Keeping July 4 cool in Hot Springs

Guitars chords vibrated and barbecues smoked under the banner of the American Flag as Hot Springs residents gathered to celebrate the Fourth of July at the Symes Hotel.

The day started at 4 p.m. with a cherry pit spitting contest and a watermelon eating contest for the kids, followed with the folk and country music of Gary Redman, a guitarist and singer from Saint Ignatius. A barbecue also accompanied the live music and fireworks later that night.

“We have to celebrate our independence, how free we are and what a wonderful lifestyle we have here,” said Leslee Smith, who owns the Symes with her husband Dan. “As soon as you go out of the country you realize how fortunate we are here.”

Smith was in charge of selling and serving food at their barbecue and coordinating the kids games. She felt organizing the event was chaotic but worth the effort.

“It’s always a little hectic getting everything ready to go but then it’s also really fun and everyone enjoys the music,” Smith said.

Smith said Redman was definitely a crowd favorite whenever he arrived to play at the hotel.

“The crowd really loves him because he sings all the old cowboy campfire tunes; he has a great big voice and he doesn’t even need any amplification,” she said.

Marie Redman, Gary’s wife, said she always likes coming to Hot Springs because of the unique country atmosphere.

“We come down to hot springs because of the people, we come over here and everybody is your friend; it really feels like you’re home,” Redman said.

Joanette Joiner, an employee of the Symes Hotel, liked the atmosphere as well.

“It’s just relaxing , it’s America, it’s tradition, you’ve got old people, you’ve got young people, everybody is family,” Joiner said. She also enjoyed watching her husband Keith Joiner, a local goat farmer, borrow Gary’s Guitar to strum a few songs.

Visitors at the hotel also enjoyed the event.

“Today I really enjoyed this, they ought to do this every weekend,” Fred Kammerdienen, a visitor from Kalispell, said. And when he found out that the hotel has live music every Friday and Saturday nights he said he’d definitely come back.

While the adults enjoyed the food and the music, for the kids, the seed spitting and watermelon eating contests were the day’s highlight. The first event was the watermelon-eating contest. Each contestant was given one large slice of watermelon to eat and the first one to finish won $10. The second place price was $5, and the third place prize was $1.

Anneliese Feiler came in first, Caleb Cook took second and Blaine Leonard placed third. Feiler also swept the cheery seed spiting contest, earning another $10. She said that she’d practiced spitting seeds on a few occasions. Julia Gumenyuk took second and the five-dollar prize while Leonard again came in third.

Debbie Gaither, who lived in Hot Springs from 2001 to 2004 and who will be returning at the end of the summer said that she liked the event for a combination of reasons.

“There’s good food, there’s great music and the fireworks show will be good later,” she said. Gaither added that Leslie’s potato salad was also a big draw for her.

While the crowd of about 30 people came for a number of different reasons, the by the end of the night they all left well-fed and well-entertained.