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The supersized trolls of Detroit Lakes
Detroit Lakes is hosting giant trolls made out of recycled materials. FOX 9's Maury Glover has the full story.
DETROIT LAKES, Minn. (FOX 9) - In a city that is known for its summers, winter is making a return. While the seasonal winds of change are blowing through Detroit Lakes, some of its newest residents are making waves.
Standing 18 to 20 feet tall in Detroit Lakes City Park, Alexa is a giant troll made out of recycled materials.
If she seems like something out of a fairy tale, she actually has her own titled Alexa's Elixir, which gives visitors the recipe for a magical adventure to save fictional "little people" and the environment at the same time.
Alexa is one of five trolls, one golden rabbit and three magic mirrors scattered around Detroit Lakes and the surrounding area.
They were created by Danish recycling artist Thomas Dambo, after a local nonprofit, Project 412 heard about a similar sculpture out west and decided to see what he could do in their community.
"In Breckenridge, Colorado, there was one troll, and it had to be moved because it was causing such a traffic jam, it was a problem. We thought, isn't that wonderful? If you have something that is causing so much traffic in a community, that's really a good thing. And so that's why we decided to bring trolls to Detroit Lakes," said Amy Stearns, Executive Director of Project 412.
It took Dambo and a group of 300 volunteers to build the trolls over 5 weeks that ended in early June.
Since then, up to a thousand visitors a day have embarked on a troll hunt around the area to be enchanted by Dambo's creations.
"We've had people from all over the world and I wish we had a giant guest book to record it all. It's definitely brought some magic, some extra spark to our community, and it's really neat to see how our community has really supported and invited and encouraged the visitors and told stories about the trolls themselves. Awesome," said Stearns.
Project 412 says the goal of the trolls is to shine a spotlight on Detroit Lakes and attract tourists to spend time and money at local businesses.
"It's been a great thing for this city and for the surrounding area. This summer there were literally thousands of people who came to Detroit Lakes to see the trolls. I would drive by our city park almost every day, and there's just dozens of people there constantly all summer long," said Detroit Lakes mayor Matt Brenk.
But the project has also brought the community together and maybe changed the way the city sees itself.
"I think it has in some ways transformed Detroit Lakes. But also it's kind of like this is what this town is about. Arts, community, getting people together is really what Detroit Lakes is about and it really is a symbol of who we are," said project manager Greg Johnson.
From Ronny Funnyface and Barefoot Frida to Jacob Everear and Lang Leif, each of Dambo's characters comes with a challenge, like making a stranger laugh or planting a tree, to make the world a better place.
"He really wants to shine a light on the importance of recycling, not consuming too much, making purposeful purchases and just being mindful of what we're leaving behind for the next generation," said Stearns.
And boosting the city's cultural cache by turning trash into treasure would be a fairy tale indeed.
"We want to celebrate this incredibly unique, beautiful community that we live in and raise that up and make this the best possible place for all of us who get to live here. And then also to invite other people to come in and experience what Detroit Lakes is all about," said Stearns.
For more information on the Detroit Lakes Trolls, click here.