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Harvest Festival was awesome |
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Wednesday, 17 October 2007 |
By Buck Traxler, I-O Editor
 HOW SWEET IT IS – Conrad elementary principal Craig Barringer puckers up and plants a smooch on Miss Piggy. He was winner of the Kiss and Squeal contest at the Harvest Festival on Saturday. George Tornga to his right was the announcer and behind Barringer, holding Miss Piggy, is CofC president Gerald Miller. I-O Photo by Buck Traxler
Short sleeve weather and no wind helped produce crowds of folks that wandered up and down Main St. to sample the culinary delights of eight skillful cooks, not to mention all the vendors who set up shop for the afternoon.
The Harvest Festival cook-off, the big card of the day, saw Big Sky Equipment with their Big Sky Beef Bites, defending champs, G&D Hardware with Beef on a Stick, Farm Credit Services with Beefy Meatballs, Mountain View Co-op with Mountain View Smoked Buffalo, Gary and Leo’s IGA having London Broil, Stockman Bank with their Tangy Beef Brisket, Pure Bliss with a Saturday Night Surprise and Funtronics and their Prime Rib, all drawing crowds to taste a sample or two, or three and then cast a vote for the best.
In the end, when all the votes had been tallied up, there was a tie.
There is no sudden-win playoff here, so Stockman Bank and IGA will share the traveling trophy and split a $100 CofC gift certificate.
A new event also created a lot of interest and anticipation and that was the nomination of folks to kiss a piglet.
There were 11 candidates who were nominated and they included Barbie Killion, Cyndi Johnson, Greg Jensen, Craig Barringer, Scott Arvidson, Carl Suta, Jamey Byrnes, Mark Leys, Rob Cook, and mayors John Shevlin and Larry Bonderud.
Ten of the 11 nominees were on hand Saturday afternoon, nervously milling about as CofC president Gerald Miller came out with Miss Piggy. In the end, it was elementary school principal Barringer who had the dubious honor of planting a smooch on the snoot of Miss Piggy.
The event raised $225 for the CofC and will no doubt be back next year.
The winner of the 50/50 ticket is number 251919. They need to call the CofC to claim your prize money of $175.
Paul Anderberg, with number 17, was a winner of $122.50 in cow pie bingo. And Michael Hicks was the ticket holder for a trip to Jackpot, Nev. Roy Craven of Cascade was the winner of Pluck-a-Duck and $500.
In addition to all this there were stage coach rides, a Little Rally Race Carnival and the quilt exhibit at the museum, “The Band” playing in front of the theatre, the singing of Misty Redlin, young dancers performing, and micro beer sampling in the parking lot of Mac’s Bar.
And it didn’t end there. A chili dinner and dance took place later at the Moose Lodge for the Community Cancer Foundation as well as a kiddy carnival also at the Moose to benefit the NU (Neighbors United) Keil Park Project that was just packed. At Ed’s Tavern Karaoke crooners sang the night away.
Mitch Hauer and his band, UpNorth, with Vern Fladstol on the bass and Danny Seifert on the drums made music for lots of happy feet at the Moose and DJ, Kendall Griggs played tunes for kids at their carnival.
It was a Chamber of Commerce day on Saturday!
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