BRAINERD, Minn. (Aug. 15, 2024) — The lumberjack spirit is alive and well at Cragun’s Resort Golf & Conference Center as the winner of the CRMC Championship—part of the PGA TOUR Americas circuit—fondly knows. Win the CRMC and you are presented with one of the most unique trophies in the game of golf, the Paul Bunyan Axe.
It’s something PGA TOUR breakout star Jake Knapp earned when he captured the 2022 CRMC Championship. In his rookie season on the TOUR, Knapp has recorded four Top 10 finishes, including a victory in February at the Mexico Open at Vidanta.
This year’s CRMC Championship is set for Aug. 29 to Sept. 1 at Cragun’s, a fitting precursor to the first-ever Paul Bunyan Fest at the resort. Bunyan are quite literally a giant presence at the property where there are two robust statues of the iconic lumberjack and his axe, including one greeting guests at the property’s entrance.
From Friday, Sept. 20 to Sunday, Sept. 22, the festival will feature an array of fun, Bunyan-related family activities, highlighted by a pair of lumberjack shows, as well as an Oktoberfest-themed food and beverage menu. Golfers can slip away to enjoy Cragun’s Legacy Courses, including the same holes that will test the field at the CRMC Championship at month’s end.
To ensure families have the complete weekend experience, Cragun’s, located along Minnesota’s gorgeous Gull Lake, is offering a Paul Bunyan Fest package. It includes accommodations for two nights in a Lodge Hotel Room or Cabin with breakfast, plus all event activities on Saturday, Sept. 21.
Saturday will start with a flapjack breakfast that will get things cooking. While the Paul Bunyan Lumberjack Shows promise to thrill guests, the day’s docket also features:
- craft activities for kids
- interactive lumberjack camp
- Minnesota and Bunyan trivia contest
- pontoon boat rides
- cornhole tournaments
- best-flannel and best-beard competitions
- Bunyan movie by the pool
- family dance with karaoke
- evening bonfire and s’mores
The festival concludes Sunday with a breakfast in the Lakeside Dining Room.
To complete the weekend experience, guests can rent bicycles at Cragun’s and make a short drive to access the Paul Bunyan Bike Trail, which features more than 120 continuously paved miles with terrain surrounded by trees, lakes and wildlife. Along the trail, there are many areas to stop and rest and enjoy the beauty of the nature in northern Minnesota, including swimming access.
For more information about the Paul Bunyan Fest, and to book the lodging package, visit www.craguns.com/paul-bunyan-fest. For more information about Cragun’s Resort, Golf & Conference Center, visit www.craguns.com.