Festival Frenzy Pick Your Weekend And Go! There’s Lots Going On In The Area This Summer

Long summer days seem like they’re made for community festivals. Often the fun is on the low-key level, but then that’s OK when the temperatures rise in the afternoon. Most towns have some kind of summer celebration, even if it’s just a Fourth of July mainstreet fair with fireworks when light fades. Activities range from food and crafts booths to community rodeos and parades and more elaborate events like the laser light show that plays off the face of Grand Coulee Dam.

And although some festivals are more organized than others, most are put together by volunteers and committees so patience is the order of the day when events don’t come off as planned and in some cases may not come off at all. Remember, the point is to go, have some fun and enjoy life at a smaller, slower level.

To that end, we’ve put together a calendar of some of the festivals, fairs and weekend events in the region. It’s not comprehensive because some of the events simply aren’t that far along in the planning phase. And, in some cases, the dates have been decided but details are pending.

Here’s the lineup; watch the Weekend What’s On list for event details the week you’re interested in going.

Today - Cowboy Days continues at Spokane Falls Community College with free line-dancing lesson, a barbecue, stock dogs rounding up calves, horseshoeing, trick roping and cowboy poet Ron Tobio.

Today-Sunday - Moses Lake Spring Festival in McCosh Park in Moses Lake.

Today/Saturday - Nostalgia Days at the City Park in Chewelah.

Saturday/Sunday - Grand Coulee Dam Laser Light Festival in the park below the Grand Coulee Dam Visitor Center. The fair opens at 11 a.m. both days and there will be arts and crafts, food, entertainment, a bed race and a laser show. A fireworks show will be held Sunday at 10:40 p.m. The laser show will continue each night at 10 through the summer.

May 31-June 2 - ArtFest at Cheney Cowles Museum. Art booths, food and entertainment.

May 31-June 1 - Town & Country Days in Kettle Falls.

June 1-2 - Curlew Barrel Derby in Curlew.

June 1-2 - 27th annual Rosalia Battle Days with a Wagon Whoa breakfast from 6 to 9 a.m. at the fire station, a kiddie parade at 10:15 and a big parade at 10:30, a barbecue lunch, a variety show at 2 p.m. in the Rosalia school gym and a dance at the fire station at 9 p.m. All day there will be a street fair. The 12th annual Rosalia Rodeo is at 1:30 p.m. May 31 and June 1 at the Rodeo Grounds.

June 7-8 - Prospector’s Days/Arts and Craft Show in Republic.

June 7-8 - PWRA Rodeo at the Ferry County Fairgrounds in Republic.

June 7-9 - Alpine Square Dance Festival at the Colville High School.

June 7-9 - Summer Columbia Barter Faire along the Columbia River at Northport.

June 8 - Timber Festival at the Bonner County Fairgrounds in Sandpoint, focusing on logging-related activities.

June 8 - Rodeo City Roundup at the Ellensburg Rodeo Arena followed by country music shows.

June 13-14 - Gyro Days in Wallace. Carnival, fun, food.

June 14-16 - Coulee Cruizers Best Rod Run by a Dam Site held at Grand Coulee Dam. Events include a Friday night cruize-in, show-n-shine, picnic, poker run, and scavenger hunt.

June 14-16 - Colville PRCA Rodeo at the Northeast Washington Fairgrounds. Bull-o-rama at 7 p.m. June 14, parade at 1 p.m. and rodeo at 7 p.m. June 15, rodeo at 2:30 p.m. June 16. (Admission to the rodeo is $7, $4 for kids 6-12).

June 15 - Medical Lake Founder’s day with a triathlon, softball tournaments, a chicken barbecue, artisans fair, food booths, entertainment and a parade at 11 a.m.

June 15-16 - North Pend Oreille Valley Lion’s Excursion Train Ride from Ione to Metaline Falls at 11 a.m., 1 and 3 p.m. Reservations: 442-3397 two weeks prior to the ride.

June 21-23 - The annual Newport Rodeo at the Rodeo Grounds at the south end of town. Festivities include a parade on June 22 at 11 a.m. through downtown Newport. Anyone can participate and there’s no need to sign up; just show up and join the lineup.

June 22 - Rodeo City Roundup at Ellensburg Rodeo Arena followed by country music shows.

June 22 - Pig Out in the Park in Harrison.

June 29 - Slippery Gulch Celebration in Tekoa, with breakfast fun run, parade, car show, barbecue, games, dances and fireworks.

