Saturday, the area is treated to the display of some of the most amazing, determined seekers of perfection ever, triathletes competing in the three-pronged race that makes good use of hundreds of local miles and awesome scenery.
The Grand Columbian Triathlon’s 10th race in the coulee will bring up to a couple hundred athletes to the swim-bike-run events.
It all starts on Friday night with a spaghetti feed put on by the Rotary Club at the Church of the Nazarene from 4 to 7:30. But that’s the easy part.
The real competition starts at Spring Canyon early Saturday morning. Check out the details inside our special section below.
Here’s all about the Harvest Festival starting Friday, September 13, 2013.
There’s something for everyone here.
Community-wide yard (park) sale
There’s still time to be a part of the Chamber of Commerce’s community yard sale Friday and Saturday at North Dam Park. You can set up there for a $10 fee good for both days.
It’s one of the features of the two-day fall Harvest Festival.
Bring your own tables and set up for what could become a busy time sharing your pre-owned articles.
Yard sales are one of the community pastimes and the festival should produce plenty of lookers and potentially buyers. You can call the Chamber, 633-3074, for additional details.
Hay rides on Saturday
Terry Batterman is providing the team of horses and Janet O’Neil the wagon for Saturday’s hay rides.
The team and wagon will be near the skateboard park area from 10-4 on Saturday. The hosts say that young and old can take part in a good old-fashioned hayride through the park area roads.
The wagon will be loaded with hay bales as seating for the ride.
Costumed pet show
Bob Valen, a member of the Chamber Board of Directors, will run the Costumed Pet Show at the skateboard area.
Be creative — and take a chance that your pet will be good natured about it all — and be part of the judged show.
Last year more than a dozen pet owners dressed up their pets and put on quite a show.
Valen said that pets and their owners will show off, and then judges will make awards.
There’s plenty of room to show off your pets, or be a spectator to enjoy the pets, hopefully at their best.
The show is from 11 a.m. Saturday to noon.
Bring kids to the petting zoo
Come in to North Dam Park Saturday and meet “Spike,” the bearded dragon lizard. That’s all we are going to say about Spike; you’ll just have to come see for yourself.
It’s all part of the Petting Zoo Saturday from 10-4 at North Dam Park.
Spike will be on hand for only an hour, from noon to 1 p.m., so make your plan now to be there.
The chamber says there will be alpacas, sheep, horses, donkeys and much more. Kids can get close and in most cases touch and pet the animals.
Chalk art in the park
This is a good time to show your art skills.
The chamber furnishes the chalk and you furnish the talent. Draw your creations where everyone can enjoy them.
The chalk art opportunity is for young and old alike. It runs from 1-4 Saturday at the skatepark arena.
Beer Garden for two days
A beer garden will be set up in the picnic area from 5-10 p.m. Friday and from 3 to 10 p.m. on Saturday. Adults only. Come and have a good time.
Rotary to offer a BBQ
The Grand Coulee Dam Rotary Club plans a barbecue at North Dam Park on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Rotarians will have hamburgers and German sausages and side dishes, and cold drinks for festival fans. Bring your appetites.
Sponsors
Sponsors for this year’s Harvest Festival in addition to the Grand Coulee Dam Area Chamber of Commerce are the Coulee Dam Federal Credit Union, Loepps Furniture & Appliance and the Colville Tribal Casinos. For more information on this year’s Harvest Festival, contact the chamber at 509-633-3074.
The level of the lake is expected to remain in the 1287 – 1289 range for the next week (July 21 – 27), the Bureau of Reclamation says.This lake level forecast is only a prediction and can change due to weather events, power demand or other unforeseen power emergencies.Lake level forecasts are updated by 3 p.m. each day. Please call 1-800-824-4916 for the updated forecast.
To check on the lake’s current level, you can check here.
A mutton buster holds on for the ride at the Ridge Riders Rodeo Grounds.
Despite the assertions of some, cowboys aren’t hatched, they’re raised with that special drive that makes them think they can tame any beast.
A fun place to watch that unfold is at a junior rodeo, just like the one the local Ridge Riders Saddle Club is putting on this weekend in Delano.
This Saturday and Sunday, July 20 and 21, young folks, ranging in age from the 5-and-under crowd all the way up to 18, will give it their best, starting at 10 a.m. each day.
At least 70 contestants have already signed up for some 53 events ranging from mutton bustin’ to steer wrestling, bareback riding and barrel racing.
“It should be a great event,” Ridge Rider President George Kohout said.
The winners will get cash prizes and belt buckles, on which the club just spent about $5,000.
Kohout said the club’s cook shack will be open at 10 a.m. each day as well, and ready to serve up a great lunch.
Age categories include 5 and under, 6-8, 9-11, 12-14 and 15-18 with each category separated into girls’ and boys’ events.
As I write this, the Columbia River is flowing through Grand Coulee Dam at a rate of 195,400 cubic feet per second. And, spectacularly, about 25,000 cubic feet you can see spilling some 300 feet down the face of the dam.
At Niagara Falls you would see about 20,000 cubic feet of water falling about 70 feet.
The spill should keep going all week, adding incentive to anyone thinking about visiting the dam for the annual July 4th celebration.
A tour group leaves the big bus to peer over the edge of the dam as the Columbia roars over the top.
If you’d like to check the current amount of water flowing in the river, over the dam or the level of Lake Roosevelt compared to sea level, you can do that here. (But the data fields might not line up well on a small screen of a cell phone.
Lake Roosevelt, behind the dam, is already basically full, well ahead of last year as the chart below shows.
