Area Community Guide • March 2026
The city of Braham is a growing community offering opportunities for businesses, residents, and visitors. Located at the crossroads of four counties( Isanti, Kanabec, Chisago and Pine), Braham is nestled between Highway 65 and Interstate 35 on Highway 107. With a population of 1,866, Braham is the northernmost of the three major cities in Isanti County.
Braham holds many annual events including a Farmer’ s Market and Appreciation Day in the summer, a Craft and Vendor Fair in the fall, and Santa Day in December, but the event the city is best known for is Pie Day. Pie Day is held annually the first Friday in August. Braham’ s motto is“ building a better tomorrow.”
The inspiration for Braham’ s unique name remains unclear: some maintain the moniker is a reverent tribute to the heroic U. S. president Abraham Lincoln, while others insist it is an affectionate nod to Abraham Swenson, one-time owner of the land on which the city sits.
A five-member city council meets at 6 p. m. the first Tuesday of the month at City Hall. The mayor serves a 2-year term and each council member serves four years with two council members elected every two years. City departments include administration, police, fire, streets, building and zoning, municipal liquor, and water / wastewater.
Braham maintains an industrial park, as well as an active General Business District. The city offers attractive, low land prices, making it easier for new businesses to cash flow building and start-up costs. The city also has a recently cleared commercial lot in the downtown area, just off Highway 107, available for a new or expanding business. Braham has an active EDA working to promote growth and development.
CITY OF BRAHAM
The city has many newer housing developments for those who choose to make Braham their new home.
The Alice Studt Library, a link site with the East Central Regional Library, is located at the Braham Community Center( 655 Eighth St. S. W.). It is open Monday to Friday from 9 a. m. to 4 p. m. Card holders can borrow adult, teen and children’ s fiction and non-fiction books as well as books on tape or CD, videos and DVDs. The outreach librarian is available for check-outs on Mondays from noon to 4 p. m. Get more information about the outreach libraries by calling 763-689- 7390, ext. 21, or e-mail outreach @ ecrlib. org. Two computers are available for the public to use, and the library is equipped with Wi-Fi for public use. Friends of the Library meet monthly on the first Tuesday, and book club meets on the fourth Monday.
The city’ s municipal liquor store, Home Town Liquor, is located on Hwy. 107 on the north end of town. The store offers competitive pricing and helps control the sale of alcohol while returning profits back into the general funds. Minnesota is unique in its municipal liquor store operations- the funds generated go back into the community in ways of special projects, keeping property taxes down, and purchasing equipment for local emergency services( fire, police).
PIE CREATES SWEET SUCCESS, BIG CELEBRATION
Braham first tasted fame in 1939, when cabin-bound travelers made a point of stopping for the local pie. It soon became common knowledge that anyone traveling past the city should stop for pie and coffee at the Park Café.
So common became Braham’ s pie process, then-governor Rudy
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Perpich declared the City“ Minnesota’ s Homemade Pie Capital.” A tourism grant soon followed that enabled Braham to fund a community festival celebrating pie, and before residents could say“ a la mode,” the inaugural Pie Day was held in 1989.
The local celebration has become an annual tradition held the first Friday of August to include many varieties of pie, craft and food vendors, a trivia contest, amateur-baking competition, and children’ s arts and crafts. The fun includes a car show featuring vintage and collector vehicles.
Pie Day guests can see eating competitions in which contestants try to consume a chocolate pudding pie within two minutes. Children can enjoy pie-related arts and crafts at the kids-n-berries area, and the day’ s events include a recycled pie tin art show, pie-cycle activity, and small quilt exhibit. People can also participate in the pie-making workdays. Find more information about Pie Day via the Web on Facebook and at www. pieday. com or by calling 320-396-4956. As locals like to say,“ You can’ t help but smile when you say pie.”
PUBLIC SAFETY
The Braham Police Department has entered a new era and philosophy of law enforcement for its community under the leadership of Kevin Stahl as Chief of Police. He promotes a“ community-oriented” style of policing. The police department is made up by a dedicated group of individuals who provide a wide range of law enforcement knowledge. They have implemented many new community-based programs for the residents and businesses within the city of Braham.
CITY OF BRAHAM see page 16