QUOTE
Bigfoot Days kicks off with big turnout in Willow Creek
Allison White/The Times-Standard - Posted: 09/06/2009
The rain was kind to Willow Creek on Saturday -- dripping on nearby towns but waiting until after the Bigfoot Days parade for just a light sprinkle.
The 49th annual Bigfoot Days celebration brought out a stream of locals and travelers to the parade, car show and vendor fair. Parade participants used the Bigfoot theme to adorn their vehicles and floats to pay homage to the big, furry Sasquatch.
Community services general manager Steve Paine said the turnout was impressive, like it always is.
”It's been great the last few years,” he said.
The 49-year-old tradition comes from the logging community of Willow Creek solidifying in 1957 and the start of the Bigfoot Days celebration in 1960.
”1957 -- That's kind of a magic date,” he said. “We came together as a community.”
Paine acted as announcer for the parade as classic cars, candy-throwing pedestrians and Bigfoot floats passed down U.S. Highway 299 in Willow Creek.
Willow Creek Fire Safe Council's float won the best use of the parade's theme with a man playing Sasquatch on top of the flat-bed truck and two unsuspecting boaters nearby.
DreamQuest had at least two groups and a float in the parade, including a group of young belly dancers-in-training and a class of Bell's Academy Tae Kwon Do students.
Michael Bell led about 20 youngsters to perform various Tae Kwon Do moves before the crowd during the parade and they also gave a demonstration at the vendor fair.
”They had a blast,” Bell said. “It's our first exhibition and our first parade.”
His program started last November and has had up to 40 students in the class. Students performed warm-ups and each rank of blue, green and yellow belts showed off their talents.
Aside from high-kicking Tae Kwon Do students, the vendor fair played host to barbecue and numerous other food booths and was placed next to the seventh annual Jerry and Gary's Memorial Show-n-Shine Car and Bike Show. More than a dozen shined-up classics were on display at Veteran's Park.
Bubba and Sarah Fry of Salyer brought their two girls, 3-year-old Solene and 2-year-old Scarlet, to Bigfoot Days and took a walk through the car show and watched the parade.
”I'm a local so I'm here every year,” Bubba Fry said.
Solene said her favorite part of the parade was “fire trucks and candy.”
The Bigfoot Days celebration continues today and Monday at Veteran's Park in Willow Creek.
Allison White can be reached at 441-0506 or awhite@times-standard.com.
Allison White/The Times-Standard - Posted: 09/06/2009
The rain was kind to Willow Creek on Saturday -- dripping on nearby towns but waiting until after the Bigfoot Days parade for just a light sprinkle.
The 49th annual Bigfoot Days celebration brought out a stream of locals and travelers to the parade, car show and vendor fair. Parade participants used the Bigfoot theme to adorn their vehicles and floats to pay homage to the big, furry Sasquatch.
Community services general manager Steve Paine said the turnout was impressive, like it always is.
”It's been great the last few years,” he said.
The 49-year-old tradition comes from the logging community of Willow Creek solidifying in 1957 and the start of the Bigfoot Days celebration in 1960.
”1957 -- That's kind of a magic date,” he said. “We came together as a community.”
Paine acted as announcer for the parade as classic cars, candy-throwing pedestrians and Bigfoot floats passed down U.S. Highway 299 in Willow Creek.
Willow Creek Fire Safe Council's float won the best use of the parade's theme with a man playing Sasquatch on top of the flat-bed truck and two unsuspecting boaters nearby.
DreamQuest had at least two groups and a float in the parade, including a group of young belly dancers-in-training and a class of Bell's Academy Tae Kwon Do students.
Michael Bell led about 20 youngsters to perform various Tae Kwon Do moves before the crowd during the parade and they also gave a demonstration at the vendor fair.
”They had a blast,” Bell said. “It's our first exhibition and our first parade.”
His program started last November and has had up to 40 students in the class. Students performed warm-ups and each rank of blue, green and yellow belts showed off their talents.
Aside from high-kicking Tae Kwon Do students, the vendor fair played host to barbecue and numerous other food booths and was placed next to the seventh annual Jerry and Gary's Memorial Show-n-Shine Car and Bike Show. More than a dozen shined-up classics were on display at Veteran's Park.
Bubba and Sarah Fry of Salyer brought their two girls, 3-year-old Solene and 2-year-old Scarlet, to Bigfoot Days and took a walk through the car show and watched the parade.
”I'm a local so I'm here every year,” Bubba Fry said.
Solene said her favorite part of the parade was “fire trucks and candy.”
The Bigfoot Days celebration continues today and Monday at Veteran's Park in Willow Creek.
Allison White can be reached at 441-0506 or awhite@times-standard.com.
