'Loving Our Treasures' kicks into high gear

Residents and visitors have a chance to have some fun and appreciate the community during this year's Havre Festival Days, themed "Loving Our Treasures."

"We are having an event!" Havre Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Debbie Vandeberg said enthusiastically Thursday, "and the weather looks to be awesome. Things are shaping up wonderfully. The parade entries are still coming in, so we should another great parade."

The main events kick off today, although the Chamber started announcing Monday the winning Festival Days Button numbers drawn in the annual giveaways and the Friends of the Library started their book sale Thursday, continuing today through Sunday.

The biggest event starts at 10 a.m. Saturday, with the parade which travels down 5th Avenue.

Havre Mayor Tim Solomon said the parade is always a high point for him, and, as always, something for everyone is lined up over the weekend.

"Its great to bring out the people and bring people to town ... ," he said. "I hope everyone comes out and enjoys the weekend. It looks like the weather's going to cooperate."

The forecasters agree. The National Weather Service forecast calls for a high of 77 today with a low tonight of 47 and mostly sunny skies. The forecast predicts sunny skies and highs of 72 and 78 Saturday and Sunday.

Along with the second day of the book sale, events get rolling today with the noon opening of the Hi-Line Quilt Guild Festival of Quilts at Mat Corner on the intersection of 2nd Street and 2nd Avenue. The quilt show continues Saturday and Sunday.

The all-weekend all-day and all-night softball tournament starts at 6 p.m. at the 6th Avenue Memorial Softball Field, as does the Big Sky Auto Club Memorial Car Show, which runs 6 to 9 p.m. at the Independence Bank parking lot on the 200 Block of 4th Avenue.

Vandeberg said the car show had been held "for years, and then the past few years we didn't have one. So we're really glad to have that group back on the schedule."

Some sports come into the events tonight as well, with the Havre High School Blue Pony volleyball team taking on Browning High School at Havre High and the Montana State University-Northern Skylights volleyball team facing Rocky Mountain College at the Armory Gymnasium, both starting at 7 p.m.

The political side of Festival Days also kicks off Friday, with the Hill County Democrats Pasma-Peck Dinner starting at the Havre Eagles Club with a no-host cocktail hour starting at 5 p.m.

U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana, will speak his party's faithful, it was announced this morning.

State Supreme Court Justice Mike Wheat, who is seeking re-election in a nonpartisan contest, will speak, also.

The events pick up Saturday at 7 a.m. with the six-decades -old Kiwanis Pancake feed at the Havre Eagles Club, and the last Saturday Market of the year following at 8 a.m. at Town Square. The Havre Rifle and Pistol Club is holding Sight-In Days during Festival Days on the rifle range on River Road from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

And the main event, the well-loved Festival Days Parade will run down 5th Avenue starting at 10 a.m. The Pacific Junction Railway Club's run of special model trains also starts at 10 a.m., in the Frank DeRosa Railroad Museum at 120 3rd Avenue.

The Havre Festival Days Commercial Products and Craft Show starts Saturday at the Great Northern Fairgrounds at 11 a.m.

The other side of politics also starts at 11 a.m., with the Hill County Republican Central Committee sponsoring a meet the candidates barbecue at Pepin Park.

Custom Collision Repair is again holding a car show and alcohol-fueled funny car tire burnout, at its lot on U.S. Highway 2 East after the parade.

Sports continues Saturday at 2 p.m. when the Skylights volleyball team have another match, this one against the Carroll College Saints in the Armory Gym.

Then there will be a new twist happens at a two-decade- old event when live music performs during and after the E-1 Towing Demolition Derby at the Great Northern Fairgrounds Arena. Blistered Earth, a Spokane, Washington, Metallica tribute band, will play between heats and put on a full concert after the derby, which starts at 3 p.m., is finished.

Then local thespians will again hold a mystery dinner theater, with the sixth annual Death By Chocolate starting in the St. Jude Thaddeus School Central Gymnasium at 6 p.m.

And more sports starts later that night, with Havre's own hockey team, the Glacier Nationals, taking on the Great Falls Americans at the Havre Ice Dome starting at 7 p.m.

Sunday continues the events with the ongoing 48-hour softball tournament continuing, the Sight-In Day at the rifle range again starting at 8 a.m., the commercial products and crafts show resuming at 11 a.m., and the quilt show and book Sale starting up at noon.

At 1 p.m., the Festival Fun Run and Walk starts at the Remote Control Model Flying Club range south of Havre, and at 3 p.m. the North Central Montana Shrine Club will draw the names of the winners in its annual beef raffle.

And the Havre Jaycees will hold their second bump 'n' run race at the Great Northern Fairgrounds arena, with the racing scheduled to start at 2 p.m.

"Festivals is an event of the Havre Area Chamber of Commerce, but the full schedule of activities are done by the community," she said.