Oroville event celebrating 80 years

OROVILLE – “Walk on the Wild Side” is the theme for this year’s Oroville May Festival which marks the 80th Anniversary of the Oroville’s premier annual event.

The festivities start with the coronation which takes place on Friday at 7 p.m. at Oroville High School. This year’s royalty are Queen Kaylee Davis and Princess Bethany Roley. Following the coronation there will be a lighted mini-parade through town.

Queen Kaylee and Princess Bethany invite everyone to come and enjoy the weekend which has a wide range of activities so most will find something they can enjoy. The girls are scheduled to be on Open Line on KOMW Radio this Thursday at 8 a.m., according to the May Festival Committee’s Michelle Smith, now in her fifth year as president.

“There’s not a whole lot new this year, of course the Border Patrol Explorers have added a dunk tank, which should be fun. There were a couple last minute additions that weren’t on the schedule — Daralyn Hollenbeck (with Blue Star Mothers is going to have a Veterans display and the International Choir will be performing ‘Nifty Fifties’ at the Free Methodist Church for no charge at 2 p.m. Also, although we don’t have an official car show this year, we are inviting those who drove their classic cars in the parade to park in the lot south of Prince’s Warehouse,” said Smith.

Saturday’s activities start with a bass tournament at 6 a.m. at Oroville’s Deep Bay Park on Lake Osoyoos. There’s a pancake breakfast at the American Legion Hall beginning at 7 p.m. and that’s when the Fun Run starts from Appleway Street. The 3 on 3 Basketball Tourney gets underway at 8 a.m. and goes to 5 p.m. The Farmer’s Market is going from 9 a.m. to noon in front of the Community Library.

Then the center piece of the May Festival, the Grand Parade, begins making it’s way down Main Street until it turns west on Central. Following the parade there is a lawn ceremony in front of the high school where the various awards are announced and the traditional May Pole Dance is carried out by local fourth grade students.

From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. the Okanogan Borderlands Historical Society welcomes people to come see their latest exhibit “The Salmon Peoples – Stories Tell the Past” a one-of-kind display relating to the area’s first peoples, the Okanogan Tribe.

Starting at 11:30 a.m. the Oroville Chamber of Commerce will be holding their annual barbecue which helps to pay for event insurance, including May Festival. This year funds are also going to help with scholarships for local OHS graduating seniors. The Aurora Masons will be putting on the Kids Games at Ben Prince Field behind the high school starting at noon. Also starting at noon will be a dunk tank sponsored by the Border Patrol Explorers who promise local celebrities will be featured.

A Meet and Greet with present and past staff of the school district is also planned between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. at the high school.

Throughout the day local wineries – Okanogan Estate and Vineyards, Copper Mountain and Esther Bricques will also be holding tastings of their fine vintages.

For more on Kylee Davis and Bethany Roley see: May Festival Royalty.

Longtime Oroville residents and May Festival volunteers Clayton and Joyce “Boots” Emry are this year’s Grand Marshals. For more on the Emrys see Grand Marshals.