MOSSYROCK AREA ACTION LEAGUE - GLENN ALDRICH - CHAIRMAN

Blueberry Festival Update:

Our new Event Book is at the printers. We are expecting to get them this week & immediately will begin distribution. We are expecting to each advertiser and local outlets as well as again from Vancouver, to the ocean beaches, to Tacoma, and eastern Washington areas of Yakima, Wenatchee, Chelan, Okanogan/Omak, Tonasket, Othello, and at least as far east as Ritzville .

VERY NICE JOB .... and a lot of time put into it by Jan Meade. Thank you very much, Jan! I believe that it will be the nicest that we have done. More advertisers than last year, which will help our budget.

Lots of 'new' about this year's Blueberry Festival. We are promoting the Festival as "Come to Mossyrock for a weekend of fun". The 'weekend' being a new reason for visitors to come & stay for a day/two...why not for a whole week!? We are providing a bunch of new reasons to 'come & stay'.

The Festival this year will begin at noon Friday 2 August and close at noon Sunday 4 August, with a Car & Boat Parts Swap as a new feature. Also this year includes a Chris Guenter concert, Friday night, free to the public, in Mayfield Village, and is being sponsored by the Lakeside Marina. Thanks to Trent Richardson. Early Saturday morning will be a 5K run, being sponsored by the MHS cross-country team. The traditional parade, organized again by the VFW & Am Vets, will again be a noon-time event, but lineup for the parade will be organized differently which is expected to produce less congestion. On Saturday afternoon will be the Dog Show sponsored by Almost Home animal rescue group as led by Kaija Plant Patio and the Weiner Dog races put on by Pioneer West Nursery... And, of course the CHAMPIONSHIP BLUEBERRY PIE EATING CONTEST, sponsored this year by Robert Morris Masonic Lodge. (Note, this year the pie eating contest is being billed as the "championship' contest....) And, of course will be the traditional Quilt Show, sponsored by the BearCanyon Quilters. Also, this year will be TWO pancake breakfasts, the traditional one on Saturday morning by the Assembly of God and the second one on Sunday morning by the Fire Dist. Also, on Sunday morning between the pancake breakfast & the regular morning church services in the community will be an hour of gospel music by Jerry Skinner, on the Blueberry Festival Stage.

All vendors and events including convenient parking this year will be in Klickitat Park.

A different way to develop the weekend of events is by utilizing EVENT SPONSORS. The various Event Sponsors are responsible for organizing and conducting their event. In exchange the Festival is providing them some public relations promotion. And a great big Thank You! It is hoped that this will become a regular way to put on the Festival and involve greater participation by the community.

More, as we get closer to the first weekend of August!



Glenn