July 1-7 - Colville Tribal PowWow Encampment on the tribal grounds at Nespelem, with dancing, drumming, stick games and food booths.

July 3-4 - The 54th annual Chesaw Fourth of July Rodeo. Events begin and end with barn dances at 9 p.m. July 3 and July 5. On July 4 there’s a cowboy breakfast at 6 a.m. at the Molson Grange, games for people of all ages at 10 a.m., a parade (anyone can participate) at 12:30 p.m. and a rodeo at 1 p.m.

July 4 - Fourth of July parade and fireworks in Coeur d’Alene.

July 4: Fireworks Festival at the Northeast Washington Fairgrounds in Colville.

July 4-6 - Fourth of July Festival at Grand Coulee Dam opens at 10 a.m. daily. With arts and crafts, a food fair and entertainment and fireworks on July 4 at 10:40 p.m.

July 5-7 - Pend Oreille County Pioneer Weekend in Newport.

July 6 - Rodeo City Roundup at the Ellensburg Rodeo Arena followed by country music shows.

July 6-7 - North Pend Oreille Valley Lion’s Excursion Train Ride from Ione to Metaline Falls at 11 a.m., 1 and 3 p.m. Reservations: 442-3397 two weeks prior to the ride.

July 12-13 - the 29th annual Cheney Rodeo starts at 7:30 p.m July 12, 5 p.m. July 13 and 2 p.m. July 14.

July 12-14 - Chataqua at the City Park in Chewelah.

July 13-14 - Newport Junior Rodeo at the Rodeo Grounds in Newport.

July 14 - Historic Skills Fair at Cataldo Mission in Cataldo.

July 19 - Mule Extravaganza at Lincoln County Fairgrounds in Davenport, with a trophy saddle for the All-Around Mule winner.

July 19-20 - International Old-Time Fiddle Contest in Newport.

July 19-21 - Huckleberry Festival in Bonners Ferry.

July 20 - Pioneer Days Celebration in Davenport with a parade at 11 a.m. and a dance at 9 p.m.

July 20 - Rodeo City Roundup at the Ellensburg Rodeo Arena followed by country music shows.

July 20-21 - Sportsman’s Day in Wallace with the Idaho State Chili and Barbeque Cookoff, archery and black powder exhibitions, crafts, food, music and raffles.

July 20-21 - Colville Light Horse Show at the Northeast Washington Fairgrounds.

July 20-21 - Pend Oreille Poker Paddle. Canoers can make reservations to take the train back from Ione to Usk so they don’t need to leave vehicles at both the put-in and take-out points. The one-way ride is $10 and reservations are required by July 1. The poker paddle starts at Usk and paddlers stay overnight at the Outpost Resort (445-1317) or Blueslide Resort (445-1327).

July 20-21 - s.m.ART by the River Art Festival at St. Maries.

July 26-27 - Cruizin at the Park in Colville. The event includes Tail Gate Cruizin and drive-in movie July 26, and a dinner and dance July 27.

July 20-21 - Frontier Days Rodeo and Celebration and the Stevens County Arts Fest in Springdale.

July 23 - St. Joe Outdoor Festival celebrating National Hunting and Fishing Day in Avery.

July 24-26 - Kootenai Valley Days in Bonners Ferry.

July 26-28 - Down River Days in Ione includes a youth dance July 26, cowboy breakfast at the Ione City Park 6:30-10 a.m. July 27 and 28, bingo, street dance (July 27 at 9 p.m.), fun run, a parade at 11 a.m. on July 27, craft shows, concessions and train rides. The boat parade on the Pend Oreille River and hydro boat races near Ione City Park are on July 28.

July 27 - LeCocq Ranch Music Festival at Northeast Washington Fairgrounds in Colville. An all-day music fest starring the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Doug Kershaw, Homeward Bound, Kelly Hughes and the Border Patrol, and eight other acts. Tickets: $27.50. Info: 684-5973

July 27-29 - Fireman’s Fun Festival in Mullan, with fire drills, ladder climbing, firehose drills and family fun.

July 28 - Fifth annual Pacific Northwest Model Tug Championships at Medical Lake Park in Medical Lake. Racing starts at 10 a.m.

Aug. 1-3 - Crazy Days in Kellogg.

Aug. 2-4 - Art on the Green on the campus of North Idaho College in Coeur d’Alene.

Aug. 2-4 - 11th annual Colville Rendezvous at Colville’s Yep Kanum City Park. Entertainment includes Kelowna B.C. Bagpipers, Shameless, Ronald McDonald, Irish and Equadorean music, arts and crafts, food booths and tug-o-war. The Rendezvous Horseshoe Tournament is Aug. 3-4.

