FOX 9 Town Ball Tour heads to Maple Lake for match-up between Lakers, Cokato Kernels

MAPLE LAKE, Minn. (FOX 9) - The FOX 9 Town Ball Tour is hitting the road again this week. Wednesday’s match-up pits the Maple Lake Lakers against the Cokato Kernels. 

The game is at 7 p.m. at Irish Stadium in Maple Lake. 

Admission is $1 for everyone age 12 and up. 

Maple Lake Lakers vs. Cokato Kernels
Irish Stadium 
215 Oak Ave S
Maple Lake, MN 55358

Can’t make it tonight? There’s only one stop left on this summer’s FOX 9 Town Ball Tour: Belle Plaine on Wednesday, July 22. 

THE CHARM OF MAPLE LAKE

For water lovers, the lake is obviously a big draw for the Maple Lake community, but just a few miles further up Highway 55 downtown definitely has some surprises.

For 25 years, Tricia Manuel has owned The Costume Shoppe and Mooseburger Clown Arts Camp. She outfits and instructs clowns from around the world along with stage productions, parades - anyone with a need for dressing up. There are thousands of costumes in her collection, more than half of which are created in Maple Lake. 

“There’s still things happening,” said Manuel. “People are looking for ways to have fun.  And they are more on the private level then on the bigger scale. We are here for them, whatever they need, we are still here.”

Around the corner, there’s a new wine bar, a custom purse maker - a single block packed with variety, including a library run by volunteers. 

All yearlong there are large events that attract thousands to downtown Maple Lake. The St. Patrick’s Day parade was the first to be canceled because of the pandemic, but ever since, there’s been a larger push than ever for the people in this small town to support one another.

“You walk in into [local restaurant] V or American Legion and everyone knows you by name,” said Nick Pawlenty, the vice president of the Maple Lake Chamber of Commerce. “There’s been a huge outpouring of supporting those local businesses that have been affected.”