Quirky Pencil-Sharpening Festival Draws Thousands
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Each year on the first Saturday of June, thousands of people flock to a scenic Minneapolis neighborhood to witness a pencil being sharpened. As strange as it may sound, this is no ordinary pencil. It stands an impressive 20 feet (60 m) tall and boasts a diameter of 32 inches (81 cm).
The story began in May 2017, when a powerful storm snapped the top off a 180-year-old oak tree in front of John and Amy Higgins’ home. The tree had been part of the family’s property for generations, and the couple wanted to honor it in a special way. After examining the log's shape and circumference, they came up with a playful idea — turn it into a pencil.
"Everybody uses a pencil," said Amy. "Everybody knows a pencil. You see it in school, at work, for drawing — so it's something everyone can relate to."
To bring the idea to life, the couple hired wood artist Curtis Ingvoldstad. Using a chainsaw, he carved the trunk into a massive pencil, complete with a graphite tip, silver ring, pink eraser, and the familiar yellow paint. It even bears a marking that reads, “Trust Empire Pencil Corp Made in U.S.A — 916 No.2."
The sculpture, now affectionately known as the Lake of the Isles — or LOTI — Pencil, was completed in the spring of 2022. That June, John and Amy hosted a birthday party and invited neighbors to celebrate its debut. Since the weather had already dulled the tip, they decided to sharpen it.
To pull it off, Ingvoldstad built a custom 100-pound (45 kg) sharpener. Workers climbed scaffolding to reach the top and spun the sharpener by hand, shaving off several inches of the tip.
The celebration was so successful that it has become an annual tradition. This year’s event, held on June 7, attracted over 5,000 attendees from across the US and beyond. The festivities included a performance by the University of Minnesota pep band, dancers dressed in pencil costumes, a T-shirt giveaway, and free ice cream. But the sharpening of the pencil remained the highlight.
Between three and ten inches (8 to 25 cm) is shaved off each year. This means LOTI Pencil will eventually be reduced to a stub. But that does not concern the Higgins family.
"We don't have answers to that, and we're fine with that," John said. "We're going to take what we have and make the most of it."
Resources: Smithsonianmag.com, lotipencil.wordpress.com, CNN.com
