Plains Day set to kick off early

Plains Day 2021 will start with a pancake breakfast at the VFW and end with a potluck dinner at E.L. Johnson Memorial Park. In between will be an array of activities for children and adults alike, according to Amy Dishaw, one of the coordinators of this year’s event and a member of the “Free Americans,” the nonprofit organization that volunteered to put on the annual celebration.

“There is a ton of excitement about Plains Day. People want to celebrate after a tough year,” said Connie Foust, also a coordinator. “We have done outreach to all of Sanders County and posted flyers everywhere. I have had several people tell me they are quite excited to attend and that they hear it will be a great event,” added Foust.  

Most of Saturday’s activities will take place along the greenway on Railroad Street, where numerous vendors will be set up. It will also be the site of the first Tom Peterson Memorial Car Show, in remembrance of former resident Tom Peterson, who passed away last year. The car show will start immediately following the parade, which kicks off at 11 a.m. It’s the public that gets to pick the top vehicle by casting their ballot at the Free Americans booth by 2 p.m. The winner will be announced at 3 p.m.

With this year’s theme for the festival as “In God We Trust,” the Plains Bible Church will host children’s activities in Fred Young Park with activities, arts and crafts and a bounce house. They will also have food, such as snow cones, popcorn, burgers and brats. The Plains Paradise Rural Fire District will have a static display after the parade across from City Hall.

The Plains Day Parade, which is going with the “God Bless America” theme, will be a focal point of the day, with cash prizes, gift baskets and gift certificates from local business, according to Mary Halling, one of the committee members and parade coordinator. The parade will run from Central Avenue to Hubbard Street.

“We have had a great response. Most folks are used to registering on the day of the parade, so if the interest shown thus far is any indication, the parade will be larger than it has been for a long while,” said Halling, who hopes that a lot of young people will enter the parade in one of the new classes, such as pets and four-wheeler categories. Lineup for the parade is 9-10 a.m. in front of Plains School. Longtime Plains resident Lloyd Bache, 93, will be the grand marshal of the parade and once again Gene Johnson of Plains will volunteer his emcee expertise for the parade.

The Masons Pancake Breakfast runs 7-11 a.m. The festival will include Rocky Mountain Bank’s traditional ice cream social following the parade and turtle races in the bank’s back parking lot at 1 p.m. The Plains Woman’s Club will have the old log schoolhouse open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and will have a bake sale at the schoolhouse. A dunk tank will be set up along the greenway during the afternoon. 

The cross cut saw competition, an event that’s hasn’t been a part of Plains Day since 2011, will take place in front of the VFW at 2 p.m. There will be no axe or hatchet throw this year, said Heather Allen, the VFW quartermaster.

It was confirmed that the Ryan Family will be putting on the Plains Day Dance Party, a potluck dinner and community dance at the E.L. Johnson Memorial Park starting around 5:30 p.m. and wrapping up between 10:30 p.m. and 11 p.m. Newman Ryan, the primary coordinator of the event, said the music will be Polka, Swing, Waltz, and the “Virginia Reel,” which is a group barn dance piece. He also said they will be having a limbo contest sometime between 7-7:30 p.m., which will include a prize for first place in the children and adult category. 

There will be music playing throughout the day and evening.