Folk festival to debut in Soap Lake
SOAP LAKE — Soap Lake will spread its cultural wings this weekend with the first-ever Soap Lake Food and Folk Festival. The festival, which goes all day Saturday at Smokiam Park, will feature musicians from a variety of traditions, as well as food and craft vendors and periodic raffle drawings throughout the day. It’s put on by the Friends of the Lower Grand Coulee. “We've got Mexican music, we've got country music, we've got contemporary folk music, we've got southern folk music, we've got Delta blues,” said Kim Anderson, a lifelong Soap Lake resident who came up with the idea for the festival. “So we're all over the place.” Musicians include conjunto band Tejano Skyz, singer-songwriters Carl Tosten and Billy Stoops, country singer Myra Pearce, blues musicians The Delta G Band and Leif Totusek, whose compositions blend jazz, blues and soukous, a dance music style from central Africa. Many of the musicians have ties to the area, Anderson said; Pearce and Tejano Skyz are based in Moses Lake, and several members of the Delta G Band graduated from Soap Lake High School. Tosten also grew up in eastern Washington, according to his online biography.
Battle buddies
American Legion to hold auction to help vets find service dogs
EPHRATA — Sometimes, when Johnny comes marching home again, the war marches along with him. Thousands of American veterans commit suicide every year, according to the Veterans Administration, and countless more go on living with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. American Legion Post 28 in Ephrata wants to decrease that count one dog at a time.
Spirit of the rodeo
Moses Lake Roundup to unveil signature whiskey
MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Roundup Rodeo and Moses Lake Distillery will debut Spurstride, the rodeo’s official signature whiskey, tomorrow at Business After Hours at the Grant County Fairgrounds.
TASTINESS: WE ARE GO FOR LAUNCH!
MOSES LAKE – The line for Space Burgers at the Grant Count Fair reached pretty continuously around the back of the booth Wednesday. Space Burgers have been a popular tradition at the fair since the Moses Lake Lioness Club acquired the machine to make them following the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair.
‘It’s our biggest fundraiser of the year’
Effort by nonprofit food vendors at Grant County Fair yields good return
MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Lions lion ears were a hit. “I’ve been waiting for these,” a customer said, as she sat down at the picnic table.
Deutschesfest 2024 coming
Lots of food, beer and music at Odessa’s fall festival
ODESSA — It’s time to break out the lederhosen and fill the steins, as the 53rd annual Deutschesfest takes over Odessa Sept. 19-22. “Last year we had probably 7,500, 10,000 (attendees), somewhere in there,” said Odessa Chamber of Commerce President Matt Roberson. “It gets busy for three days.”
Shiitake Sizzle brings fresh, exotic mushrooms to the table
MOSES LAKE — Moses Lake has a pretty good variety of places to eat, but this is something new: a restaurant centered around mushrooms.
‘Under the Sea’
Old Hotel benefit auction has a maritime theme Saturday
OTHELLO — Art lovers – and others – are invited to take a dive Saturday. “Under the Sea” is the theme of the Old Hotel Art Gallery’s annual benefit auction and although it’s not required, attendees are encouraged to dress accordingly. “We’ll be having a costume contest,” said gallery director Samantha Copas. “Something under the sea: mermaids, a ship’s captain, or just beach wear.”
Trimmed and ready
Festival of Trees to raise funds for Habitat for Humanity
MOSES LAKE — Folks who are pining for a Christmas tree will find them all spruced up with lights and decorations at the annual Festival of Trees Dec. 7. The event is Habitat for Humanity of Greater Moses Lake’s biggest fundraiser of the year, said President Rebecca Mabius. It will be held in the Advanced Technologies Education Center at Big Bend Community College. “This year we have 13 trees that will be available for purchase, and they’re donated and decorated by individuals and businesses here in the community,” Mabius said.
Pizza Hut opens in Othello
OTHELLO — Othello’s first Pizza Hut opened Tuesday with a ribbon-cutting followed by a line out the door for lunch.
