ADVENTURE ON THE WILD SIDE - Dawson, 3, and Dalton, 1, were willing to be in a photo to show just how tall the "Wild Adventure" elephant was on June 8. Pioneer photo by Deb Bently
One-day display is “Wild Adventure”
Thu, 06/18/2026 - 12:45am
Four large trucks, five employees, and a whole lot of larger-than-life statuary–much of it animated–filled a significant part of the Bomgaars parking lot from 2 to 7 p.m. on Monday, June 8.
Event manager Treyton Cole explained the “Wild Adventures” display is sponsored by I Heart Cookies, a company based in Wichita, Kansas, which sends out fleets of trucks across much of the U.S., creating one-day pop-up events.
The cost of admission is to purchase one of the company’s opulent deep-dish cookies at a typical price of $5 each. Before arriving in Waseca on Monday, Cole’s group had set up in Owatonna the day before; they were scheduled to be in Northfield on Tuesday.
“It’s a fun event to bring the kids to, and let them see all the displays,” said Cole. “And enjoy a tasty cookie besides.” Among the displays meant to entertain the dozens of people arriving was a line of realistic, life-sized animals including panda bears, monkeys, a lion, a leopard, and an elephant. Some of the animals moved; the lion would let out an occasional roar.
Nearby were two displays children could climb on–a luminescent green frog about four feet tall, and life-sized bear resting on top of a hollow log.
At the north end of the display were some animatronic dinosaurs, including a cluster of dinosaur eggs which appeared to be in the process of hatching. Cole speculated that “Blue,” a velociraptor from the Jurassic Park series, is perhaps the most popular of his displays.
“But the kids love it all,” he said, indicating the many children ranging from toddlers to teens. “Each one has a different favorite.” Visitors often come as a family, he said, and stay somewhere between 30 minutes and two hours.
Along with the many creatures, a vending tent on the grounds offered toys and souvenirs. For a fee, children could have their faces painted. Two tweens were wearing virtual reality headsets. Cole explained they could choose between two experiences, an underwater roller coaster or swimming with sharks and dolphins.
