Mattawa Communities Day a huge success

MATTAWA - The people of Mattawa hasn't had a community day the past five years, but they didn't forget how to celebrate.

Residents of Mattawa and its surroundings poured into Hund Memorial Park for breakfast and stayed well past lunch for the first Mattawa Communities Day.

"Better than I expected," said Maggie Celaya as she surveyed the 1,000 or so people in the park.

The celebration was graced with the presence of Miss Washington, Brittney Henry of Puyallup, and Miss Seattle Seafair, Wahluke High School graduate Veronica Quintero.

It was Celaya who got the ball rolling toward reviving the community day and then attracted volunteers to the cause. She had missed the celebration. Apparently so had others.

One visitor to the park noted the name "Mattawa Communities Day" and suggested there was a typo or mis-spelling.

No. The name of the celebration is Mattawa Communities Day, a name that allows organizers to include Desert Aire, Schwana and Beverly in the promotion.

It also allows them to spread the celebration around. For instance, last Saturday's adult dance was held at the Sand Trap in Desert Aire.

The only negative note on Saturday was the weather. Mother Nature chose that day to unleash the hottest weather of the year. The temperature approached, perhaps reached, 100 degrees.

As the temperature rose quickly, it appeared no one was going to attend the parade. There was no one lining Government Way at 10:55.

But when the parade turned onto Government from Boundary at right at about 11:00, people poured out of buildings and air-conditioned vehicles and from shady areas. Most viewed from the south side of the street to avoid direct sun.

The park had people from about 8:00 on. The early rush was to the Wahluke Improvement Organization's pancake, eggs and sausage breakfast.

After the parade ended, the park attendance swelled. There were 1,000 people or more buying lunch from the WIO and other booths, and people came and went all afternoon.

The Our Lady of the Desert Catholic Church booth was most popular. Also quite popular was the dancing horses show put on by Mexican cowboys who live in the region.