Festival at Mount Si sizzles
August 18, 2010
By Paige Collins
Attendees endure hot weather, melted ice cream and crazy hair
The sun came out to play for the Festival at Mount Si weekend, bringing with it scorching heat and wind.
Children slathered in sunscreen ran around with ice cream dripping down their hands, anxious to get their faces painted or run through sprinklers. Dogs and their owners sought shady havens in which they could take in all of the excitement, live music and events with a cool breeze.
Seafair Pirate Mike ‘Sparrow’ Knowlton shows that even pirates smile sometimes as he sits in the group’s vintage fire engine. By Dan Catchpole
Jill Massengill, committee president for the festival, said the events were successful despite the high temperatures.
“Most people were down at the river in the middle of the day on Saturday,” she said. “But, the parade had a bigger attendance than I had ever seen before.”
The seventh annual Cherry Pie Eating Contest brought spectators of all ages, ready to watch the brave contestants inhale as much homemade pie from Twede’s Café as possible.
Restaurant owner Kyle Twede laid out the rules: There weren’t any.
“You can use your hands, feet, toes, nose, whatever,” he said.
Two groups of participants competed, with the 12-year-old and under group allowed five minutes, and the older group allowed three minutes to consume pies weighing about three pounds each.
The mother of one of the younger participants, Erica vanWagoner, said she was excited to have her son, Gabe, participate under the pseudonym of “The Pit of Despair.”
“Not many 11-year-olds get to say they entered a pie-eating contest,” she said. “It is cool whether he wins or not.”
It was a close competition, but the winner became clear, as “Messa Tessa” ruled the competition. When asked if she would ever eat cherry pie again, Tessa responded, “Maybe tomorrow.”
Twede said he saw the contest as an opportunity to give back to the community, and as a fun way to do so.
For those not in the mood for stuffing themselves with pie, there were many other options for food. The vendor area made decisions difficult with possibilities including pizza, tacos, fried rice and burgers. Refreshments were covered as well, with all of the ice cream that could possibly be consumed and lemonade options lining the strip.
Another food opportunity at the festival was the quilt cake, which contained more than 20 cakes donated and decorated in honor of the Veteran’s Memorial Foundation.
A trip through the rest of the vendor area brought an interesting combination of opportunities. One could find things from puzzles to lawn mowers, jewelry to bedding, balloons to cooking spices, and homemade soap to compact fishing rods. Highlights in the area were the face painting, henna tattoos and crazy hair booths, evident from the number of blue- and green-haired children running around the fields.
Other events included a demonstration by the Society for Creative Anachronism, an educational society focused on researching and recreating pre-17th century European art and skills, according to Squire Heinrich Wilhelm. The group showed the crowds medieval fighting techniques, using no choreography and real wooden swords.
The Arts in Festival Hall brought a wide range of exhibits, such as photography, textile work and paintings from local artists. Young local singers showcased their talents, and artists demonstrated production of their work. Student artwork from the SnoValley schools was also displayed, including a painting of the Mad Hatter from “Alice in Wonderland” by a fifth-grader, and several paintings of giraffes.
Sunday’s events were very successful, Massengill said, with the highlights being the ninth annual Chili Cook-off and the Tour de Peaks Bicycle Ride. An estimated 20,000 people attended the festival throughout the weekend, she said.
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