‘Today was a great day’

ALMIRA — The town of Almira covers slightly more than half a square mile, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, but Saturday all the fun was concentrated in one block. 

“They’ve changed the parade route this year, trying to focus everything more on the park,” said Almira Mayor Jason Evers, who not only announced the parade but sang the national anthem to kick it off. “The last couple of years it’s really started to grow. This is as good a turnout as we’ve had. There had to have been a couple of hundred (people) … And then we’ll have people in town because we’ve got the Grid Kids playing up on the new football field and then we’ve got it scheduled to have the high school volleyball team play here in town instead of Coulee City, so nobody has to leave town to watch.” 

The parade started about three blocks away at the new Almira School, which opened last year to replace the old school that burned in 2021. The parade made its way up Third Street to Almira Lions Memorial Park, where all other events were happening. Vendor booths were set up on Elm Street on the south side of the park, and in the park itself were bouncy houses, a climbing wall and bean bag toss games. 

“We’ve been blessed with community support,” said Mandy Brink, one of the volunteer organizers of the fair. “All of the kids’ activities, it was paid for by donors. So, it was fully covered and we were able to purchase other activities, like games that can be used year after year.” 

A couple of years ago, the rides consisted of a trampoline-like device where kids could be strapped in and bounce, Brink said. 

“There was only one of them, and it was a long line,” she said. “We’re trying to make something that more people could be involved with for a longer period of time, not just waiting for one thing.” 

Among the vendors who came was Tamie Shaw of Odessa, whose booth Sweed’s Things had hair clips, earrings and other handcrafted bling. 

“(Business has been) pretty good,” she said. “Right after the parade, it was really busy.” 

Shaw has done bazaars and fairs as far away as Airway Heights and Post Falls, Idaho, she said, and not done as well as she did in this town of about 300 people. This is her second year at the Almira Country Fair, she said. 

Along Fourth Street on the west side of the park cars of all vintages were arrayed, hoods open and chrome gleaming in the sun. 

“Every year we get between 25 and 40,” said Theresa Herdrick, one of the car show organizers. “Obviously it’s weather-dependent, and today was a great day.” 

“We get new ones,” said her fellow volunteer, Shannon Monson. “It seems like every year there’s different cars.” 

Not all the cars were from Almira, of course. Gordon Stuart had brought his immaculate white 1960 Studebaker Hawk up from Warden for the day. 

“It’s got the Studebaker 298 V-8,” Stuart said. “The 289 Studebaker was about 10 years earlier than Ford’s 289.” 

Stuart said that everything on the vehicle is original except for the paint and the headliner. He bought it about 20 years ago and was only the car’s third owner. The Studebaker Hawk is the most comfortable vehicle he’d ever ridden in, he added. 

“My grandpa had one of these,” said an attendee who was passing by and admiring the vehicle. 

“Everybody’s grandpa or grandma or somebody in the family has had one,” Stuart said. 

Over among the vendor booths, Helen Ladwig with the Wheat Country Quilters was selling raffle tickets for a gorgeous quilt. 

“There are over 2,000 pieces in it,” Ladwig said. “Two-and-a-half-inch squares.” 

The money from the raffle will go toward fabric and supplies to make more quilts to be given away, Ladwig said. The Wheat Country Quilters have been doing it for at least 20 years, she added, meeting once a week to do their own quilts and occasionally collaborate on one like the raffle prize. 

“We’ve had some giant years and some lean years,” Evers said. “But the committee’s worked really hard the last few years to get vendors here and really get things rolling.” 

    Darnella Yearout, 8, tackles the last stretch of the climbing wall at the Almira Country Fair Saturday.
  

    Marlee Jo Victorino, 2, picks up some candy while her mom, Megan Victorino, looks on at the Almira Country Fair parade Saturday.
  

    The Almira Country Fair drew a pretty good crowd for a town of about 300 Saturday, with craft and food vendors offering their wares on Elm Street beside Almira Lions Memorial Park.
  

    Lori Friend, left, and JoAnn Hardt, both of Marlin, listen while Gordon Stuart of Warden tells them about the 1960 Studebaker Hawk he brought to the Almira Country Fair car show Saturday.