MINNEAPOLIS — There's no doubt that Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox are the main attraction for many tourists in Bemidji, but there's more than the famous statue to check out.
If holiday lights are your thing, they're about to light around 350,000 of them around town. Perhaps the most eye-catching of them all is Paul Bunyan's Christmas Tree, which is 65 feet tall and synced to music on the radio.
"You can actually pull up in your car, sit in the comfort and warmth of your vehicle, listen to the music and watch the lights animate and dance to the music that it plays," says Visit Bemidji Executive Director Josh Peterson.
If grabbing a beer is more your style, Bemidji Brewing is a must stop for you. We're told their award winning German Blonde is super popular.
Nestled in downtown Bemidji is the Bemidji Woolen Mills, which just celebrated their 100th anniversary. It's a great spot to take a little local flare home with you - everything from jackets made right at the mill to things like gloves that are also made locally.
While you're up north, a stop at Itasca State Park, which is about 30 miles away from Bemidji, is an option.
Bemidji is often referred to as the "First City on the Mississippi" and in Itasca you can check out the headwaters of the river that eventually runs all the way down to the Gulf of Mexico.
From holiday cheer, to the great outdoors - Bemidji just might be worth the trip.
"If you haven't been to Bemidji for awhile, come back. You'll be surprised at how much we've grown and how we've evolved as a community," Peterson says.
All those holiday lights will officially be lit November 27 at their "Night We Light" Celebration.