Labor Day weekend brings business to local campgrounds

Aug. 31—PINE ISLAND — Labor Day is often considered the last weekend of summer, which makes it one of the busiest weekends of the year for local campgrounds and RV parks.

For many families in the area, this is the last weekend before school starts. There are many things to do over a three-day weekend, including camping. It's a great way for families to get together and enjoy peaceful time while the weather remains nice. There are dozens of campgrounds around the Rochester area, meaning families don't have to go up north to enjoy a camping trip.

The Hofschulte family set up a fun weekend at Hidden Meadows RV Park and Campground to keep their guests entertained. That included activities like bean bag tournaments and a bloody mary bar for guests to enjoy.

"Memorial (Day) and Labor Day are probably when we have the most family stuff," said campground co-owner Tracy Hofschulte. "Memorial Day, everybody just can't wait to get out camping and usually that's the first weekend of nice weather. Then Labor Day is the last weekend and we've been blessed with some wonderful weather the last few years."

Tracy and her family bought Hidden Meadows RV Park and Campground in 2020. Prior to owning the business, Tracy and her family had been avid campers for nearly 20 years and know how busy the holidays can get.

Both seasonal and weekend campers enjoy the Hidden Meadows grounds. The campground includes 69 seasonal sites, 24 monthly sites and 38 weekend sites, and recently increased the number of monthly sites because many people who stay there are patients at Mayo Clinic. In addition, seasonal guests will book multiple sites at the campsite for friends and family to enjoy time together.

"We have one family that has eight sites and we have another family that has six sites," Tracy said. "So most of our campers on holiday weekends like this are families getting together, and so we're just their place to get together. We just provide the environment, and they provide their fun."

Prior to the busy weekend, the Hofschulters have to make sure the grounds are maintained. They own river access and walking paths that need constant attention, which is especially important before busy weekends. They also have added a dog park, volleyball nets, a recreational building and bean bags to keep families busy.

"It's a three-night minimum to book on this weekend and then we have a waiting list," Tracy said. We're booked up for Labor Day months in advance and then we're booked up for Memorial (Day) probably by March, before we even open."

For someone looking to get a Labor Day reservation at Hidden Meadow, they would have to book as early as May or June. However, the campground did have some tent campsites still available. Those don't tend to go as quickly since there is no electricity available to those sites.

"Our environment is just clean and it's well-kept and it's welcoming," Tracy said. "I think welcoming is big. We don't want to be unapproachable. We want to be a welcoming campground, nothing too upscale or fancy. We just want the average person to feel comfortable."