If You Feel The Need For Speed, Try Hydroplane Races At Tri-Cities
Musically, it’s a big weekend in these parts.
You can catch bluegrass and jazz at The Festival at Sandpoint on Saturday and Sunday, and the Royal Fireworks Concert at 9 p.m. Sunday in Riverfront Park. There are more details about both of these events elsewhere in Weekend.
You’ll find the smaller fare in this humble column. But exciting, all the same.
Water sports
Think hydroplane races and immediately the Tri-Cities come to mind. They’re at it again this weekend with the The Tri-Cities Water Follies Association celebrating 30 years of unlimited hydroplane racing on the Columbia River.
To make things more exciting, an air show has been added to the lineup of the three-day Budweiser Columbia Cup weekend. The Bud Light Laser 200 is a unique aircraft able to reach speeds of more than 230 mph. The AcroFlyers, a flying team from Tacoma, will provide boat race and air show fans with unbelievable moves.
Admission to the races is $5 today, $7 Saturday and $12 in advance for Sunday or $15 at the gate that day. A three-day pass is available for $20.
Community fest
Haven’t been to Montana yet this summer? Here’s your excuse: Kila Countryfest. In the center of the Flathead Valley, Kila will provide non-stop music and entertainment Saturday and Sunday.
The festival features some local talent (Good Vibes, Prairie Mountain String Band) and a variety of solo and duo acts, cowboy poets and more. Artisans from throughout the Northwest will show their work, from copper jewelry to raku pottery, willow furniture and more.
Kids who attend will be able to make masks, work with clay, paint murals, learn to juggle and more. The festival is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Kila is between mile markers 110 and 112 on U.S. Highway 2, just eight miles west of Kalispell.
Get a date
Singles United Northwest, a Christian singles organization, is holding its annual Summer Potluck and Praise Concert at City Park in Coeur d’Alene on Saturday.
The potluck begins at 4 p.m. (bring something to share) and the live concert featuring the Koinonia House Praise Band begins at 7 p.m. Bring your single friends; children are welcome, too.
There is no admission charge. Call (208) 777-8005 for more information.
Birthday party
It’s a garden party, a children’s history fair, an ice cream social and a birthday party - all in one - celebrating the 100th anniversary of the birth of Moscow’s famous novelist, Carol Ryrie Brink.
The Latah County Historical Society, the sponsor, is adding tours of the McConnell Mansion and guided walking tours around the Fort Russell neighborhood. It’s Sunday from 1-5 p.m. The mansion is located at 110 S. Adams in Moscow.
One of the focuses will be on children and connecting their lives with history. The largest attraction will be a pair of matched Belgian draft horses giving wagon rides. Kids also can play in the hands-on area where they can wash clothes and put them through a wringer, beat a rug and try the hand-operated checkwriting machine.
Organizers encourage visitors to come to the party in the spirit of an old-fashioned event - with summer finery, including a fancy hat and vintage clothes.
Admission is $5 per person or $15 per family for non-members and $4 per person and $14 per family for historical society members. Call (208) 882-1004 for more information.
Miscellaneous
To mark the 50-year anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Peace and Justice Action League is showing films tonight and Saturday about the impact of nuclear testing and transportation.
“Bound by the Wind” and “The Transportation of Nuclear Materials” are two short films about cancer in downwinders and about nuclear shipments deliberately mislabeled. On Saturday, the league will show “Building Bombs” and “Does the United States Need Nuclear Weapons?”
The films start at 7 p.m. both nights in the Administration Building auditorium at Gonzaga University, Room 101. Admission is free, though a donation is requested.
The Spokane Corvette Club is holding a car show in the Clock Tower Meadow of Riverfront Park from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.
Anyone with a Corvette or just a hankering for one can come to look at the 50 or so cars on display. There’s no charge.
The Spokane Polo Club is host to its second annual 4x4 tournament at the club through this weekend. Tickets are $3 each or $10 a carload. You can get them at the downtown YMCA or at the field Saturday and Sunday.
Traveling west on U.S. Highway 2, the club is across the highway from the Longhorn BBQ.
Next week
On Wednesday, the Cheney Cowles Museum will be host to an opening reception for the exhibit “Grand Coulee: The building of a dam.” The exhibit will run through Sept. 17.
Following the reception, Paul Pitzer of Portland will speak on “Why We Couldn’t Build Grand Coulee Dam Today.”
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