Photos by Gary A. DeVon

Centennial Airport Day last Saturday started with a pancake breakfast cooked up and served by volunteers with lots of help from local Cub Scouts. More than 100 breakfasts were served t” title=”460a” width=”” height=”” class=”size-FULL”>

Photos by Gary A. DeVon

Centennial Airport Day last Saturday started with a pancake breakfast cooked up and served by volunteers with lots of help from local Cub Scouts. More than 100 breakfasts were served t

OROVILLE – Oroville kicked-off a week of Centennial Celebration last Friday – and it’s all leading up to a big 100th birthday party on Saturday, Aug. 2.

“Oroville’s Centennial is an once-in-a-lifetime event! There are many fun activities planned, so everyone should be able to find something they will enjoy,” said Ellie Braman, one of the volunteers helping to organize the party.

At 10 a.m. there will be a Centennial Celebration parade down Main Street and businesses, organizations and individuals are encouraged to come up with a parade entry to celebrate the occasion.

“New entries are encouraged so it will be different from May Day. If your family has been in the area for a long time, why not gather the clan and ride in a decorated car, hay wagon, or on horseback? You could proclaim your proud heritage to everyone,” said Braman.

“If you have kids, why not get them and their friends to decorate their bikes and trikes and blow on kazoos? Are you a horseperson? Invite your fellow riders to decorate their horses and accompany you in the parade. If you want to be silly, find some friends to dress up like clowns, or aliens, or historical figures and make the crowd laugh. The list of ideas is endless, so be creative,” she adds.

To register for the parade call Peggy Shaw at (509) 476-3603 or Shay Shaw at (509) 476-2281 to register.

The morning of the parade everyone is invited to participate in a Volkswalk around town which is scheduled from 7:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. This is not a timed event and there will be a map to follow that will take walkers to see historical buildings around town. People may register at the Depot Museum.

“If you go in the stores with a Volkswalk sign on their door, you can enter to win a prize,” said Braman. “Stop in each of the participating restaurants and try a little inexpensive snack made especially for the day.”

A ribbon cutting ceremony along with speeches to dedicate Oroville’s new Centennial Park on Main Street will be at the park starting at 11:30 p.m. Centennial Park, a joint effort between the city, Streetscape and many community volunteers, is located between Sun Lakes Realty and the Peerless Restaurant.

At 12:30 p.m. everyone will get a chance to celebrate with a birthday cake, which Centennial Committee Chairman Walt Hart promises will be a “huge” sheet cake of 8 feet by 4 feet. The cake cutting and Volkswalk drawings are at Madeline Wells Park behind the library.

Hank Cramer of Twisp, a cowboy poet and singer of mining songs, will be part of the entertainment starting at 1 p.m. Cramer is being sponsored by Humanities Washington.

From 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. a car show is on tap at Les Schwab Tire Center parking lot. There will be free hotdogs and drinks from Napa and Les Schwab courtesy of Steve Bayley.

“Drive your car in the Centennial Parade at 10 a.m. prior to the Show and Shine,” encourages Centennial Committee Chairman Walt Hart III.

“This is a non-trophy event with great prizes you won’t have to dust,” he adds.

For more information contact Hart at (509) 476-4633.

On the final two days before the birthday bash, starting Thursday, July 31 Mountain Man George Penner will talk about life in this area after the 1840s starting at 4 p.m. On Friday, Aug. 1, Priya Shellenbarger will give a hands-on spinning and weaving demonstration, also starting at 4 p.m.

Friday’s festivities continue with a Street Dance on Ironwood. From 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. the dancers can two-step to the country sounds of Tupelo and from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. the rockers can come out and dance to the old rock tunes of Keller’s Lighthouse.

Later in the month, on Friday, Aug. 15, a dance from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. is planned at the Depot.

Heritage Days and the Northwest Miner’s Rally follow on Aug. 16 and 17.

Heritage Days, which is sponsored by the Okanogan Borderlands Historical Society, is scheduling events all around town, including art and music at Madeline Wells Park behind the library, tractor races, old-time photographs, a western gunfight, performances at the museum, stagecoach rides and more. The Miner’s Rally promises dredging demos and gold displays at Oroville City Park.

To round out the month on Labor Day Weekend, Aug. 29 to 31 the Rendezvous Blues Fest again returns to Smith’s Point on the shores of Lake Osoyoos. More information on the blues festival can be obtained at rendezvousbluesfestival.com.