Aug. 2-4 - Fabulous ‘50s Car Show and Swapmeet at Newport.

Aug. 3 - Avery Days in Avery.

Aug. 3 - Rodeo City Roundup at the Ellensburg Rodeo Arena followed by country music shows.

Aug. 3-4 - Molly B Days in Murray, with a Molly B Dam look-alike contest, wheelchair races, street fair, beer garden, music and food.

Aug. 8-11 - Omak Stampede and Suicide Race in Omak.

Aug. 10 - Second annual Fiddle Contest at Colville High School.

Aug. 10-11 - Founders Day at Oldtown.

Aug. 12-15 - Boundary County Fair at Bonners Ferry Fairgrounds.

Aug. 13-17 - Grant County Fair and Rodeo (15-17) at the Grant County Fairgrounds in Moses Lake.

Aug. 15-18 - Pend Oreille County Fair and Rodeo in Cusick.

Aug. 16-18 - Mountain Man Rendezvous at the Cataldo Mission in Cataldo.

Aug. 16-17 - Huckleberry Festival in Wallace, with arts fair, fun run, bakeoff, music, a parade and huckleberry pancake breakfast.

Aug. 16-18 - The 47th annual Moran Fair at the Moran Fairgrounds and Grange Hall, 61st and Palouse Highway. Events include a horse show, gymkhana, livestock, poultry, rabbits, cat and dog shows, garden produce, flowers, baked goods, games, exhibits and cakewalks..

Aug. 16-18 - Eastern Washington Junior Rodeo Finals at Northeast Washington Fairgrounds in Colville.

Aug. 17 - Hunters Fair in Hunters.

Aug. 17-19 - Huckleberry Festival in Wallace.

Aug. 19-24 - Bonner County Fair at Bonner County Fairgrounds in Sandpoint.

Aug. 21-25 - North Idaho Fair and Rodeo at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds in Coeur d’Alene.

Aug. 22-25 - Bull-a-Rama on Aug. 23 and Jackpot Rodeo on Aug. 24 at Lincoln County Fairgrounds in Davenport. Horse day on Aug. 25. Events include a children’s village blacksmith shop, music, exhibits and animals.

Aug. 29-Sept. 2 - Labor Day PowWow in Wellpinit.

Aug. 30-Sept. 2 - Paul Bunyan Days in St. Maries.

Aug. 31-Sept. 1 - North Pend Oreille Valley Lions excursion train ride from Ione to Metaline Falls at 11 a.m., 1 and 3 p.m. Reservations: 442-3397 two weeks prior to the ride.

Aug. 31-Sept. 1 - An Affair on Main Street in Metaline Falls. Main Street Breakfast 7:30-10 a.m., food and craft booths, entertainment, demonstrations and performances of “Godspell” at the Cutter Theatre.

Sept. 2 - Labor Day Parade and Lions Bar-B-Que in Northport.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: RODEO ROUND-UP Here’s the lineup of some of the rodeos in the region: May 31-June 1 - Rosalia Rodeo June 7-8 - PWRA Rodeo in Republic June 8 - Rodeo City Roundup in Ellensburg June 14-16 - PRCA Rodeo in Colville June 21-23 - Newport Rodeo June 22 - Rodeo City Roundup in Ellensburg July 3-4 - Chesaw Fourth of July Rodeo July 5-14 - Calgary Stampede - it’s far afield but avid rodeo goers plan summer vacations around this extravaganza. For ticket info: (800) 661-1767 July 6 - Rodeo City Roundup in Ellensburg July 12-13 - Cheney rodeo July 13-14 - Newport Junior Rodeo July 30 - Rodeo City Roundup in Ellensburg July 20-21 - Frontier Days Rodeo in Springdale Aug. 3 - Rodeo City Roundup in Ellensburg Aug. 8-11 - Omak Stampede Aug. 13-17 - Grant County Rodeo in Moses Lake Aug. 15-18 - Pend Oreille County Rodeo in Cusick Aug. 16-18 - Eastern Washington Junior Rodeo Finals in Colville Aug. 21-25 - North Idaho Rodeo in Coeur d’Alene Aug. 24 - Jackpot Rodeo in Davenport Sept. 11-14 - The World Famous Pendleton Round-up and Happy Canyon Pageant - you’ll have to travel to get to this rodeo, but many do. For info: (800) 457-6336 Sept. 27-29 - Pro-West Rodeo Finals in Newport