Carnival County Fair With Ferris Wheel Attraction At Dusk
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GATHER. CELEBRATE. BELONG.

SMALL TOWN,
BIG TRADITIONS

In Paynesville, community is at the heart of everything. Throughout the year, people gather for hometown traditions, seasonal celebrations, and events that bring the town to life. From local festivals to the stories and history behind it all, there’s always something to explore. Discover what’s coming up, read stories from around town, and learn what makes Paynesville special.

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Paynesville

HISTORY

Paynesville, Minnesota has a history rooted in resilience and community pride. The town was established in 1857 by Edwin E. Payne, whose name the city still carries today. Early settlers were drawn to the area’s fertile land and natural beauty, and although the community faced hardship during the Dakota War of 1862, residents rebuilt and continued to grow the town. The city formed from three early settlements: North Town, Old Town, and Jim Town, which later merged into the Paynesville known today. Now home to about 2,300 residents, Paynesville remains a welcoming small town that values strong community connections, local traditions, and the natural beauty that surrounds it.

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Visitor

HIGHLIGHTS

We had such a wonderful experience bringing our bachelorette weekend to the Paynesville area! The Paynesville Area Chamber of Commerce went above and beyond by leaving a thoughtful welcome bag for our group, filled with postcards, local stickers, and coupons to area businesses. It was such a fun touch!

Jumpstart Nutrition was fantastic. A huge thank you to Lisa Maroschek Paulson at Jumpstart for taking such great care of our large group! Lisa had all of our orders ready quickly and made it so easy for everyone to get exactly what they needed. The protein shakes and energy teas were absolutely delicious and were exactly what a group of women needed to keep us going throughout our busy weekend! We truly appreciated the great service and will be stopping back at Jumpstart Nutrition when we’re in the area again!

We had a great dinner at Shady’s in Paynesville! Our waitress was fantastic—so friendly, welcoming, and fun to visit with. Our drinks were great, and the food was delicious—something we would order again. Perfect dinner to start our weekend.

We also made stops at Twice’s Nice looking through everything imaginable for a thrift store, and spent some time at Hilltop, which is just outside of Paynesville. Although we didn’t make it to Koronis Brewing Company this time, having recommendations and offers from local businesses gave us ideas for places we’d love to visit on our next trip.

The peaceful country roads, gorgeous scenery, and views made simply driving around the Paynesville area part of the experience. While we didn’t get to every business in Paynesville during our short weekend, that gives us even more reason to come back! The hospitality, scenery, and welcoming spirit of the community were top notch. Thank you to the Paynesville Area Chamber of Commerce for helping make our weekend feel extra special and for showing our group what makes this area such a wonderful place to visit. We can’t wait to come back!

Krista H

“Here’s a few words from someone who absolutely loves the Paynesville area. Maybe it’s you!”

“We love visiting every year, especially to enjoy the lake and all the bike trails!”

“We had an amazing time visiting Paynesville. The lake was beautiful and everyone was so welcoming.”