Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
It’s been going for 86 years and its origin is anyone’s guess.
The 86th annual Slippery Gulch Days celebration is in Tekoa this week, the latest incarnation of the event.
“It’s still elusive,” said Slippery Gulch Committee member Melinda Wilkins. “Everybody’s got some theory, but there’s nothing set in stone,” she noted on the origin of the Slippery Gulch title.
The week-long activities began Monday with the opening of the Hangman Creek fishing derby, in which kids catch fish and take them to Tekoa Hardware to be measured.
Saturday brings the main slate of activities as perennial favorites join with new events.
The Chamber Breakfast is from 7:30 to 10 a.m. at Tekoa High School followed by the fun run at 8 a.m.
The parades will grace downtown beginning with the kids’ showing at 10:30 a.m. The Grand Parade begins at 11 a.m., with the Spokane Lilac Association float joining the route. This year’s co-president of Spokane’s Lilac Association is a Tekoa 50-year grad.
The parade’s place of honor will be for 2014 Slippery Gulch Grand Marshals Pete and Fran Martin.
Next will be the renowned egg-toss, an event in which competitors stretch up and over the crown of Crosby Street.
“It’s just grown every year,” said Wilkins.
Chris Smith will again be the master of ceremonies for the parade and egg toss, assisted by his wife Liz. The winning egg-toss duo will each receive $50 while participants age 10 and under receive a $1 coin.
At 1:30 p.m. the 3-on-3 basketball tournament will begin on the new town court which was dedicated at last year’s Slippery Gulch Days.
At 4 p.m. at the Empire Theater will be “Small-Town Idol Champions,” a collection of past winners of the Slippery event, putting on a full show. The opening act is the recurring “Are You Smarter Than A 50-Year-Grad?” competition again hosted by local farmer Jim Thompson, with Mayor John Jaeger keeping score. It starts at 2 p.m.
Classes will vie for the mirrorball trophy. New this year will be visual aids to go with audio cues for the questions.
The class of 1964 will aim to continue the winning tradition of the 50-year graduates.
“They seem to have the advantage, let’s just say,” Wilkins said.
On the slate this year for competition are representatives from the classes of 1984, 1989 and 1994.
Also in the afternoon, family games will be at the Gymkanna Grounds starting at 1 p.m. just down from the egg toss and parade route. Attractions include the watermelon eating contest as well as the dunk tank, operated by the Healthy Tekoa Coalition. The duck race will be in Hangman Creek at 3 p.m.
At dusk, crowds will gather on the grade school hill and the high school baseball field to watch the fireworks.
“There’s something to do for everybody all day long,” said Wilkins.
On Friday night, Lefty’s Uncle, a band from Spokane featuring Tekoa native Cheryl Sieveke, will play at the adult dance at the Headley Building while Saturday night Slippery Gulch mainstays The Kelly Hughes Band will be back.
“He’s been coming many years and he’s a huge draw,” Wilkins said.
Friday night will be the teen dance at the grade school.
A new event Sunday will be a golf scramble at Tekoa Golf Course beginning at 11 a.m.
Leading up to the weekend events, on Thursday, Tekoa High School royalty including queen Kamrynayn Lehn and princesses Rebecca Zimmerman, Madison Bogenreif and Melissa Groom, will hold their royal tea. Teaching etiquette to young kids, they will also hold a raffle in which the four winners will get to ride on Tekoa’s float in the parade, for which this year’s theme is “Walk on the Wildside.”
Wilkins cited new committee members this year helping to continue the 86-year tradition of Slippery Gulch Days.
“Every single slot is filled to help at the chamber breakfast,” she said, as an example. “And that’s a hard job.”
For the event’s annual raffle, items to be claimed include a John Deere lawnmower from Pape Machinery, a potting bench made by agriculture shop students from the high school, and a fire pit and giant dollhouse, both made by Tekoa citizens.
To enter the 3-on-3 basketball competition, call Roy Schulz at (509) 284-6145 or go to http://www.tekoawa.com.
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
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