Hauser Daze to honor longtime residents
The community of Hauser Lake is creating a “little bit of Americana,” according to Hauser Daze organizer Kathy Lankford.
Hauser Daze will take place Saturday at Hauser Lake County Park, located at the boat launch behind the Hauser Fire Station. The public is invited to this family friendly day.
The event is free, but organizers are asking people to bring a nonperishable food item to donate to a local food bank.
“We are hoping this annual event will become a tradition bringing this small fishing community together with pride and friendship,” said 55-year Hauser resident and co-organizer Carol Spuler.
This year’s theme, “A Step Back In Time,” is meant to honor Hauser’s original longtime residents.
According to Spuler, many of these Hauser families have three or four generations still living around the lake – Wachter, Spuler, Matheson, Sales, Jahnsen, Colton and Peone are just a few of the family names people might recognize.
Spuler’s mom, Esther Spuler, along with Shirley, Bob, Joe and Violet Wachter and Nancy Matheson were some of the members of the original Hauserettes, who started Hauser Daze, at the urging of the city of Hauser, in the early 1980s. The celebration continued annually until 1992.
After a 17-year absence and with the help of Amelia Kirk, Spuler’s daughter, Hauser Daze was resurrected in 2009 with great success.
Kirk said she was interested in jumpstarting Hauser Daze again mostly in memory of her grandmother, Esther Spuler, who died in 2000.
“It is a fun way for everyone to come together and for neighbor to meet neighbor,” Kirk said.
“In my grandmother’s day, everyone knew each other if they lived around the lake.”
The fun begins at 5 a.m. with the fishing derby, which continues until 2 p.m. The scales will be open noon to 2 p.m. and the fishing derby awards ceremony will be held at 3 p.m. at Hauser Lake County Park.
The Car Classics Show-n-Shine registration begins at 9:30 a.m. A parade is scheduled at 10 a.m., with arts and crafts vendors opening at 11 a.m. at the Hauser Lake Boat Launch. The parade will feature a late 1930s Chevrolet firetruck, antique cars and trucks, motorcycles, mules, pets, bicycles, community groups, homemade floats and anyone else who wishes to join in.
Whiskey Ridge, will be playing country and classic rock all day, and there will be a kids’ corner, camel rides, dunk tank, cakewalk and balloon toss. The Lions Club will be barbecuing chicken, and other vendors will be offering food.
A pie-baking contest begins at 11:30 a.m., followed by the fireman’s competition at noon; adult and kid relay races at 1:30 p.m.; horseshoe tournament at 2:30 p.m.; and country swing dancing at 3 p.m.
The organizing committee is encouraging anyone who is interested to sign up to participate.
“As we move forward into a new decade, we need to take a step back in time to honor our original longtime residents, some only with us in memories,” said Carol Spuler.