Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Childres notes new things for festival

Rotarians will put on their annual pancake breakfast at the Forest Festival Saturday, Oct. 29, with early risers welcome to come on down to the Gurdon Senior Adult Center.

This year's tickets will be $4 and an exact time will be announced later.

Tambra Childres, who is on the Forest Festival Committee, gave an update to the group on Thursday.

Childres said, "This is our 25th year for the festival and we are trying to get some new activities going so it will begin growing again."

According to Childres, there are already 35 booths paid for and plenty of more spaces to sign up for. Cost for a booth is $20 and those interested should see Billy Wells at the flower shop on Main Street.

"We need to encourage people to get a booth so there are items for people to look at and get excited about," Childres said.

Some of the activities that will be back from the past this year include: cow chip bingo, a cake walk, bingo, and the Band Booster Club dunking booth.

Band director and Rotarian Alan Wimberly said he would like to participate, as "I believe a lot would like to dunk me.

"We need all of the excitement we can get to our downtown, like dunking booths or basketball shoots."

Childres said this year's car show, by Keith Anderson, will donate the profits to Marc Crawley's cancer fund.

She said the parade will be at 10 a.m., with scooter riders tentatively showing up.

"The softball competition will be bigger than some think," Childres said. "Under the eave of U.S. Bank, there will be a chili cook-off by the Clark County Cattlemen.

"The Clark County Farm Bureau Women will sponsor the Jack-O-Lantern painting contest."

There will be a basketball contest at City Hall, and a pie baking contest.

Digging for Dollars will be back. There will be a total of $250 in the sawdust for the smaller children to dig out.

There will be a professional lumberjack show at 1 p.m., lasting to around 2 p.m.

"We may include local competition if others will help," Childres said.

There will be horseshoe throwing from the Beirne Fire Department, and a sign up for all Gurdon students at the Faith Mission  designed to create a data base to organize future reunions at future Forest Festivals with school chums. Tommy Potter is organizing the prospective, informal reunion effort.

Gurdon Mayor Clayton Franklin and Steve Pennington will be in charge of the greased pig contest.

There will be a free area for children near the Presbyterian Church. Churches volunteering so far include: First Assembly of God of Gurdon, Canaan and Kingdom Authority.

"We intend to give the smaller children some free activities so the festival is not so expensive for their parents to attend."

The Halloween Costume Contest will be held before the auction this year. Childres said there will be an adult division for the first time.

"We will also have a dog costume contest, sponsored by the Humane Society," she said.

D.J.s will be at both the country street dance, 7-9 p.m. and at the hip-hop dance, 9-11:30 p.m.

Childres said the committee's efforts will not take away from the Community Development & Entertainment Club profits, and it should add to what it makes.