New Ulm transforms downtown streets into a sandy beach

NEW ULM, Minn. – The Beach Boys sang a plaintive summer tune as rumbling trucks dumped 1,300 tons of fine grained sand onto Minnesota Street in the heart of this small town.

Two blocks of New Ulm's downtown will transform this weekend into a beach, even if the nearest ocean lies more than a 1,000 miles away. Hundreds of players will be serving and spiking on Saturday as part of a volleyball tournament that organizers hope will be a mainstay of the area for years to come.

The event, known as "Spikin' in the Street," is in its second year and has doubled in size. The event includes an outdoor dance party Friday night. Some 91 teams will come for matches on Saturday, up from 44 teams last year. There's more sand this year as well with double the courts.

Rick Kamm, owner of a bar on Minnesota Street, said he hopes a volleyball tourney can attract people and show them that New Ulm "isn't just a drinking town."

New Ulm, which calls itself the city of festivals, is known for its brewery-focused get-togethers like Bockfest in the spring and Oktoberfest in the fall. There will be beer this weekend, but it's not the focus, said Kamm, who's 62 and a lifelong resident. There also will be an area of sand for children to play, a bounce house and face painting.

The two blocks of sand cost $17,000, said Sarah Warmka, CEO of New Ulm's Chamber of Commerce, adding that the event was paid for by $22,000 in donations from private funding along with team fees.

One player this weekend, Emily Regnier plans to drive four hours to New Ulm from Akeley, Minn. The 38-year-old said she's part of a coed volleyball team that travels across Minnesota and South Dakota, but she wanted to come to New Ulm because of the novelty of the setting.

"You don't usually play in the middle of a downtown area," Regnier said.

It doesn't hurt that after each game, bars and restaurants are right next to the courts, noted Tanner Ovre, 30, who drove to New Ulm from Worthing, S.D. He said he plans to make the journey an annual pilgrimage.

Hot summer days, sand and volleyball are good for business, said Lindsay Henn, owner of MN Eis, an ice cream shop next to the sand courts. Henn said last year's tourney almost tripled their usual business, who has operated the ice cream shop since it opened in 2020.

There was some hesitancy to stage a volleyball tournament downtown, Henn said. But she said she hopes New Ulm continues to do quirky events to attract people to town.

"We could easily become one of those dying downtowns that you see everywhere," Henn said.