twine at the center.
The population of Darwin is around 350 people. But on Twine Ball Day there's about 10 times the number of people there, and they are coming for one reason in particular.
"The big ball of string that's what we call it," smiled Kim Sweesy "The big ball of string."
Kim brought up her family from The Cities to see the Twine Ball, but she has made memories with that collection of string."
"I've been coming up here I was this big," she said as she held her hand parallel to the ground. "My dad used to stop on the side of the road. We'd get out, take pictures by it."
The Twine Ball was made by one man, Francis A. Johnson. He started his circular collection of string in 1950.
So what makes people crazy for this ball of string? Why are there hundreds of people who line the streets on the second Saturday in August? Is it the sights? Some people insist on getting a good whiff of the old twine. Is it that?
Dave Kelly insists its the people it strings together. He grew up nearby and now lives in Bloomington.
"It's a reunion," he said. "It's a twine that binds. Binds the community together."