Oroville gearing up for Centennial Celebration

OROVILLE – Oroville will celebrate its one-hundredth birthday with several Centennial Events leading up to Aug. 2 Incorporation Day.

On July 20 the Okanogan Borderlands Historical Society and the Molson Museum Historical Society will present a four-course high tea and historical fashion show at the Peerless starting at 2 p.m. At 6 p.m. there will be a Dessert Extravaganza and wine tasting at the Peerless.

There are a limited number of tickets for these events and they are available at the Oroville Pharmacy, Depot Museum and the Tumbleweed.

Next up on the agenda is Airport Day at Dorothy Scott Municipal Airport on Saturday, July 26. The excitement begins at 9 a.m. with a pancake breakfast and throughout the day there will be static displays of old airplanes, as well as some vendors on site. A hanger dance to 1940’s music will start at 8 p.m. Period outfits are encouraged.

Also that day will be a golf tournament at Oroville Municipal Golf Course. The tournament, sponsored by Economic Alliance, is a four-person scramble with a shotgun tee time at 9 a.m. For more information call (509) 826-5107.

During Incorporation Week, July 25 to Aug. 2 there are several activities scheduled at the Oroville Public Library, all beginning at 4 p.m. each day. On Friday, July 25 there is a Kick-off Party with sloppy Joes, corndogs and a pie and ice cream social. Musician Brock Hires will perform some old-time music. Jerry Johnston will give a talk on “Indians of the area, pre-1840’s on Saturday, July 26 and on Sunday, July 27 the Oroville Masons will sponsor the 100 year-old kid’s games. On Monday, July 28 Rob Stone will discuss the history of mining in Oroville and Nighthawk.

The next day, Tuesday, July 29 Betty Roberts will demonstrate spinning on her handmade spinning wheels, Dave Hockett will discuss hunting with a bow and Mary Louise Loe will demonstrate her churn. On Wednesday, July 30 Betty Steg discusses honey and the life of a bee and Mark Rabenold will show off some of his handmade saddles.

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. On Friday, Aug. 1 Priya Shellenbarger will give a hands-on spinning and weaving demonstration. The activities continue with a Street Dance on Ironwood. From 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. the dancers can two-step to the country tunes 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.