MnDOT Denies Permit for Border Battle Tug-of-War Before Vikings-Packers Rivalry Game
The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) has denied permission to hold this year's Border Battle Tug-of-War event on the Stillwater Lift Bridge, citing concerns about consistency in managing events on a historic structure.
Organizers had sought to repeat last year's successful fundraiser for first responders, which raised $4,000 and featured a tug-of-war competition between Minnesota Vikings fans and Green Bay Packers supporters. The event was set to take place prior to the teams' NFL game at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.
MnDOT officials stated that they could no longer support annual or recurring events on the bridge, citing concerns about historic preservation and consistency in managing the space. While a few special-occasion events had been accommodated in the past, including last year's Border Battle and a pasta dinner to mark the opening of the Chestnut Street Plaza, officials deemed the Lift Bridge an unsuitable venue for repeated events.
As a result, organizers have been forced to relocate the event to the causeway of the Old Hudson Toll Bridge in downtown Hudson, Wisconsin. The new location will host the tug-of-war competition at 10 a.m. on January 4, with proceeds going towards first responder associations in the St. Croix River Valley.
Despite disappointment from organizers, Stillwater Mayor Ted Kozlowski hopes that MnDOT officials may reconsider their stance for future events, potentially alternating between Stillwater and Hudson every other year to build ties between the two communities.
The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) has denied permission to hold this year's Border Battle Tug-of-War event on the Stillwater Lift Bridge, citing concerns about consistency in managing events on a historic structure.
Organizers had sought to repeat last year's successful fundraiser for first responders, which raised $4,000 and featured a tug-of-war competition between Minnesota Vikings fans and Green Bay Packers supporters. The event was set to take place prior to the teams' NFL game at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.
MnDOT officials stated that they could no longer support annual or recurring events on the bridge, citing concerns about historic preservation and consistency in managing the space. While a few special-occasion events had been accommodated in the past, including last year's Border Battle and a pasta dinner to mark the opening of the Chestnut Street Plaza, officials deemed the Lift Bridge an unsuitable venue for repeated events.
As a result, organizers have been forced to relocate the event to the causeway of the Old Hudson Toll Bridge in downtown Hudson, Wisconsin. The new location will host the tug-of-war competition at 10 a.m. on January 4, with proceeds going towards first responder associations in the St. Croix River Valley.
Despite disappointment from organizers, Stillwater Mayor Ted Kozlowski hopes that MnDOT officials may reconsider their stance for future events, potentially alternating between Stillwater and Hudson every other year to build ties between the two communities.
. The still water lift bridge, this historic landmark, is supposed to evoke a sense of community and nostalgia, but now it seems like it's being used as a revolving door for various events, taking away from its original purpose. MnDOT should be looking out for the long-term preservation of our heritage, not just thinking about short-term profits 
. The border battle tug-of-war thing sounds fun, I guess, but is it really worth putting our historical structures at risk? We need to ask ourselves if we're being responsible stewards of our cultural history or just using it as a backdrop for entertainment 
I'm kinda bummed about this, you know? The Border Battle Tug-of-War was such a fun event last year, and it's great that they're still supporting first responders, even if it's not on the Lift Bridge anymore 
. Stillwater is gonna miss out on some good ol' fashioned community spirit, but I guess it's better to have a consistent venue than a bunch of random events cluttering up the bridge all the time 
. Maybe one day they'll figure out a way to make it work, and we can have our tug-of-war fix at the Old Hudson Toll Bridge... 
about this news! i was really looking forward to watching the Vikings-Packers tug-of-war battle on that iconic lift bridge last year it was such a fun event and we even got to raise some sweet cash for our local first responders 
and now we have to move it to some random causeway bridge who even lives around Hudson, WI? 
anyway, still stoked to see our local heroes raising funds for first responders 
Stillwater needs that kind of community spirit and MnDOT is just being super cautious. Hudson gets the old lift bridge, great, but still. Can't they just compromise a bit? It's only tug-of-war, not some massive construction project... 
. And Hudson gets to host the event this year? That's pretty cool, actually 
. Maybe MnDOT should've been more chill about it, instead of making a big deal out of it 
hope everything turns out okay in hudson though, can't wait for jan 4th 
might have to find my favorite vikings fan to tug-a-war with 
. I mean, I get it about preserving the structure and all that, but come on! The Lift Bridge was already getting some love from all the tourists last year, so can't they just make an exception for this one thing? It's not like we're going to tear the bridge down or anything 
. Guess we'll just have to tug-of-war in Hudson instead 
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Maybe they're trying to avoid some controversy or something. I mean, Stillwater and Hudson are like two peas in a pod, why can't they just share the bridge sometimes?
The causeway in Hudson, WI is nothin' compared to the vibes of the bridge tho 
but MnDOT's gotta have some concerns about preservation and whatnot... consistency is key, fam! 
Let's hope they change their minds for next year and make it happen again 
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. And hey, at least Stillwater Mayor Ted Kozlowski is on it - I mean, who doesn't love a good tug-of-war competition between two NFL rivalries? Maybe they can even get the Vikings and Packers to join in 
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. I do wonder what happened last year that made them change their minds though... maybe they got some complaints from people who didn't want all those loud fans on the bridge? Either way, I'm sure the event will still be super fun in Hudson 
. I mean, who doesn't love a good tug-of-war, right? It's not just about the competition, it's also about giving back to the community, especially our first responders 
. $4k raised last year was pretty cool! But I get why MnDOT is being cautious - historic structures need to be preserved and all that jazz 
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The fans can still have their tug-of-war fun, and the communities can build ties 
the old hudson toll bridge in wisconsin is gonna be a bit of a trek from minneapolis, hopefully its worth it tho 
. And Stillwater and Hudson can definitely build ties between their communities – maybe they'll even have some fun events there too? 
They're worried about messing up the historic lift bridge, and with events popping up all over the place, they want consistency 
Plus, last year was a one-off so maybe they're just not keen on committing to regulars 
The Border Battle Tug-of-War has become such an iconic event, and I know it brings together fans from both sides of the rivalry in a fun and lighthearted way