Rathdrum Days unites community

Thu., July 10, 2008

Mary Jane Honegger The Spokesman-Review

Schedule of Events

Rathdrum Days

» All events take place at the Lakeland High School grounds unless otherwise noted. Rathdrum Days is sponsored by the Rathdrum Area Chamber of Commerce. Visit the Web site at rathdrumdays.org or call 687-2866 for more information.

July 18

Noon – Craft, commercial and food vendors, lawn games and carnival booths open.

2 p.m. – Loftus Bros. Fiddlers

3 p.m. – Ronald McDonald Magic Show

3:30 p.m. – Connelly Family

5 p.m. – Mayor's Welcome

6 p.m. – Battle of the Bands

6 p.m. – Beer Garden opens on Main Street

6:30 p.m. – Car Cruise and Show – leaves Breakfast Nook Restaurant

7 p.m. – Street dance on Main Street

8 p.m. – Car Cruise tours Main Street

July 19

7-11 a.m. – VFW breakfast at Lion's Club on Highway 53

8 a.m. – Fun Run

8 a.m. – 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament

9:30 a.m. – Kiddie Parade on Main Street

10 a.m. – Main Street Parade

10 a.m. – Craft, commercial and food vendors open. All day events include climbing wall, dunk tank, the fire department's smoke house and carnival booths.

10 a.m. – Lion's Club Classic Car Show

11:45 a.m. – Wiener Dog Races

Noon – Lawn games begin

12:15 p.m. – Ronald McDonald Magic Show

12:30 p.m. – Lawn Mower Races (Main Street by McDonald's)

12:45 p.m. – Susie's Tap and Jazz Dance

1 p.m. – Ronald McDonald's Big Wheel Races – Super One parking lot

1:15 p.m. – Real Life Ministries Band

2:15 p.m. – Watermelon Eating Contest

3:30 p.m. – Magic Show

4:30 p.m. – Lake City Harmonizers

5 p.m. – Brad Sondahl

5:30 p.m. – Frank Delaney

6 p.m. – Square Dance Demo

7 p.m. – Karaoke Contest

Rathdrum Days just keeps growing. With a few new activities and the return of many old favorites, the July 18 and 19 event, sponsored by the Rathdrum Area Chamber of Commerce, offers fun for the entire family. According to Rathdrum Days Committee Chairwoman Janice Wilcox, “It will be an exciting weekend for Rathdrum and the entire community.”

Organizers are thrilled about new Friday night events. “There will be a party downtown on Friday night,” said Wilcox. That party will include the return of the popular street dance, “But, there will be a twist,” she added. The dance, featuring Night Shift, has been moved to Main Street in front of City Hall and a beer garden will open across the street in the grassy area next to the Palidash Building. A Car Cruise sponsored by the Chamber will add to the excitement when it arrives to take a leisurely tour down Main Street following a tour of local communities.

Rathdrum Days will officially begin following opening ceremonies at the Lakeland High School grounds at noon on Friday. Activities will include entertainment, a carnival and lawn games, and more than 80 crafts, commercial and food vendors. Rathdrum Mayor Vic Holmes, Ronald McDonald, the Fire Department’s Smoke House and even the bookmobile will be on hand during the two-day event.

Some returning favorites include the climbing wall sponsored by the Lakeland Co., the watermelon eating contest, the Big Wheel races sponsored by McDonald’s, the dunk tank sponsored by Dairy Queen and the ever popular weiner dog races. On Saturday, the VFW will once again be offering their pancake breakfast, the Lions Club Classic Car Show will line up as usual and lawn mowers will race down Main Street.

Saturday morning excitement includes the Kiddie and Main Street Parades with dozens of entries. There is still time to sign up to participate in the parade, City Administrator Brett Boyer’s favorite part of Rathdrum Days. “For a small city, the parade is really fun and it really shows a small-town atmosphere – seeing people you know walking in the parade,” he said. This year, those “people you know” will include the Grand Marshals, Norm and Cherrie Heitstuman, the mayor and the City Council.

Rathdrum Parks and Recreation Director Lance Bridges says the city will be helping with the event, once again sponsoring the 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament, and helping out with the Rathdrum Days fun run and the Big Wheel race. Bridges says he is expecting about 80 teams for the Basketball Tournament and 125 to 150 3-to-7-year-olds for the Big Wheel race. Every kid racing a big wheel will receive a coupon for a Happy Meal and winners will receive prize certificates.

Another exciting part of Rathdrum Days this year is two full days of music and entertainment. On Friday, a Ronald McDonald Magic Show, the Connelly Family and the Loftus Bros. Fiddlers will take to the stage. The evening will end with an exciting Battle of the Bands, featuring many local groups.

Saturday’s lineup includes the Ronald McDonald Magic Show, a bevy of dancers from Susie’s Tap and Jazz Dance, the Lake City Harmonizers and the Real Life Ministries Band. Afternoon visitors will be treated to the music of Brad Sondahl and Frank Delaney and will enjoy a square dance demonstration. A karaoke contest will round out the entertainment for the day.

The Chamber’s first Car Cruise is open to anyone, and the only registration requirement is to be on time. The cruise will leave The Breakfast Nook (previously Route 53 Diner) at 6:30 p.m. on Friday and will travel through Spirit Lake, Athol, Coeur d’Alene and Post Falls before it ends with a tour down Main Street in Rathdrum. The cruise is expected to last about 1 1/2 hours.

“Rathdrum Days is the largest event of the year. It is a way to celebrate summer; a way to bring our community together; and a way to reach out to outlying communities,” said Wilcox. “Don’t miss it!”

For more information including application forms for various events, go to rathdrumdays.org, or call the Chamber at 687-2866.

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