“From 1979 through 1982, bed races were held as part of the carnival’s festivities. Organized by the Cokato Jacyees, these races made Cokato one of a growing number of communities that took on this fad.

The “track” began at Broadway Ave., and Third Street, going south to Fourth Street, then back to Third Street — a total of two blocks.

Each year was a struggle to get entrants, and by 1983, interested had waned to the point where the pushing of beds was replaced by the pulling of tractors, along with kids cycle races. Despite its short tenure with the carnival, those bed races are still talked about with great ferve and adminiration, 30 years after the first race.

Shown (top) are “The Mean Green Machine,” entry to the 1979 races, sponsored by C&H Ag Services and Schwartz Mfg. Also shown are entrants at one of the race heats, ready at the corner of Broadway and Third (date unknown).

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What does “Cokato” mean?: The name Cokato is a Dakota language word. Roughly translated from co-ka-ta, it means “in the middle of” or “in the midst of.” This area was once the geographic center of a region called The Big Woods, which stretched from the Mississippi River to about Willmar. So we can safely say that the name “Cokato” meant that we were in the middle of the Big Woods.