Not Your Typical Festival, August 2011

“We are going to go out with a bang.”

Eric Johnson

Mayor of Hamberg, North Dakota (aka Mr. January)

I updated the Not Your Typical Festival calendar to add August festivals today. Check it out when you get a chance. Here are a handful of July festivals that didn’t make last month’s list but they look like good ‘uns.

Kick Ash Summer Bash
After suffering through the destruction of the Wallow Fire—the largest fire in Arizona history—earlier this spring and summer, the townspeople of Greer, Arizona (population 177) are putting the pieces back together again. Largely dependent on tourism (roughly 200,000 tourists visit the area each year), the town held a fundraising festival July 22-24. Called the Kick Ash Summer Bash, the festival featured Old West shoot-outs, wagon rides, a fun run, fishing derby, and music festival with 15 bands. Kick-Ash T-shirts were sold, with all proceeds going to fire victims. If you want to order a T-shirt or donate to Greer’s rebuilding efforts, click on www.GreerWallowFireRecovery.org.

Last Hurrah
Hamberg, North Dakota (population 14) is celebrating its centennial this year, but residents don’t expect the town will survive another 100 years. It’s been steadily losing population, and all that remains are 10 bachelors and two couples. But instead of throwing up their hands in despair, the residents threw one Last Hurrah July 23-24 to celebrate the town's 100th birthday. There was a parade, flea market, beer garden, photo gallery, and dance. To raise money for the Last Hurrah, the town talked 9 of its 10 bachelors, along with a few guys from the outlying areas, into posing for a calendar. The bachelors range in age from 27 to mid-70s, and all are in natural, everyday poses (nothing naughty here). On sale for the bargain price of $5, the calendars have been selling like hotcakes. If there are any left, you can snag one for yourself by contacting the mayor of Hamberg, Eric Johnson (aka Mr. January) at hambergmayor@hotmail.com or centennial organizer Carol Schneider at jschneider@gondtc.com.
Read the article ® Hamberg’s last hurrah

Horsefest
Taylor, North Dakota (population 144) likes horsing around. The town threw its 18th annual Horsefest July 30-31 and expected to attract 4,500 visitors, more than 30 times Taylor’s usual population. Always a big draw for horse lovers, the festival features a horses-only parade (no motorized vehicles allowed), trail horse competition, horsemanship seminars, and exhibits of horse-drawn equipment. In addition, this year’s entertainment committee put on a musical extravaganza called A Tribute to Lawrence Welk and North Dakota, in honor of the state’s most notable musician. Sounds like a “wunnerful” time.
Read the article ® Taylor Horsefest draws big crowds to small town