Festival Days returns strong in Havre

Festival Days came back to Havre this past weekend, featuring the return of numerous events that were canceled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and attendees new and returning seemed impressed with the showing.

The parade, a centerpiece event for festival days that was absent last year, drew a crowd of people that lined Fifth Avenue as floats and parade participants representing local businesses and and organizations from Montana State University Northern to the North Central and Malta Shrine clubs threw candy to children on the sidewalks.

Lenora Graham of Great Falls, who attended for the first time in a few years, said the parade, which she attended with her family including her great-grandchild, was a very good show.

She said it was great to be able to go to an event like this again after some years away.

Graham wasn't the only out-of-towner to be drawn to Festival Days this year. So was Jim Coffman of Joplin, who attended the Steve Heil Memorial Car Show, which allows local car enthusiasts to show off their rides.

He said it was his first time ever coming to Festival Days and said it had been a good time so far.

"Got a good turn out," he said. "Wind is down a little bit, gonna be a nice day."

Joel Greene said he hadn't been to the show in a few years and while it seemed like there were fewer cars than last time he attended, the turnout looked pretty darn good considering the pandemic is still keeping a lot of folks home.

He said he doesn't attend Festival Days every year just because of his work schedule, but he missed being able to go last year, much more than he expected.

"I don't know, I guess you don't know what you have until it's gone," he said. "That's what they say, right?"

While Festival Days seemed to draw a fair few newcomers and sporadic attendees, it also drew back regulars like Andy Owens who took second place in his age group at the CASA Fifth Avenue Mile.

He said he had a good time at events the previous night as well and it was good to see Festival Days back in action.

KNMC's Rock Lotto, another regular event, this year held in memoriam of Kirt Miller, Joe Sarmiento, Charlie Spolar, Jeannie M. Powell, Gary T. Webb, and Tom Farnham, was well-attended as well.

The event, a free outdoor concert featuring bands put together through a random drawing, interspersed with lottery drawings for various prizes, got off to a late start, but that didn't deter sisters Skylar and Mae Flynn, the latter of whom said it's always good to be back at events like this, especially with how crazy things have been in the passed year and half.

Her sister said much the same, having attended the event before.

"The music is always good, and the weather worked out, so that's nice too," .Mae Flynn said