Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
It’s time to watch your footing once again: the 85th edition of Tekoa’s Slippery Gulch Days has arrived.
It began Monday, June 10, with the start of the Hangman Creek Fishing Derby, the annual celebration will continue Saturday with a parade, dance, fireworks and more.
Several events are new for this year, said Melinda Wilkins, a Slippery Gulch Days coordinator.
Today at 5 p.m., the Tekoa royalty will host a royal tea for kindergarten through sixth-grade kids at the Tekoa Community Church, featuring a light dinner, an etiquette lesson and a raffle for three spots on the Lilac Festival Queen’s Award-winning Tekoa city float for Saturday’s 11 a.m. parade.
Another new Saturday event will be a watermelon eating contest sponsored by Royal Produce and the dedication of the new Nighthawk outdoor basketball court at 1 p.m. at Lower Park.
Returning Slippery Gulch events include “Small-Town Idol” and “Are You Smarter Than a 50-year Grad?” Both are Saturday afternoon, “Smarter” at 2 p.m. with “Idol” at 6 p.m.
Wilkins said there is a “full slate” of performers for the kids and adult divisions of the singing contest, for which a pirouette dance group will perform during intermission.
John Heaton will return as host for “Idol”, while Jim Thompson will again host “Are You Smarter Than a 50-Year Grad?”
Competing against the class of ‘63 in the local trivia battle will be representatives from other Tekoa graduation/reunion classes, said Wilkins, of which there will be five or six in town.
Saturday’s showcase event, the parade, will honor 2013 Slippery Gulch Days grand marshals Chris and Liz Smith.
Chris, who has served as the parade announcer for as long as many in Tekoa can remember, will hand over the microphone to his brother and sister-in-law, Dan and Melissa Lawhead. After the parade, Chris will likely resume his spot to call the egg toss, Wilkins said, which will line hundreds of competitors on Main Street for the yearly spectacle.
“We’ll see what transpires,” said Wilkins. “You never know with (Chris and Liz).”
Before the parade, another new edition for this year’s Slippery Gulch Days will debut – a Zumba fitness class for any and all who would like to participate.
All the while, other perennial events will include Friday night’s dance for teenagers, with Tekoa princess Morgan Angelo as the disc jockey, as well as the dance for adults in the Headley Building Friday and Saturday nights. Robert Boatsman and the Side Effects will play Friday while Kelly Hughes plays Saturday.
It all culminates in the annual fireworks display Saturday night at 10 p.m. at the football field.
“Because it’s the 85th, we thought we’d do a little bigger show,” Wilkins said.
Other happenings include a fun run at 8 a.m. Saturday at Tekoa High School, a tractor show from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. across from Lower Park, kids games at 1:30 in Lower Park and more.
All together, Wilkins said the town is ready.
“I think it’s just a matter of hoping the weather holds out,” she said. “It’s always a bonus if it’s beautiful weather.”
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
Reader Comments(0)