The Little Village Celebration with a Big Italian Flavor

The Pepper Festival began in 1954 as a way to raise funds to build North Hudson Elementary School and has turned into an annual event to assist community organizations throughout the St. Croix Valley. Proceeds from the volunteer-run, non-profit festival are donated to local youth, school, community and service organizations.

How Did It all Begin?

Between 1890 and 1891, the Village of North Hudson grew rapidly as Italians emigrated to work in the railroad car shops. In 1912 the village was incorporated. By 1954 North Hudson needed to raise funds to build and support a new elementary school as it was not part of the Hudson School District (that union came in the late 1950s). What better way to fundraise than to create a Festival, the Pepper Festival, complete with Italian food and a queen coronation.

"The first Pepper Festival was at the site of the old North Hudson School on the corner of 5th Street N and St. Croix Street N. It was an old two-story wood structure and is most remembered for the fire escape tube that was attached to the second floor of the structure" (Hudson Newsroom June 7, 2012). Pepper Fest was then moved to the site of the current school after the new structure was built.

Today North Hudson still operates under it's own village government and Pepper Fest has continued to honor it's Italian heritage with homemade Italian food Not only has North Hudson Elementary continued to receive support but so have numerous other community organizations throughout the St. Croix Valley.