Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Tractor tires in a tumbling hillside race, bratwurst smells in September air and the Fabulous Kingpins bringing guitars and drums.
It’s all set to happen at the first Farmington Harvest Festival Sept. 22.
The new event is to raise money for the town’s Parks Department.
Festival Chairman Frank Triplett and committee have been meeting every two weeks to prepare for the event, for which five bands have been booked.
The Fabulous Kingpins will be the headliners, playing classic rock on a covered stage at the west end of town facing the park.
A fun run and activities for kids will start the festival, followed by hamburgers, hot dogs, bratwurst, lentil chili, Ferdinand’s ice cream and a beer and wine garden.
A tractor tire race will be held at Doug and Kathy Bruce’s property. Participants will paint a giant tractor tire (or possibly just an inner tube, depending on safety issues), and send it rolling down the Bruces’ hill. Whoever’s tire gets to the bottom first wins a $500 cash prize.
In the crowd watching will surely be a few of the 150 motorcyclists which the Abate Motorcycle Group has promised to send. They will put on a cycle show and shine in town during the afternoon.
There will also be a show and shine for classic cars, said Triplett.
“I just keep telling everybody we want to keep it small but our committee is so exuberant, we just keep adding to it,” Triplett said.
There will also be special Farmington Harvest Festival t-shirts on sale.
This week, banners are being made which will hang over Farmington Road and Warner Road at the Farmington city limits. One banner will stretch across the way to Oakesdale and the other to Tekoa.
A veteran of organizing conventions, Triplett retired three weeks ago from his job as Director of Water and Hydroelectric Services for the City of Spokane.
Triplett said he and the committee will keep working, adding and refining until the Harvest Festival arrives.
“It should be a good time and we hope to make some money and do some good things in the park,” he said.
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
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