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66-Foot-Tall Nutcracker, Verne the Patriot, Draws Crowds to Luverne, Minnesota
The 65-foot nutcracker was funded by donations and grants and built to draw visitors as Luverne leverages its unusual collection.
- On Saturday, July 18, 2026, Luverne officially unveiled Verne the Patriot, a 65-foot-tall nutcracker sculpture. Katie Walgrave introduced the figure at Those Blasted Things to celebrate the new attraction.
- Mayor Patrick Baustian initiated the project after a tourism expert advised the city to leverage its massive nutcracker collection. A city committee then conceived the giant sculpture to lure more visitors.
- Funded by around $600,000 in donations and grants, the structure was crafted in Utah before assembly in Luverne. Standing 75 feet tall including the pedestal, Verne dwarfs the previous 33-foot world record holder in Neuhausen, Germany.
- Betty Mann, whose personal collection ballooned to more than 2,500 nutcrackers, inspired the project honoring her legacy. Since mid-June completion, customer traffic at Those Blasted Things has quadrupled.
- Timed to coincide with the nation's 250th anniversary, the sculpture cements Luverne's status as a year-round destination. The town continues to promote its identity through its annual Nutcracker Fest.
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Associated Press News+24 Reposted by 24 other sources
A Minnesota town now boasts the world's tallest nutcracker
Luverne, Minnesota, now boasts the world's tallest nutcracker, Verne the Patriot, standing at over 65 feet.
·New York, United States
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Total News Sources58
Leaning Left10Leaning Right4Center43Last UpdatedBias Distribution75% Center
Bias Distribution
- 75% of the sources are Center
75% Center
L 18%
C 75%
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