WINNEBAGO, Minn. – The owner of a Winnebago venue that Attorney General Keith Ellison wants to close says that Ellison is misinformed about a New Year’s event. Garth Carlson told the Minneapolis Star Tribune that the event is a religious ceremony. In fact, the venue calls itself the Carlson Event Center & Country Chapel. About Ellison, Carlson said: “He doesn’t know what he’s talking about. It’s not a party. It’s not a bash. It’s a religious gathering.” Other media inquiries to Carlson, besides the Star Tribune, have not been returned. The venue’s Facebook site has gone blank.
Carlson profile
Garth Carlson owns a small business doing construction, demolition and trucking. He also is involved in farming operations, including a new hemp farm and a line of CBD products. He describes the Carlson Event Center as an opportunity to give back. He said his aim is not to make a profit. Low-cost leases and rents, he said, cover utilities and other operating costs.
Carlson. Winnebago entrepreneur.
Building profile
The Carlson Event Center is a multi-purpose venue in a former school in Winnebago. Although Winnebago’s population is only 1,400, the venue can draw people from Mankato, 35 miles away; Fairmont, 22 miles; sand Blue Erath, 10 miles. The proprietor, Garth Carlson, bought the building for $61,000 in April. He said he saw a multiple tenants. Also, space would be available to community organizations and to community events. He has had discussions with the National Guard and Army Reserve about space for veterans organizations. He talked about distributing free meals to needy people from the building. He plans to use a portion of the building for product storage and sales.
Online promo. In smaller type, the tag line includes the words “& Country Chapel.”
The usual street view. The Blue Earth School Board closed its Winnebago school in 2010, then decided it was too costly to maintain vacant, and sold it to Carlson in 2020.
Music venue. In the Carlson Event Center’s brief history there have been occasional events with hybrid pop culture and religious themes.