Moses Lake Spring Festival draws big crowds

MOSES LAKE - A float full of colorful sea creatures and dancing mermaids won the Miss Chewelah and the Chewelah community float the Queen's Trophy at the annual Moonlight Parade.

It was a late-evening highlight of Spring Festival 2012.

The president's trophy went to Miss Deer Park and the Deer Park community float. Miss Davenport and the Davenport community float took home the grand moonlight award.

The mayor's trophy went to Miss Sunnyside and the Sunnyside community float. Miss Wilbur and the Wilbur community float won the chamber of commerce award.

The Royal High School band won best high school band award, and Chief Moses Middle School took home the best middle school band trophy.

Omak Stampede Queen Katie Fergus won the best equestrian award. Ritzville Rodeo queen Ashley Langworthy and her crew came in with the best-decorated pooper scooper, and won a brand-new scooper from the festival organizers.

Trinydee Pope, 6, of Cheney, participated in the children's parade with her grandmother Karen Pope of Moses Lake, driving her car and giving American flags to anyone passing by. Trinydee's dad Travis is currently serving overseas in Afghanistan, and Trinydee carried a handmade doll with her dad's picture taped on front. She wanted people to remember the armed forces on Memorial Day weekend, Karen Pope said.

The parades were part of a busy weekend at Spring Fest; the three-on-three basketball tournament filled three blocks of Fourth Avenue with hoops and players, while the car show sponsored by the Moses Lake Classic Club filled another three blocks, and spilled over into side streets. A crowd gathered around the fence at the Moses Lake Skate Park to watch boarders pull some sick tricks.

Results from the car show, basketball tournament and skateboard competition were not available at press time.

The car show attracted everything from 1960s muscle cars to 1920s Model T Fords to elaborately rebuilt street rods. One Model T owner had everything he needed strapped on the running board - cans for gas, oil, water and moonshine. (The sale of alcoholic beverages was banned in the United States from 1919 to 1933.)

Now that is a car, said one spectator looking at a block-y black Model T with its side curtains. Forget that Ferrari down the street; this is a car, the spectator said.

Children of all ages filled one block of Third Avenue with drawings as part of Chalk on the Block. Grace Christensen, 4, Moses Lake, was content just to color, drawing squares - although she argued with her dad Jason about the exact meaning of a triangle. Grace was sure that four-sided thing was a triangle.

Grace apparently thought the chalk was messy, because she found a broom and started sweeping the street.

Daniel Meyer and Brady Geier, both of Bremerton, were in town with friends and family for the carnival, and they took to the street, chalk in hand, to draw a five-foot dragon. Brady is an artist, he said, and the street made a good canvas.

Boarders pulled a few 360s - and missed on others - rode the rail, tried some athletic leaps and moves at the skateboard park.

Basketball teams went at it too, spectators filling the sidewalks, coaches exhorting (and one coach threatening to pull a player for his attitude Saturday afternoon). Players ranged from third and fourth graders to adults.

The weekend also included entertainment at the amphitheater in McCosh Park, Saturday's 5K and 10K fun runs and a triathlon Monday, and the Haworth Family Shows carnival.