Rathdrum celebrates people, past
<p>Kids fly in orbit around the "YOYO" Saturday morning at Rathdrum Days.</p>
<p>Koby Thomas, 12, does a back flip on a bungee-jump ride at Rathdrum Days Saturday afternoon.</p>
<p>Austin Bergen, 3, left, and Jullian Mendoza, 4, laugh as they spin around on the tilt-a-whirl at Rathdrum Days.</p>
RATHDRUM - The town of Rathdrum is in full festival mode this weekend.
Rathdrum Days began Friday and goes until 5 p.m. today. The theme this year is "Reflections of our Past." Festivities can be found all across town as Rathdrum celebrates its history and community.
Event-goers can ride camels, dunk cheerleaders, buy colorful summer clothing, pet goats, get their nervous systems checked, eat a meatball on a stick and wash it down with a frozen lemonade all at the vendor and food fair on the lawn of Lakeland High School.
Saturday was vibrant. It began with a parade on Main Street and continued with plenty of activities, including the wiener dog race at noon, the Lions Classic Car Show at Lakeland Junior High and a carnival on Lakeland Rotary/Hico Field. Historic tours of the Old Kootenai County Jail went from 9-5, with a panel of local authors in the first part of the day and Dutch oven cooking in the courtyard, complete with homemade cantaloupe ice cream.
Friends Kody Blowers, 17, of Post Falls, and Riley Ahrnsbrak, 15, of Spirit Lake, sought refuge from the blazing afternoon sun under a tree near the basketball court of the junior high. They were having fun, and enjoyed a culinary experience earlier that day.
"We got some walking tacos, they were free from this guy at some candy stand," Blowers said.
"We were like the spokesperson of the walking tacos today, walking advertisements," Ahrnsbrak chimed in. "He put Fritos in the bottom, and all the taco stuff, and you mix it all together, and you just eat it out of the bag, and it's walking tacos."
"It was pretty awesome," Blowers said.
Traci and Ben Chavez, of Coeur d'Alene, and 16-year-old daughter Tori are the proud owners of six-time wiener dog race champion Oscar Mayer, a 7-year-old brown dachshund.
"He never stops, he's like a Lab," Ben said.
"We thought of retiring him, but he loves it," Traci said. Their 3-year-old black dachshund Oliver came in third place. Traci said it's because he always chases the dog in front of him.
The more than 90-degree heat made for some hot dogs, so fewer dachshunds participated than in previous years.
Lakeland High School cheerleaders painted faces and had a dunk tank at the edge of the vendor fair. Head coach Jennifer Bassett said the team was raising money to help out with camp, competition fees, uniforms and other items the cheerleaders must purchase themselves.
"It's been a nice warm day, so that's perfect," she said, smiling. "They don't mind getting wet quite as much and then there's those few that kind of panic."
The fun continues today with Big Back-in lawnmower races on Lakeland Rotary/Hico Field at 11 a.m., rock crawling and vendors at Lakeland High from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., a magic show at noon, a watermelon eating contest at Super 1 Foods from 1 to 2 p.m., live music and more.
Info: www.rathdrumchamberofcommerce.com