Destination Up North UpNorth-Spring_20_030920_B | Page 11

People used to bring their own turtles, but now
the turtles are supplied by vendors.
Zaiser’s is the oldest store in town, started by
the Zaiser family in 1949. “It had been going for
40 years when we bought it in 1989,” Ulm says.
Though they do 80 percent of their business
in the summer months, he says, “We only close
four days a year.” Now his son, Biff, manages the
store. Mark’s wife works there, and Mark does
maintenance.
When it began, he says, it was a traditional
souvenir shop. “But traditional souvenir shops
don’t survive anymore,” Ulm says. “That’s one of
the changes in the tourism business. No one
collects spoons any more. Our souvenir T-shirt
business has changed. We started as a moccasin
shop and then we added sandals. Now we have
one of the biggest footwear departments north
of Minneapolis.”
Most businesses
are open year-
round. We’ve got
some really great
retailers. We have 50 stores in
a three-block area. No other
small resort town has that.”
Shawn Hansen
Another of Nisswa’s beloved traditions is its
39-year-old City of Lights festival, scheduled
every year on the day after Thanksgiving. “We
get thousands of people for that,” Ulm says.
“A lot of people who live in the Twin Cities
metro area come for that event. We’re kind of a
Hallmark movie set.”
The non-stop list of events begins at 2 p.m.,
and includes carolers, bonfires, food vendors,
a band, and then a blackout at 5:30 p.m. and
countdown to the official light-up. It ends with
fireworks at 8 p.m. “We bring in reindeer, horse-
drawn hay rides, and a lot of smaller events,” Ulm
says. Other towns are jealous of Nisswa. It is a
unique town.”
At one time, Ulm says, he and his wife had
stores in four other towns. “There’s nothing like
Nisswa,” he says. “It’s a neat little town. This is
small town America at its best, it really is.”
Shawn Hansen, former eight-year president of
Nisswa’s Chamber of Commerce and currently
executive director of a nonprofit outreach
program, says, “Years ago, Nisswa definitely was
a button-up community. After Labor Day, by
Oct. 1, 90 percent of the businesses closed and
wouldn’t open again until April or May. When I
took over at the chamber in 2011, 75 percent of
Nisswa offers 50 stores and other shopping opportunities in a three-block area downtown. (Submitted photo)
the businesses took abbreviated hours. Today,
it’s not even 25 percent. Most businesses are
open year-round. We’ve got some really great
retailers. We have 50 stores in a three-block area.
No other small resort town has that.”
Now, Nisswa counts four restaurants, two coffee
shops and a brewery among its downtown
retail choices.
own growing up years – a little bit of everything
-- including such favorites as root beer barrels,
28 flavors of ice cream, jar candy, and now
fudge and truffles.
The Chocolate Ox is open from April through
Dec. 31, closed in January, February and March.
Over the years, the ma and pa resorts have all
but vanished in the Brainerd Lakes area, and the
larger resorts like Grandview, Madden’s, Breezy
Point and Cragun’s have grown.
“Grandview Lodge had a major expansion two
years ago, and it goes year-round,” Hansen says.
“It can hold 1,500 people.”
In spite of its downtown success, Nisswa
continues to maintain its quaint atmosphere.
“People who own the buildings truly believe
Nisswa needs to stay that way,” Hansen says. “We
have a waiting list 15 deep of people who want
to open stores here and can’t get in. Nisswa is
one unique spot.”
Rob Stoll, owner of the Chocolate Ox shop
at 25425 Main St., remembers as a youngster
vacationing with his parents in the Brainerd
Lakes area. “We always ended up at the candy
store,” he says. “That’s one of my fond memories
of Nisswa when I was growing up.”
He and his wife, Loriese, bought the building for
their shop in 2002, rehabbed it and opened in
the spring of 2003. “We’ve never looked back;
we thoroughly enjoy it,” Stoll says. They are
delighted to provide the same experiences for
young children that Stoll remembers from his
Turtle races draw hundreds of people to downtown
Nisswa every Wednesday from early June through mid-
August. (Submitted photo)
destinationupnorth.com 11