Over the years, the annual Big Wheels event has become a highly anticipated family favorite for parents and kids alike. Designed to be both fun and educational, the event gives children the unique opportunity to explore massive vehicles up close and learn exactly how they work. Parents always know the fun has officially begun the moment the first chorus of horns starts honking!
The event traces its roots back to 1991, when the Lake Superior School District’s first Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE) Coordinator, Kathy Trumbell, launched “Transportation Night” at the Mary MacDonald School. That very first event focused primarily on emergency vehicles and drew a small crowd of about 27 people.
Today, under the longtime leadership of current ECFE Coordinator Kim Lenski, Big Wheels has grown into a massive community tradition drawing crowds of over 300 people. Through the years, the event has braved all kinds of North Shore weather. Whether it was bright sunshine, rain, biting lake winds, or even snow, the event continued. There have only been a couple of years in the past when it had to be cancelled due to Covid and lightning. It has now been running long enough that people who attended as children are bringing their own kids to see the “big wheels.”
An event of this scale is only possible thanks to the incredible volunteers who generously bring their vehicles and equipment out for the night. Troy LeBlanc plays an instrumental role in coordinating these volunteers and ensuring all the vehicles are safely arranged in the parking lot.
While the list of supporters, past and present, is too long to mention everyone, ECFE would like to recognize some of the longtime participants who have made this event a tremendous success:
VanHouse Construction
D & D Services
The City of Silver Bay Street & Recreation Departments
Local Emergency Services (Fire, Police, Ambulance, and Sheriff’s Departments)
Northshore Mining
Many other vital community partners have stepped up over the years, including local towing companies, the U.S. Forest Service, Cooperative Light & Power, and local logging companies. Life Link Fire Protection Services joined the lineup this year and was an instant, huge hit!
ECFE would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to every participant, volunteer, and family who helped make this incredibly busy year such a joyful and lasting success.
While ECFE programs across the state host similar transportation nights under names like Big Trucks or Vehicle Fairs, our local Big Wheels is always looking to grow.
Local businesses are invited, and new participants are always welcome. If you would like to showcase a vehicle or get involved, please reach out to Kim Lenski or Troy LeBlanc. You can contact Kim at 218-226-4437 ext. 8158 or via email at klenski@isd381.org.
While Big Wheels is their biggest event of the year, ECFE hosts several events and programs during the school year for parents and children (ages birth to pre-K 5) to learn, play, and connect.
Here is what they offer:
Mixed Age Sessions & Gym Night: Weekly classes held during the school year.
Interactive Classrooms: Children explore age-appropriate materials and activities designed by ECFE teachers to meet key learning goals.
Parent Support: After a short group circle time, parents separate into a dedicated room to share ideas, parenting strategies, joys, and frustrations.
ECFE recently won the MNAFEE Innovative Programming Award for its hybrid parent education class on Monday evenings in Silver Bay. While most classes feature an onsite educator, this award-winning session allows parents to gather in person while connecting with their parent educator via Google Meet.
Locations & Registration:
Locations: ECFE is located at the William Kelley School in Silver Bay and the Minnehaha School in Two Harbors.
Cost: Sessions and Gym Night use a sliding fee scale based on family income, and fees can be waived if needed and qualify.
How to Register: Registration opens on the first day of school every year, and sessions begin in October. There is no hard cut-off date, but families are encouraged to register early to secure their preferred session.
For more information and to register, visit esuperiorcomed.ce.eleyo.com/ecfe.
