For more than 65 years the Deer River area has celebrated the World's Largest Wild Rice Festival. Originally, the festival was established to bring the community together to celebrate the abundance of one of the area's natural staples, wild rice. Though wild rice still grows abundantly in some of the area lakes and rivers, the advent of "paddy rice" which is grown commercially and harvested mechanically, has made the once regional product a national available commodity.

Like the rice itself, the Wild Rice Festival has evolved as well. Today's wild rice festivals sponsored by the Deer River Lions Club feature a full schedule of activities designed to bring the whole Deer River Area Community together for a weekend of fun, food, entertainment, and fellowship. Whether you are young or old, there is always something to see and do at the festival. To see a video slideshow of a recent Wild Rice Festival look to the right.