PARADISE OF THE NORTHWEST
WACONIA
COMMUNITY GUIDE | 2023
Nickle Dickle a September favorite
While it ’ s common for most cities to hold an annual community festival or celebration , only Waconia has Nickle Dickle Day , an annual event spearheaded by the Waconia Chamber of Commerce that traditionally brings in 30,000 or so visitors every year .
Its origins are rooted in the deep commitment of the business community to make Waconia a family-friendly destination . In 1961 , business owners Ralph Molnau and Art Laufenberger attended a State Chamber of Commerce meeting to look for a way to bring shoppers into town . The idea they embraced was sidewalk sales .
After much discussion , merchants began to focus on the sale of five cent objects . Although a number of different names for the event were considered , it was Laufenberger himself who came up with Nickle Dickle Day . In the early years , retailers put all the goods they wanted to sell on tables in front of their shops . Several groups sold sloppy joes for five cents apiece but soon discovered people were buying bags of the sandwiches at a time and taking them home to freeze . Today , one can still find a huge variety of food at Nickle Dickle Day , but the cost will be a tad bit more than five cents .
A new event was added in the mid-1980s , the Antique and Collector Car and Truck Show . Also added were food and crafts vendors in City Square Park . Today , the car show attracts more than 400 entries each year and is considered on of the best car shows in the area . In the early 1990s , St . Joseph Catholic School added a three-on-three basketball tournament and District 110 Community Education added fun runs .
Attendees will enjoy live music , Rotary duck races , 120 + craft and vendor booths , more than a dozen food vendors , the Friends of the Waconia Library book sale , a mechanical bull , demonstrations , and business and restaurant specials , some incorporating the five-cent tradition associated with Nickle Dickle Day .
The event remains the biggest selling day for retailers in downtown Waconia and is an important fundraising opportunity for many local non-profit groups .
Nickle Dickle Day is held on the second Saturday after Labor Day in September . In 2023 , the 62nd Annual Nickle Dickle Day will be held on Saturday , September 16 . The street dance is held the night before on September 15 . Visit DestinationWaconia . org for more information .
COMMUNITY GUIDE 2023 | WACONIA | Page 33