Spring Festival marks 25th year

MOSES LAKE — The summer can't truly start in Moses Lake until after Spring Festival.

A harbinger of days on the lake, picnics and campouts to come, Spring Festival's carnival, parades, basketball tournament and live music in the park are like a rain dance for the summer season. The festival is always held Memorial Day weekend, May 26-29.

Events kick off Thursday, May 26 with the carnival which opens at 4 p.m. in McCosh Park. Thursday is "buddy night" with two-for-one armband prices.

Pre-sale carnival tickets are available at Re/Max, Noon Moon and the Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce.

Friday's highlights include various forms of entertainment at the Centennial Amphitheater in McCosh Park throughout the day, downtown sidewalk sales, the carnival and arts, crafts, food and commercial booths in McCosh Park. Also Friday, the bed races will make a return to Spring Festival, after several years on hiatus.

"We wanted to bring it back because we remembered it from when we were younger," said Jennifer Webb, who has been the driving force behind bringing the bed races back, along with her sister Stephanie Strom.

Webb remembers seeing her friends' parents outside of their normal grown-up demeanors, just having a great time.

"It was just a fun atmosphere with everybody lined up on the side of the street," she recalled.

Faye Maslen organized the bed races for years, before they came to a halt about five years ago.

"We had great fun," Maslen said. Teams categories included men, women and coed, and there were often teams from local business offices. The teams often decorated the beds to match their business, like the year the rodeo association had a covered wagon bed. Contestants weren't above using unscrupulous methods to win either, like the year the Domino's Pizza team brought in hot pizzas to bribe the judges.

Officials at the bed races were dressed in pajamas as they monitored the races where the teams had to stop in the middle of the course and the rider jumped off the bed, put the sheets and pillowcases on it and had to jump in and pull the covers up to their chins.

"The bedding just went flying," Maslen said, adding that many a race was not decided by the fastest runners, but by the fastest bed makers.

Under the direction of Webb and Strom, the bed races will be held on Dogwood Street this year, and Webb has heard some good feedback from people who are happy about the event's return.

"We've had a lot of interested people," said Webb.

But since it's been a few years, the Home Depot is helping out those teams who might not remember how to build a racing-style bed. This Saturday, May 14, the Home Depot is sponsoring a workshop at 2 p.m. to teach people how to assemble a racing bed.

Another favorite on Friday is the 25th annual lip sync contest at the Centennial Amphitheater. The contest always draws a big crowd to the lawn of the outdoor amphitheater as people watch their friends and neighbors perform.

Saturday starts with a 5 to 10K run starting at McCosh Park.

At 9 a.m., the three-on-three basketball tournament begins, usually attracting about 200 people.

"The whole goal is to have fun and have family time," said three-on-three chairman Gerry McFaul. Anyone can play, said McFaul, adding that the tournament has seen players from 8 to 82 years old. Registration forms are available at Moses Lake Parks and Rec, and from Tri-State. The tournament continues throughout the day at courts set up in the tennis courts at McCosh Park.

Other Saturday events include downtown sidewalk sales, the carnival and craft and food booths at McCosh Park, the opening of the Moses Lake Aquatic Center, the Classic Car Show at Moses Lake Civic Park from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., a pickleball tournament all day at McCosh Park and a water balloon toss from 1 to 5 p.m. at McCosh Park.

Chalk'N the Block is a favorite for sidewalk chalk artists of ages who decorate downtown streets from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. There will also be other activities for kids, including pottery wheel throwing and crafts from noon to 2 p.m. at the Moses Lake Museum and Art Center.

Entertainment at the Centennial Amphitheater throughout the day will include performances by local dance companies and Moses Lake Junior Miss. There will also be music and art at the Noon Moon Coffee House and Dessert Bar throughout the day (see sidebar for information).

Saturday's most popular events are always the parades, starting with the Kiddies Parade, departing from Carl T. Ahlers Park at 5 p.m. The Grand Moonlight Parade will begin an hour earlier this year, at 7:30 p.m.

"It just makes it so late for some of the kids that are out there," said Brent Kirwan, president of Spring Festival, of the decision to change the parade time.

The parade route will continue the same path it always has, beginning at Dogwood Street and Fourth Avenue, and continuing down Fourth to Fifth avenues and then wrapping around Five Corners before following Third Avenue until Ivy Street.

"We can always use more helpers," Kirwan said, adding that volunteers are still needed to monitor the parade in the event of any float breakdowns or other unplanned events.

"If we have good weather, it will all be wonderful," Kirwan concluded.

Clay and Karen Crook will lead the Grand Moonlight Parade this year.

"With this being the 25th year, we thought it appropriate to have them be the parade marshals," Kirwan said.

"We've been involved in Spring Fest for about 22 years," Karen Crook said. Clay started on garbage detail, she started on float work, and for the past six or seven years, they've concentrated their Spring Festival volunteer efforts on the Classic Car Show and food booths.

"We didn't think we were that old!" said Karen Crook with a laugh of the decision, adding that she was also impressed with the honor.

Sunday's events continue with the carnival, booths and music at McCosh Park. The weekend culminates with a concert by The Coats at the Centennial Amphitheater at 7 p.m.