Four for the Fourth

For some Hi-Line people, tonight will mark the start of a four-day Independence Day weekend. Others get to take only one day off.

In any event, there is a host of things area people can do to enjoy themselves.

Here are just four of the things people can enjoy while being away from work.

The Havre Daily News will not publish Thursday, but we will resume Friday afternoon.

For news updates throughout the holiday weekend, see http://www.havredailynews.com.

Food, music and fun at Pepin Park

The annual Fourth of July Festival is what the Fourth is supposed to be about.

It starts with the presentation of the flag by Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts and Girl Scouts at noon.

Then, Denna Rudio will sing the national anthem, subbing for her sister, Donna Tilleman, who can’t make it this year.

At this point the crowd will get down to some serious recreation.

There will be free food — hot dogs and hamburgers, chips and soda that will be dished out by community volunteers to the more than 1,700 people expected for the event.

A variety of activities are planned for kids — face-painting, balloon-twisting and games.

A raffle will raise funds to get next year’s festival started, said Vince Woodwick, who has organized the event for the last dozen years.

Area residents, especially businesses, have been “very, very generous,” Woodwick said. There will be all kinds of prizes to award, he said.

Numerous bands have volunteered to perform, having been persuaded by Woody Woodwick, Vince’s brother who is a well-known area musician.

The number of people attending the festivities has increased dramatically in recent years, and Vince Woodwick said it wouldn't be possible without the help of people and businesses who contribute time and money to help out.

Vince Woodwick made an offer to the community: “Come on down Thursday,” he said. “I’ll buy you lunch.”

Watch the fireworks, or buy your own

Each year, people of the Havre area enjoy a colorful fireworks display at the Great Northern Fairgrounds celebrating the Fourth of July.

This is put on by the Havre Jaycees with support from the Havre community through the local Jaycees Red Fireworks Booth.

The Jaycees are, “just an organization that gives back to the community,” said Trisha Keeler, 2013 Jaycees president.

The big fireworks display will begin at nightfall Thursday and should be visible throughout the area. Many people park near the Great Northern Fairgrounds to get a good view.

The Jaycees also put on many other events for the community throughout the year, including the demolition derby at the fair, a haunted house and the local Toys for Tots drive.

Keeler also said that the Jaycees operate as one of the local fireworks booths in town, and it is important to buy locally because the funds raised by the Jaycees booth go directly into the display on the Fourth.

While each year the service group hopes to raise more money than the last year, there is no set amount of money the booth plans to raise. The fireworks display is done strictly on the funds that are raised. Keeler said, “the more money we get, the better the show will be.”

The most popular fireworks sold at the booth each year are differently themed, like the Crazy Daisy, Jumping Jelly Beans and Funky Fish, which all have assorted characteristics and range in price.

Cruise through Blaine County

The third annual Blaine County Cruise will be held Friday and Saturday in Chinook.

Registration begins Friday at 6 p.m. at the Blaine County Fairgrounds. Concessions and a drive-in movie, “Heart Like a Wheel,” will follow at dark.

There will be a breakfast Saturday from 7 to 9 a.m,, and registration will continue.

The group will drive their classic cars to Fort Benton at 10 a.m., where they will stop for lunch and games. They will then travel to Loma, Big Sandy, Havre and back, a total of approximately 192 miles.

The cars will stop at the east end of the Holiday Village Shopping Center parking lot in Havre from 4 to 5 p.m.

Activities at each stop include games including cards, Plinko, and a competition to see who can park closest to a pin without knocking it down.

Dinner will be at the Blaine County Fairgrounds, and awards will begin at 7 p.m. There will be another drive-in movie, “Maverick,” at dark along with concessions.

The evening will include drawings and a 50/50 raffle. The winner of the games played throughout the day will win $1,000.

All meals and concessions will be provided by the Chinook FFA, Blaine County 4-H Foundation and Pastime Lounge.

Pre-registration is $25 per vehicle, and $10 for each additional vehicle per family.

Day-of registration will be $30 dollars more per vehicle, and $15 for each additional vehicle per family.

Kick off the first Saturday Market

In 1984, Betty Holden began baking pies to sell at the farmer’s market that was held each Saturday in Havre.

This Saturday, she will be back at the expanded Saturday Market that opens at 8 a.m. at Town Square.

She’ll have some of the same recipes she used 29 years ago. And she will have some pies created from recipes developed along the way.

Betty’s pies will be among the ever-increasing number of items on sale at the market, which also includes baked goods, crafts, wood carvings, barbecued meats, jewelry, jams and vegetables.

The market runs 8 a.m. to noon beginning Saturday and ending on Festival Days weekend.

Over the years, Betty has used the money she raises at the market for a variety of purposes over the year. Her sister Violet used to spend the summers in Havre. Her husband had sun stroke and couldn’t take the summers in his Arizona home. They sold pies to give Violet some spending money.

Then, her grandchildren attended summer church school and would make pledges of up to $1,000 to foreign missions. The pie sales helped them meet the goal.

Now, she just bakes to help her pay expenses on her home.

She always looks forward to the start of another year.

“I’ve made a lot of friends over the years,” she said.

Her cherry-berry pie is always a favorite. It is a combination of blackberries, blueberries, cherries and raspberries, she said.

But the first one to sell out is usually an apple-peach pie.

Being a child of the Depression, she said, she always scrimps. One day, she had apples left over, but not enough to make another pie. So she combined the apples with some leftover peaches.

Because of the market, her pies have become a real hit in the community.

During the off-months, people want her to reassure them she will be back at the market.

And sometimes she makes pies for people for holidays.