“Get your guns, boys — they’re robbing the bank!”

The weekend after Labor Day, these words ring out multiple times on the streets of Northfield, Minnesota.  , as volunteers gleefully re-enact an historic act of courage, the foiling of Jesse James’ gang and the beginning of the outlaws’ downfall. In the largest all-volunteer celebration in Minnesota, the seven exciting minutes are reconstructed for annual crowds of onlookers.

Historians puzzle over why the James-Younger gang strayed so far from its Missouri home in order to hold up a bank in Minnesota. One theory is that the bank held funds belonging to Adelbert Ames, a man who grew rich as governor of Mississippi during the post-Civil War reconstruction, and whom some detested as a carpetbagger. Another depositor in the bank was Gen. Benjamin Butler, who was hated by Southerners for his occupation of New Orleans during the war. Jesse James, who styled himself as “the last remaining Confederate,” may have been settling a grudge against those who he believed oppressed his compatriots; indeed, some say the shootout on the streets of Northfield was the last battle of the Civil War.

In any event, on Sept. 7, 1876, the gang — comprising eight men, including Frank and Jesse James — rode into town, heading for the First National Bank of Northfield. The bank had opened just two months earlier, and the $18,000 it contained represented crucial funds for the city. The bank’s owners and some 200 of Northfield’s citizens were in Philadelphia for the celebration of the Centennial, and acting cashier Joseph Lee Heywood was left in charge.

Shooting and terrorizing citizens, the gang approached the bank. Five remained outside, as citizens bravely fetched weapons and began to fight back. Three, probably including Jesse, headed in.

The wily Heywood first told the robbers of the safe’s time lock (unfortunately, it was in fact open at the time), and some he say was reaching for a hidden gun when he was fatally shot. The bullet allegedly went through the wall and landed in a safe-deposit box. A second cashier escaped, wounded, out the back door; a Swedish immigrant, not understanding the warnings, was killed.

Meanwhile, outside, the determined citizens succeeded in killing two of the gang and putting the others to flight. In less then 10 minutes, a group of outlaws who had robbed and intimidated train passengers and bank tellers for 10 years was put to flight. Many attribute the eventual dissolution of the gang to the Northfield defeat. Certainly, they do in Northfield!

This year, the celebration goes on from Sept. 6-10. Events include everything from a tractor pull and a rodeo to an arts and crafts show, a carnival, a parade, food and fireworks. And of course, the re-enactments.

Aside from the festival, there’s plenty to do in this town that delightfully combines a small-town feel with high-quality arts and even upscale shopping.Citizens are committed to their way of life: City water and parking meters are viewed with suspicion, and no traffic lights are permitted. Instead, residents negotiate four-way stop signs with practiced ease, putting pushy out-of-towners to shame. (More photos of Northfield are available.)

The old downtown, with its flavor of a Midwest pioneer settlement, is carefully preserved, and the Historical Society, which is a strong supporter of the Jesse James re-enactment, has an important presence. Across the main arteries, freight trains frequently lumber, holding up traffic and causing locals to maintain that, “If you’re late, it’s like the weather.”

Unusually, the town boasts two institutions of higher learning, Carlton College, a small, private institution, and St. Olaf’s. The latter is famed among music lovers for its talented choir and beautiful choral arrangements of familiar, often sacred, melodies. Add to that an active arts community and you have a stream of performances and art shows. I saw a goofily hilarious performance of “The Nerd” put on by community members. There is also golfing in the summer and skiing in the winter.

And don’t forget the Mall of America! Less than an hour’s drive away, this shopping mecca was, simply put, amazing. I went there with my 9-year-old niece and we were spellbound.

The mall is as much an attraction as a shopping destination. Where else can you see a huge dinosaur exhibit — entirely constructed of Legos? Just walking through the huge enclosed area (we had to ask directions a few times) is an amazing experience.

The mall is organized around an indoor fairground of rides, and the sound of engines and shrieks provides a backdrop to the experience. And it is filled with restaurants that simulate outdoor dining, with leafy greenery and fountains. At the Rainforest Cafe, where we ate, we were surrounded by jungle sounds and aquariums full of exotic fish, and every now and again a brief shower would drench the “jungle” around us.

Beware, however: The mall claims it closes at 10:00, but most of the shops closed at 9 when I visited. 

Happy traveling!

Captions: 1. A re-enactment of the entrance of the James-Younger gang into Northfield is central to the Jessie James Days festival. 2. The festival, held the weekend after Labor Day, provides a time for feasting and socializing. 3. The historic downtown is carefully preserved. 4. The International Wind Music History Conference, held annually in July, is one of many such events hosted by Calton and St. Olaf colleges. 5. The nearby Mall of America is a destination as well as a shopping experience.