Soaking up the fun in Bayview
<p>Alexis Carter orders an ice cream cone at the Bayview Daze Street Fair on Saturday afternoon. Carter has been to Bayview Daze ever since she was little. “It’s great to see all the locals come alive because Bayview Daze is the biggest event of the year,” Carter said, “they put a lot work into it.”</p>
<p>David Wane Sears prepares his prizes at the fish pond game at the Bayview Daze street fair on Saturday afternoon.</p>
<p>Ashlynn Fassler, 3, of Coeur d’Alene takes a ride on the merry go ‘round at Bayview Daze Street Fair on Saturday afternoon.</p>
Jeffrey and Patty Kiecker wandered around the main strip of Bayview, taking in all the sights and having a cheerful good time.
The Saturday afternoon sunshine bounced off Jeff's bright rainbow umbrella hat, a novelty he bought at Bayview Daze for $1 a few years ago.
"You know how many people comment, 'I like your hat," Jeffrey said.
"We love Bayview," Patty said.
The Kieckers, of Hauser, have been enjoying Bayview Daze for more than 10 years. Every Fourth of July weekend they stay with their friends Cathy and Ted Armstrong, who live in Bayview, and celebrate Independence Day with a multitude of others who have also made Bayview Daze an annual outing.
"This is tradition. We come every year," Patty said. "They're our best friends. There's a whole gang of us. Family, relatives, you name it, they come."
Jeff said he loves the way the boom of the fireworks show echoes off the mountains.
"They sound awesome," he said. "Bayview is the place to be."
Friends, families and first-time visitors flocked to the sleepy little lake town for a weekend of fun, which included a parade down Main Street, a street fair of arts and crafts vendors, a carnival, a boat parade and a brilliant fireworks display over Lake Pend Oreille.
Longtime Bayview resident Ralph Jones, who owns Ralph's Coffee House, said he has been "the face of Bayview" for many years. Several people stopped into his cozy cafe to say hello or ask for his assistance as he described some Bayview Daze history. He said the annual festival began back in the 1980s and used to be a bit wild in its day, but nowadays, the weekend provides a great environment for families.
"My favorite part of Bayview Daze is being the emcee of the parade," he said. "I thoroughly enjoy that part of it."
The parade featured several fun floats and entries, including an authentic 1961 Army Jeep, named "General Chaos," that was driven by highly decorated Army Lt. Col. Chad Uhl. Uhl's proud parents, Bayview residents Rich and Linda Uhl, live right on Main Street where they can see all the action of Bayview Daze. They visited with friends and neighbors in front of their home in the time between the morning parade and the evening fireworks. Their neighbor, Louise Couper, won first place in the children's category of the parade with her float, which included 21 kids, grandkids and friends' kids.
"We had every color of the rainbow on that float," she said.
Couper said she is especially thankful for her Bayview home when the Independence Day celebrations come around.
"On the Fourth of July, when it's full here, I am so glad to have a house because we have a bathroom and a place to get a drink of water," she said with a chuckle.
The Bayview Community Council had a barbecue booth near the carnival. Bayview resident Sheryl Puckett, director of the council's community action committee, worked alongside her daughter Alisha to feed hungry festival-goers. She said Bayview Daze, which is the council's largest fundraiser of the year, was going really well.
"This is the one weekend when we get a lot of people in town," she said. "Otherwise, our town's pretty quiet and peaceful. But this weekend, everybody knows, they all have their family here and their kids here, and they all come here to have a good time. Everybody comes here to have a good time. It's busy, it's well-attended and a lot of fun."