Huckleberries bring the heat

The hottest days of the summer didn't stop hundreds of visitors from descending on Trout Creek for the 39th annual Huckleberry Festival. The heat was good for the ice cream sales, said Debb McNary, festival chairperson. She said that the festival food booth ran out of huckleberry ice cream and had to borrow from the Trout Creek Community Improvement Association booth. Before the festival was over, both booths had gone through more than 200 gallons of huckleberry ice cream.

The Trout Creek School also benefitted from the heat. Kids from the school sold bottled water and made more than $900 in their weekend endeavor. Sara Dana said that the Huckleberry Festival donated ice and water sold from the festival main green building to the school, and the Danas' Montana and Country Trucking company donated the water sold out of a little red wagon by the kids walking the festival. Dana said the goal was to raise $100 for each of the five classrooms at Trout Creek School for school supplies. She was happy to report they almost doubled that.

McNary said the only thing deterring people was the heat and humidity of Saturday, but that vendors reported sales were good for the weekend. The festival welcomed 12 new vendors this year, and there were plenty of handmade wares for sale.

Huckleberry Parade

Hundreds of visitors lined Highway 200 for the festival parade on Saturday morning. The grand prize entry was Madison Thompson riding her horse and walking with her aunt Nicole and dog Concho, who went all out for the parade with its purple fur. Thompson's entry was "Beauties and the Beast." The most humorous in the parade went to the Cabin Crew, a group of six grown men on mini motorcycles wearing shirts labeling them as Drunk 1, Drunk 2, etc. The best themed group was the Huckleberry Hounds, who also displayed their dog agility skills throughout the weekend. Best themed float was Sanders County Public Health, who donned cowboy wear and were pulled on a hay ride by a tractor, and the town posse equestrian group won for the best equestrian entry. Betty and Gary Johnson won for best tractor. The Noxon Ambulance won for best truck, and best car went to Richard Amerman.

Lloyd and Pat Austin, longtime festival volunteers and residents of Whitepine, served as grand marshals for the parade.

Dance Xplosion

Dancers from Brynn Kenyon's, Dance Xplosion, took the stage at the Huckleberry Festival to showcase their skills. There were 10 performances from all different styles of dance and skill levels, including group dances, a solo, and even a surprise performance from Elvis Presley. Contemporary dance is very popular today but Brynn's students also showcased their skills in tap, lyrical, contemporary, ballroom, and jazz.

"We teach many styles of jazz, which is a style of dance that closely reflects current trends and attitudes of society but also includes the rich traditions of times past," said Kenyon.

If anyone is interested in information about registration, contact Brynn Kenyon at 404-5937, class size is limited.

Miss Huckleberry

& Huck Finn

Singing, dancing, hula-hoops, a monologue, and even a bow-making tutorial were all put to the test at this year's Miss Huckleberry and Mr. Huck Finn Talent Contest. The contest was split into a talent section and personal introductions, where each contestant was able to share about themselves and their interests.

The winners in each category were Kaiyah Thomspon in Tiny Miss, Ti'Ana Harvey in Little Miss and Aaliyah Harvey took the Miss Huckleberry crown. Weston Block took home the Little Huck Finn title. Miss Congeniality went to Geneva Schmidt and princess was Aislyn McMahel.

Dog Dancing

Kathryn Hawkins and Madison Suttorp took the stage with their talented dogs to perform routines accompanied by music for the Dog Dancing portion of the Huckleberry Festival. The dogs wre excited and eager to perform on the stage with their jumps, twirls, and even dancing between their owner's legs.

Hawkins and her dog Clara danced a western routine, dressed in cowboy attire. Suttorp and her dog danced a patriotic routine to the song I'm Proud to be an American Dog.

Dog Agility Demo

Man's best friend had a chance to show off their skills at the Huckleberry Hounds Dog Agility Demonstration. Jan Manning informed the crowd as participants took their dogs through the course to show some of what you can learn with the Sanders County Dog Training Club.

In all, 11 dogs turned up to entertain the crowd jumping bars, maneuvering through tunnels, balancing across a teetertotter, and weaving through poles. The dogs in the demo had experience with the course and were able to complete it quickly and skillfully to impress and possibly encourage others to join the club who may be interested in learning.

Dessert Contest

Having the responsibility of picking the best huckleberry dessert could be the best job ever. That's just what a panel of judges had the privilege of doing as they sat down and tried the two contest entries: a huckleberry dump cake and a huckleberry tart.

The judges considered appearance, taste, and use of huckleberries. The winner of the contest was the huckleberry tart from Sophia LaFriniere, and second place was the huckleberry dump cake from Sydney and Jax Hedman. There was also a huckleberry jam contest with one tasty submission from Charlotte Williams.

Pie Eating Contest

Despite hundreds of gallons of ice cream served at the Huckleberry Festival, 45 competitors still had room for the pie eating contest, organized by Sarah Dramstad. Winners included Carleigh Shuck in the eight and under category, Kylan Bostick and Jazmyn Hancock in the 9-12 category, and David Waldron and Zayin McLaurin in the 13 and older category. McLaurin had fierce competition from new Thompson Falls Schools Superintendent Bill Cain, who challenged three students in the contest.

Pentathlon

Mountain men and women tested their skills in the annual pentathlon competition. Contestants casted a fishing line, sawed a log and filled a bucket of water with a hand pump. For the men, first place went to Glen Raisland of St. Ignatius, with JR Conniston of Missoula taking second. Tish Hall of Eureka was first for the women, and Cara Cocchiarella was second. Jim Hanson of Plains took place for the above average boys under 16, with Max Chmiel of Thompson Falls in second. Ada Clark of Sandpoint was first place for the above average girls under 16, and Rachel Denney of Tumwater, Washington, was second.