Arctic Cat enthusiasts will have an exciting opportunity to see 60 years of the company’s history on display July 15 and 16 during the Pennington County Fair.
This is the 60th anniversary of the company. Edgar Hetteen, snowmobile inventor and outdoorsman, founded Polar Manufacturing Co., in Thief River Falls on Jan. 2, 1961. In 1962, it was renamed Arctic Enterprises, and the first real Arctic Cat snowmobile was built. The company has grown and changed with the times ever since.
Bring your camera, said Randy Adamson, who appeared on Open Line with Thief River Falls Radio Friday. Adamson, who has followed Arctic Cat since its beginning, said the displays in the Ralph Engelstad Area (only on July 15 and 16) will be hard to believe.
He estimated that over 250 snowmobiles from many decades will be on display. Novelty fashions will also be on display.
From Canada and from coast to coast, collectors and vendors of all things Arctic Cat will descend on Thief River Falls with their big rigs filled with Arctic Cat products for these two days. Adamson said the floor of the arena will be covered by sleds, and the upper deck by videos, clothing and knicknacks.
Over the years, a lot of the focus has been on Arctic Cat racing sleds. One of the sleds that attracts a lot of attention is the Boss Cat, which is expected to be on display.
There have been a lot of technological changes over the years, and a lot of those changes also have been driven by racing.
But, there have been a lot of changes in fashion over the years. Adamson described the fashion display as “a once-in-a-lifetime clothing display.” He also mentioned it will even include sashes from the Miss Arctic Cat pageants.
The show will be open to the public in the Ralph Engelstad Arena from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. only on Friday, July 15 and Saturday, July 16.
There won’t be food and drinks at the event like the 50th anniversary, said Adamson, but that’s because the show is taking place during the Pennington County Fair and that event brings in many vendors, so visitors will have lots to choose from.
Tours of the Arctic Cat facility in Thief River Falls will be offered at noon, 1 and 2:30 p.m. on Friday, and at 1 p.m. on Saturday. Arctic Cat asks only that people wear shoes, not sandals. Kids are welcome.
Individuals interested in seeing even more Arctic Cat memorabilia are encouraged to visit the Peder Engelstad Pioneer Village. The historical society facility will be open during the fair.
Today, Arctic Cat remains a competitive force in the snowmobile and ATV industry, and a valuable contributor to the economy of Thief River Falls and northwestern Minnesota. In 2017, a new era in Arctic Cat history began when Arctic Cat joined the Textron Inc. family of brands, which includes Bell® helicopters, Cessna aircraft and more. Because of Textron’s heritage of power, performance and precision engineering, the decision was made to change the off-road product brand from Arctic Cat to Textron Off Road.