Mattawa Community Days coming this Saturday

Mattawa Distinguished Young Woman Jessica Martinez, center, and her court will be among the many units in the Mattawa Community Days Parade. DYW first runnerup, left, is Keitra Callaway. DYW second runnerup is Mayra Rodriguez. All three distinguished young women are Wahluke High School seniors.

by The Royal Register Editor & Ted Escobar
| August 25, 2011 6:15 AM

MATTAWA - The first run of the new Mattawa Community Days will be celebrated this Saturday, Aug. 27.

After a five-year absence, Community Days has been revived by a sizable committee and group of volunteers headed by Maggie Celaya.

For all general information, you may call Celaya at 830-7117.

Mattawa Community Days will be a day-into-night affair. It will start with a community breakfast in Hund Memorial Park from 7:30-10 a.m. It will end with two dances in the evening.

The breakfast will include pancakes, sausage and eggs. The dances will be held at the Sand Trap in Desert Aire (adults) and the parking lot of Harvest Foods (youths).

There will be two fun runs during the breakfast hours. A 5-kilometer run will start at 8 a.m. There will be a mile run at 9 a.m.

A half hour after breakfast shuts down, there will be a parade headlined by Miss Washington, Brittney Henry of Puyallup. It will be led by color guard made up of local Scouts.

The parade will form at the high school parking lot at 10 a.m. It will head southward on Boundary at 11 a.m. and turn toward the river on Government Way, ending at Hund Memorial Park.

Also gracing the parade will be the Mattawa Distinguished Young Woman court, Jessica Martinez, Keitra Callaway and Mayra Rodriguez, all Wahluke High School seniors.

The grand marshal will be one of Mattawa's builders, Frances Cox. Mayor Judy Esser will participate.

Other parade units will include Cabalgatas, dancing horses, athletic teams, the fire department, businesses, agencies and the Wahluke Schools.

After the parade, Miss Washington will remain for an afternoon in the park. She hopes to meet and greet community residents at the 21st Century Program booth.

There will be a barbecued chicken and steak lunch in the park. Among other foods and refreshments in the park, there will be homemade Mexican delights, fresh fruit, slushies and aguas frescas.

A highlight of the afternoon will be contests to determine who makes the best salsa and best pies in this part of the state.

Planned participants in the park will have food, game and informational booths and will provide entertainment. They will include Crime Victims Center, National Children's Study, Emergency Management and Red Cross of Mattawa.

Other park participants will include (proposed) Mattawa Skate Park, Disney Characters, El Payasito Triste, dance groups, karaoke, paint-a-pet-rock, face painting, dunk tank, jump/bounce houses, 3-on-3 basketball, carnival games and soccer shootouts.

And there will be a dance off.