People from as far as California, Georgia and Maryland packed a Minneapolis lawn Saturday to watch two men sharpen a giant pencil.

It was the fourth annual sharpening, a free event in the yard of a historic Lake of the Isles house that has grown into a popular community spectacle.

A crowd of more than 2,000 gathered at the 20-foot No. 2 pencil, fashioned from the stump of an ancient bur oak blown down in a 2017 storm. They spilled onto Lake of the Isles Parkway, stopping traffic for more than an hour.

The event also coincided with Prince's 67th birthday, prompting organizers to pass out purple pencils and play music from the Purple One's catalog.

A DJ played music as children wearing hats shaped like pencils sat atop their parents' shoulders. Ice cream was eaten and signs hoisted: "Yay Pencils!" they read.

And nine people, each dressed as a No. 2 pencil, danced to Prince's "I Would Die 4 U" before sparking purple smoke bombs.

Alex Kormann, Star Tribune
Gallery: Hundreds come out for the annual sharpening of Loti, the giant No. 2 Pencil

"I might have seen one [video] after last year's sharpening. I was like, 'That's the most ridiculous, hilarious thing I've ever seen. I've got to go,'" said Matthew St. Ores, 25.

"Look at how many people are here together," he said. "There's so many things to be mad about and hate your neighbor for, so this is great to come together and appreciate something as ridiculous as a pencil sharpening."

Artist Curtis Ingvoldstad sculpted the giant pencil in 2022 after high winds damaged the oak near the historic Bull Higgins house. Instead of discarding the wood, the hosts shaped it into a piece of art that everyone can identify with.

Mallory Snyder, 38, attended the event for the first time Saturday, along with her daughter and grandparents.

"It just seemed really lighthearted — the ceremony of the sharpening and whatnot. And having kids, we thought it would be a fun thing for them to do too," Snyder said.

"It's just great that someone's trying to do something like this in the community, to have things that are free and open and inclusive of everybody," she said.