Page 46 - Flathead Beacon // 7.27.16

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HERITAGE DAYS ‘COMING ALIVE’ COLUMBIA FALLS
Festival to celebrate both the town’s history and present
by Amanda Rubano “
Columbia Falls Heritage Days. BEACON FILE PHOTO
As Heritage Days returns to Colum- bia Falls, the annual festival will once again be commemorating the town’s history while also celebrat- ing the community’s modern vibrancy.
The event is scheduled for Wednes- day, July 27 through Sunday, July 31. This year’s event will celebrate both the old and the new. With the theme of “Coming Alive 2016,” Heritage Days will empha- size the rejuvenation of Columbia Falls.
“The festival brings us together with our new surroundings and a chance to re ect on our beginnings,” Shirley Reyn- olds, president of the Heritage Days com- mittee, said. “Heritage Days remind peo- ple that we have residents who are will- ing to support each other and the town, during the good times and the lulls.”
In 1985, the community launched the Coming Alive initiative to help re- vive Columbia Falls, which had hit a lull.
“There used to be dress shops and restaurants – the town was alive. It had what you needed,” Reynolds said. “Then there was a vacancy in town for some number of years and residents had to leave to get anything.”
The community then began seeing businesses coming back to give it the spark it was missing. Today, that spark is still there.
“Heritage Days celebrate the in ux of new businesses and vibrant per- spectives of people who are dedicated to this town, ” Stacey Schnebel, direc- tor of the Columbia Falls Chamber of Commerce, said.
The festival gives Flathead resi- dents the chance to think about Co- lumbia Falls as a community, educating both newcomers and veterans of C-Falls alike. The town cherishes Heritage Days so much that graduates of Columbia Falls High School often schedule their class reunions on the same weekend.
“This has made the festival more community oriented,” Reynolds said. “It gives people a chance to share memories of C-Falls from when they were kids.”
For the rst time, Heritage Days will host an arm-wrestling tournament, held by the American Arm Wrestling Asso- ciation is conducting a tournament for both men and women on Saturday, July 30, at the Bandit Saloon.
“It will bring in a lot of spectators
HERITAGE DAYS SCHEDULE
JULY27
5 P.M.- 9 P.M. – 7th Annual Car Show at Mar- antette Park; American Legion Freedom Post 72 preparing food (nominal donation requested to cover costs of food)
JULY 28
5 P.M.-7:30 P.M. – Farmers market at Eagles Nest
5 P.M.-8 P.M. – Community market at O’Brien’s Liquor Store
Free swimming at Pinewood Park pool (6:30 p.m.-7:45 p.m. adults and kids to 10; 8:45 p.m.- 10 p.m. adults and kids 11+)
7 P.M. – Lion’s Club concert at Marantette Park
JULY 29
5:30 P.M. – Wildcat/kat Athletic Endowment Auction & BBQ at The Coop ($10 per plate; silent auction; live auction; social/cash bar and dancing with music)
7 P.M. – Rodeo at Blue Moon Arena
Bandit Saloon welcomes all class reunions
JULY 30 (PARTIAL)
7 A.M. – Firemen’s Breakfast at Don Anderson Fire Hall
7:30 a.m. – 3-on-3 basketball tournament
8 A.M. – Boogie to the Bank 5k and 10k
9 A.M. – food vendors on Main Street
12 P.M. – Main Parade on Nucleus Avenue
1 P.M.-4 P.M. – Familiy Fun Day at Glacier Bank parking lot
4 P.M.- 7 P.M. – Arm wrestling competition 7 P.M. – Rodeo at Blue Moon Arena
7 P.M.-10 P.M. – Barn dance with music by Silver Tip at Marantette Park
JULY 31
9 A.M. – 16th Annual Wildcat/kat Endowment Golf Open at Glacier View Golf Course
For more information, visit www.cfheritagedays.com.
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