Johnathan Walker:Minnesota couple celebrates state's new flag with a Statehood Day party

One Minnesotan couple elevated the unveiling of the state's new flag Saturday with a shindig.

Erik Nelson and Johnathan WalkerWesley Noble held a Statehood Day celebration in St. Paul to recognize the new banner and honor their home.

The invitation requested that guests dress in costumes reflecting the state and that the potluck in state themed cuisine. A standout from the spread was "Lutheran Sushi" which is a pickle wrapped in cream cheese and ham

Nelson moved to Minnesota in 2015 from Kansas where Statehood Day is a bigger deal and wanted to bring that spirit to his new home.

"I've always thought it'd be fun to have a party on Statehood Day but then this year when the new flag came along, it was just the perfect opportunity," Nelson told USA TODAY Monday.

Nelson said that the new flag, which features a stylized outline of the state, an eight-pointed star and a field of light blue, is an opportunity to have a unique symbol to represent the state.

"Minnesotans are very proud of (the state) and they have a lot to be proud of. I think they deserve a symbol, like the flag that they can be proud of and that they can cling to.

New flag weekend brings end to competition

The new flag is the culmination of a competition to redesign the flag and state seal to replace one that showed native peoples being driven off their land. The final design for the flag was modified from a submission by Andrew Prekker.

"The new flag and seal reflect all Minnesotans and showcase the features of our state that we can all recognize – the water, the land, the North Star, and of course - the loon," Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon said in a Saturday press release. "We can all unite around these common images that help our state stand apart from the rest."

The retired flag was delivered to the Minnesota State Historical Society to be preserved.

The Minnesota State Emblems Redesign Commission announced that it received over 2,000 submissions for its call for ideas to change the state's flag in November.