Oroville May Festival Queen Jennifer Cisneros and Princess Madison Whiteaker invite everyone to join them for the 84th Annual May Festival. This year’s theme is “Big Top Extravaganza.” The fun starts Friday night with the Queen’s Coronation and continues all of Saturday.
Queen’s Coronation, mini-parade, this Friday
OROVILLE- Queen Jennifer Cisneros and Princesses Madison Whiteaker are extending a royal invitation to attend this year’s 84nd Oroville May Festival with events on Friday and Saturday, May 13 and 14.
The festivities start off with the crowning of the royalty on Friday at 7 p.m. in the Coulton Auditorium. Queen Jennifer is the daughter of Florentino Cisneros and Angelica Medina and Princess Madison is the daughter of Daniel Whiteaker.
The crowns will be passed to Cisneros and Whiteaker from last year’s queen, Paz Lopez and Princesses Hannah McCoy and Lena Fuchs, with all the pomp and circumstance the community has come to expect in the crowning of their May Royalty.
A lighted mini-parade will follow the coronation led by the community float, which is decorated to reflect this year’s May Festival Theme, “Big Top Extravaganza.” An assortment of floats, convertibles, trucks and classic cars carrying the high school and other royalty up and down Main Street will follow, giving just a taste of the parade to come the next day.
Saturday’s events start early with the “blast off” from the shores of Deep Bay for the bass tournament at 6 a.m. with the weigh-in scheduled for 3 p.m. Update: The bass tournament has been cancelled due to the flooding.
Meanwhile, the Oroville Senior Center has taken over the duties of preparing the pancake breakfast that was served at the Legion Hall for many years. Breakfast begins at 7 a.m. and gives those in the fun run, now in its 38th year, a chance to carbo load before the start, near Expressions Espresso, at 7 a.m. The 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament starts at 8 a.m. and goes to 5 p.m. on the OHS tennis courts. There’s lots of hoop action between rivals and new challengers promised for all who participate.
The Oroville Farmer’s Market will be taking place at the public library from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and new this year, there will be Youth Activities at Lakeside Pharmacy on Main Street, between 9:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. A new addition to the May Festival tradition, will be the opening of Art on the Line, a new art gallery on Main Street sponsored by the 490 North Artists’ group. The gallery opens its doors to the public at 9 a.m. and will be open until 4 p.m.
The main event, the Grand Parade, starts at 10 a.m., with floats from the Oroville community and its neighbors, and from civic organizations and commercial businesses. Led by this year’s Grand Marshal, Elva Helm, from attop son-in-law Ed Naillon’s pickup truck. There will be plenty of classic cars, mounted horseback riders, kids on bikes, marching bands, Shriners, fire trucks, clubs and church groups and much more to keep everyone entertained. The Oroville Fire Department will be showing off their old Model T fire truck, recently refreshed by a group of volunteers. The Model T, crewed by Oroville’s finest firefighters, in wacky attire, is guaranteed to cause mayhem along the parade route. Members of the local U.S. Border Patrol and U.S. Customs are expected to make a good showing on horseback and riding a variety of the vehicles they use to guard the border.
After the parade, the traditional lawn ceremony takes place on the front lawn of the high school where local and visiting royalty are introduced and the May Pole Dancers give a command performance. The Country Store also has a number of activities planned from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m.
The chamber of commerce puts on a barbecue at the east lawn of the high school starting at 11 p.m., an annual fundraiser to give two scholarships to deserving high school seniors.
At noon, the Aurora Mason Lodge will be hosting kid’s game at Ben Prince Field behind the high school. Nathan’s Cardio Kickboxing will be putting on a Mayday Kids Bash. There’s also a Story Barn which will be on the football field following the parade.
The Borderlands Historical Society will be offering ice cream and a tour of the Depot Museum from 1 p.m. until 3 p.m. For those in the mood for some music, the Okanogan International Chorus will perform a concert at the Free Methodist Church starting at 2 p.m.
And if that’s not enough, the Pastime Brewery will have the Company Band, both Friday and Saturday night. Taber’s Taste of Summer will have Copper Mountain wine on the deck Saturday from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. and Esther Bricques Winery plans a wine tastings at their establishment on Swanson Mill Road on Sunday from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.
