Many cities make their mark by having annual festivals.

Lake City has water ski days.

Decorah, Iowa has Nordic Fest.

Austin has SPAM Town USA.

City officials, local organization leaders and business owners are now searching for the draw for an annual Albert Lea shindig.

&uot;A small group of us has been meeting during the past three to four months to think about our 150th anniversary,&uot; Bev Jackson, head of the Freeborn County Historical Society, said. &uot;In order to get that done we think we should have something over the summer.&uot;

Earlier this year it was believed that 2003 is the sesquicentennial &045; the 150th anniversary &045; of Albert Lea. Further research found that the anniversary of when the city was platted and recorded would be in 2006. But the group is looking for something more than just a one-time event.

Mayor Jean Eaton, Convention and Visitor’s Bureau director Jill Slette, Albert Lea resident Roger Lonning and Jackson decided that the city needs a new annual celebration, and should start one this summer.

The first Albert Lea festival weekend will take place between Aug. 29 and Aug. 30 of this year. The city has already booked a band, Nate and the Moonlighters of Lake Mills, Iowa, for that Friday night. In a meeting Thursday morning, a group of more than 20 began brainstorming.

The weekend might include a 5k run, a fun run, a boat parade, a dance, historic reenactments, a carp-fishing contest, a magic show, square dancing, a mariachi band, fair-type booths and food vendors. Nothing is certain at this point, but Eaton said the weekend will happen.

Eaton said the city council decided, at their retreat earlier this year, that the city needed an annual festival. The idea grew.

Some said that there should be a town-wide party at the Farmland site when the demolition is finished. Others felt the city should bring Colonel Albert Lea days back.

&uot;The fourth of July in Albert Lea is huge,&uot; Eaton said. &uot;We wanted to do something annually that could happen on the fourth of July weekend.&uot;

The plan is to gradually build the festival larger and larger and to move it to the Fourth of July date starting next year.

&uot;We have to make sure when we do it, we do it well,&uot; Eaton said.

Eaton hopes that more people will want to join in on the planning of the event.