Deer Park Heads Weekend Festivals

As summer vacation nears its mid-point, it gets tougher to keep kids entertained. But several festivals this weekend will provide plenty of fun things for them — and their parents — to do.

Downriver Days in Ione, Wash., has everything from a “jumping” castle to a putting green for kids, Deer Park’s Settler’s Day features foot races, and Hayden (Idaho) Days has multiple music groups scheduled, including The Red Hot Mamas. And who would want to miss cheering on wee ones in a baby-crawling contest at the Old Time Picnic in Harrison?

Here’s a look at those special events.

Downriver Days

Two busy days are planned in Ione’s City Park for Downriver Days, starting with a cowboy breakfast at 6 a.m. Saturday morning for $3.50. A parade will wind down Main Street at 11, followed by a variety of local performers providing entertainment in the park.

At 1 p.m., a boat race on the Pend Orielle River near the park will feature blindfolded boaters.

Events Saturday and Sunday include an arts-and-crafts bazaar in the park and food booths on Main Street. There will be a beer garden for adults and special activities for children, including ring- and egg-tossing contests, watermelon- and pie-eating contests, a putting green and a jumping castle. (The castle doesn’t jump; kids jump inside it.)

Scenic train rides to nearby Metaline Falls, Wash., will be offered both days for $5. And, at 7:30 p.m. Saturday in Metaline Falls, “The King and I” will be performed in the Cutter Theatre.

Back in Ione, Main Street will rock to the sounds of the band Glass Ambile during the free street dance from 8 to midnight.

The cowboy breakfast will be served again at 6 Sunday morning, and all park activities continue.

Highlight of the celebration, hydro boat races on Pend Orielle River, is from noon to 5. We presume these boaters will not be blindfolded.

To get to Ione from Spokane, head north on the Newport Highway, turn left on Highway 211 and follow the Metaline Falls signs. Ione is just south of Metaline Falls.

Old Time Picnic

Harrison’s Old Time Picnic has everything from foot races to naildriving contests - and the babycrawling contest, when you can truly shout, “Go, baby, go!”

A potluck dinner at 6:30 Friday in the senior citizens building off Main Street starts the weekend.

A junior fishing derby from 9 a.m. to noon is scheduled for Saturday, followed by a potluck at noon.

Kootenai Elementary will be where Better Care, a group of medical professionals from the Benewah Community Hospital in St. Maries, performs at 7 p.m. The school is seven miles south of Harrison at the junction of Highways 3 and 97.

Sunday’s events begin with a breakfast at 7:30 a.m. in City Park; cost is $3.50 for adults and $2.50 for kids. A 1.5-mile fun run starts at 8:30, after runners check in at Rose Cafe on Main Street.

A parade marches down Main Street at 9:30 a.m., with the much-anticipated baby-crawling contest at 11:30 a.m. in the park.

Afternoon events include foot races for all ages, sack races and other games that were played regularly in a bygone era. A women’s nail-driving contest starts pounding at 2 p.m., followed by a men’s obstacle contest. Awards will be presented to the oldest and newest old-timers.

The day’s final performances by local musical groups begins at 3.

To reach Harrison, head south on Highway 95 from Coeur d’Alene.

Settlers Days

This is the 78th annual Deer Park Settlers Days, believed to be the state’s longest-running festival. Third and fourth generations now enjoy the tradition their ancestors began all those years ago.

Things start at noon Friday in Mix Park, with a variety of food and arts-and-craft booths, and people can belt out tunes accompanied by a karaoke machine. A beer garden will serve up suds in the park in the afternoon.

Volleyball will be played all day at Levi’s Minit Market at Fourth and Railroad.

The Deer Park Rodeo’s first performance will be at 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Deer Park Fair Grounds.

Pancakes will be flipped for Saturday’s breakfast from 6 to 10 a.m. at the Deer Park Fire Station. Tickets are $4 for adults; $3.50 for seniors, $2 for kids under 12, or $12 per family.

A kiddie parade forms at the golf course at 9:45 a.m. and will wind down Crawford and Main streets. The Settlers parade follows at 10.

After the parade, the booths and beer garden open in Mix Park, with several events slated at the park’s Burdette Gazebo, including the Model-T Square Dancers, Whistling Midgets and other groups.

The Reiter Races, named after a pioneer family, start in the afternoon and include foot races for all ages, three-legged and clothespin races and a penny toss. Riven, a popular local band, performs from 3 to 7 p.m.

Activities will also be happening in Swinyard Park on Saturday: A 3-on-3 basketball tournament begins at 11 a.m.; registration is closed, but spectators are welcome. Members of SCOPE Child ID will be in the park all day.

The rodeo begins at 7:30 p.m. Saturday; the final performance is at 1 Sunday afternoon. Rodeo tickets are $6 on Friday; $7 on Saturday; and $5 on Sunday. Tickets for children between 6 and 12 years old are $3 for all performances. Tickets can be purchased at the gate or in advance at the Boot Corral in Spokane, and in Deer Park at Earl Insurance and the fair office.

Tee times at the Deer Park Golf Course, 1201 N. Country Club Drive, are also available throughout the weekend.

Hayden Days

Events in Hayden (Idaho) City Park begin with opening ceremonies at 5 p.m Friday; food booths will be open during the evening and the Twelve Stone Alter Band will play until 8.

A parade down Government Way begins at 11 a.m. Saturday, followed by activities in the park continuing until 8 p.m.

The Coyote of FROG-FM radio will host the afternoon’s entertainment. Several music groups are scheduled, including the Red Hot Mamas from Coeur d’Alene. A silent auction and several raffles will run on Saturday, featuring everything from works of art to a security system to free rental of a ski boat.

Both days feature food vendors, arts-and-crafts booths, and a variety of fun stuff for kids including a petting zoo, face painting, a dunk tank and basketball.

Hayden is north of Coeur d’Alene on Highway 95.