Paynesville's volunteer fire department is throwing a party to keep its trucks running and its gear up to date. The Backdraft Bash returns to Paynesville Municipal Airport this Saturday, August 22, with live music from Diesel Fire and the Johnny Holm Band, a bean bag tournament, and food and drinks for purchase, all benefiting the Paynesville Fire Department.
The fundraiser goes on even though the airshow that used to share the runway with it will not happen this year. The Friends of the Paynesville Airport announced the cancellation of the 2026 Paynesville Airshow and confirmed that the Backdraft Bash would proceed as scheduled on the airport apron, according to a Facebook post from Firehouse Coffee Company & Salon 227. As WJON reports, the bean bag tournament kicks off at 4 p.m., with Diesel Fire taking the stage from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. and the Johnny Holm Band closing out the night from 9 p.m. to midnight.
Music, Food and a $10 Cover
Admission runs $10 at the door, with cash, credit cards and debit cards all accepted, though organizers say cash is the preferred payment method, per WJON's report. Paynesville Area Chamber of Commerce executive director Jacob Bertram told the outlet that the money raised goes toward the department's practical needs. Bertram said the funds help the fire department obtain newer technology and life-saving equipment.
Diesel Fire's opening slot is backed by sponsor Foxtail Utilities, one of several local businesses supporting the bash alongside Koronis Brewing Company, Firehouse Coffee Company & Salon 227, and Paynesville Mutual, according to a sponsor announcement shared on Facebook. Headliner Johnny Holm, known regionally as “The Human Jukebox,” released a new album called Pam's Cafe Exit 38 in July after more than 50 years performing across the Upper Midwest, per the Johnny Holm Band's own announcement.
Why the Fire Department Needs the Help
The Paynesville Fire Department is largely a volunteer operation, with roughly 25 members covering ten local jurisdictions: the City of Paynesville, Paynesville Township, Irving Township, Eden Lake Township, Munson Township, Roseville Township, Union Grove Township, Zion Township, Roscoe, and Regal, according to the City of Paynesville. That wide coverage area keeps the department busy; the Stearns County Sheriff's Office 2025 Annual Report shows county dispatch routed 196 calls to the department last year.
Paynesville's reliance on volunteers is far from unusual in Minnesota. Of the state's more than 700 fire departments, only ten operate as fully career, paid departments, with the rest relying on volunteer or paid-on-call staffing, according to Minnesota State Fire Marshal records cited by MPR News. That statewide pattern makes community fundraisers like the Backdraft Bash a critical piece of how small-town departments afford new equipment.
Local Government Has Backed the Event Before
Municipal support for airport-based gatherings in Paynesville goes back years. Official meeting minutes show the Paynesville Township Board voted in June 2023 to donate $2,000 toward airport event hosting and coordinated with organizers to let concertgoers use grassy township property for overflow parking. The Paynesville Fire Department is led by Chief Andy Soine and Assistant Chief Mike Stern, and operates out of a station at 221 Washburne Avenue in downtown Paynesville, according to the city's fire department page.
The airport venue itself sits about a mile west of downtown, featuring a 3,300-foot paved runway, per Minnesota Department of Transportation aeronautics records. Paynesville is a small city, with a population of 2,519 residents and a median age of 36.1 years as of 2024, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. For a community that size, Saturday's turnout at the airport apron could make a real difference for the volunteers who answer nearly 200 emergency calls a year.
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