For $1, You Can Run For Mayor Of This Tiny Minnesota Town

The tiny village of Dorset, near Park Rapids in Minnesota's Heartland Lakes region, is the self-styled "Restaurant Capital of the World." And every summer, the hamlet's population of 22 grows exponentially as folks flock to the community to experience its annual Taste of Dorset celebration, a classic small-town festival in Minnesota - and to elect Dorset's new mayor.

With four eateries and an ice cream shop - along with a population that hovers around 20 - Dorset, Minnesota, arguably has more restaurants per capita than anywhere else in the world.

As far as they know, anyway.

Every August, the town invites folks from all over to come partake of what makes it the Restaurant Capital of the World.

This year's Taste of Dorset will take place on August 2, 2026 - so mark your calendars!

At the celebration, there will be live music, fun, and of course, food sampling.

And each year at Taste of Dorset, the community takes care of some serious business: choosing its mayor for the next year.

No, there's no voting or anything like that. Folks of any age pay $1 to put their names in jars at area businesses. Whoever's name is on the winning ticket becomes the next mayor. Thanks to this process, Dorset has become rather infamous for its recent string of youthful executive officers.

Once the newly elected mayor takes office, the electee's official duties begin.

The mayor must participate in community events and entertain requests from constituents, all with an eye toward the next election.

With all the media scrutiny and questions about stances on important issues, like ice cream and pets, both the office and the campaign trail can be brutal.

Being mayor of Dorset isn't for the faint of heart.

Even when you play the game, jump through the hoops, and put your name in the mayonnaise jar, politics is a rough business - as this two-term mayor of Dorset discovered when he lost his bid for a third term.

And that is probably why some mayoral candidates campaign on an "ice cream every day" platform.

It helps to take the sting out of the hard parts of being mayor.

This classic small town festival in Minnesota is a little quirkier than most - which means it should be on every Minnesotan's bucket list! If you need a place to stay while you're in town, there's a unique waterfront tiny home rental on nearby Big Sandy Lake that you may want to check out.

Have you attended Taste of Dorset? Did you run for mayor? Tell us about your experience in the comments!