Minneapolis Community Gathers for Annual Giant Pencil Sharpening
More than 2,000 people flocked to a scenic Minneapolis neighborhood Saturday afternoon to witness an unusual spectacle that has become a beloved local tradition. Residents and visitors from as far away as California, Georgia, and Maryland gathered on the shores of Lake of the Isles to watch the fourth annual sharpening of a massive 20-foot-tall wooden pencil.
The quirky community event temporarily blocked traffic for nearly an hour as crowds filled the leafy neighborhood, complete with music, dancing pencil costumes, and Swiss alphorn entertainment, according to Associated Press.

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From Storm Damage to Community Art
The giant pencil emerged from tragedy turned triumph. Artist Curtis Ingvoldstad carved the massive No. 2 pencil from a 180-year-old bur oak tree that suffered severe damage during a fierce windstorm several years ago. The beloved tree on John and Amy Higgins’ property lost its crown when high winds twisted it off, leaving neighbors mourning what many considered a neighborhood landmark.
Rather than simply removing the damaged tree, the Higgins family decided to transform their loss into something whimsical that could bring the community together. Given the shape and circumference of the remaining log, they settled on creating an oversized pencil that would stand tall in their front yard as a piece of recognizable pop art.
An Ephemeral Masterpiece
What makes this community ritual particularly poignant is its temporary nature. Each year, sculptor Ingvoldstad and his assistant John Daugherty haul a custom-made giant pencil sharpener up scaffolding erected around the pencil. Using the four-foot-tall wooden sharpener, they ceremonially remove anywhere from three to ten inches from the pencil’s tip, throwing the fresh wood shavings to the cheering crowd below.
Like any real pencil, this wooden giant gets shorter with each sharpening. The creators have embraced this impermanence as part of the art’s meaning, according to Minneapolis Star Tribune. Eventually, they acknowledge, the pencil could be reduced to a stub—and they’re okay with that inevitability.
Purple Tribute to a Minneapolis Icon
This year’s celebration held special significance as it coincided with what would have been Prince’s 67th birthday. The hosts commemorated the Minneapolis music superstar by distributing purple pencils to attendees, creating an unexpected connection between the whimsical art installation and the city’s most famous son.
Rachel Hyman traveled from Chicago specifically for the event after a friend told her about it. Dressed in a pencil costume, she captured the spirit that draws people to this unusual gathering: “Some man is sharpening a pencil on his lawn and this is what happens? Yeah, I’m gonna be part of it. How can you not? Life is too short.”

Building Community Through Absurdity
The pencil sharpening represents something deeper than mere novelty in an era of social division. Local DJ Jake Rudh, who provided music for the festivities, noted the event’s power to unite people around something deliberately ridiculous and joyful.
The celebration has grown organically since its inception in 2022, evolving from a simple neighborhood gesture into a spectacle that draws thousands. Attendees dress as pencils and erasers, vendors serve ice cream, and the University of Minnesota Pep Band provides entertainment. T-shirts commemorating the event are launched from a giant slingshot into the crowd.
As Minneapolis enters another summer filled with outdoor festivals and art events, the pencil sharpening kicks off the season with a reminder that community can form around the most unexpected traditions, according to ABC News.
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