Plains Day: Then and now

PLAINS – Following Plains Day weekend, the town returned to its normal pace and was able to reflect on its big summer event.

With large crowds turning out throughout the day on Saturday and an all day baseball tournament occurring at the Amundson Sports Complex, it was quite a busy Saturday in town on June 7.

“We feel Plains Day went very well,” said Carol Day, head of the Plains Day Committee.

Day added this year’s Plains Day featured a few vendors who were new to the event.

The Sanders County Dog Training Club made their first appearance and set up an agility course, which provided attendees with the opportunity to lead their pets through chutes, hoops and other obstacles.

Day noted, even though the event just ended last week, preparations for next year’s celebration begin almost immediately following the weekend.

“The preparation kind of starts right after it ends,” Day said.

Day added the size of each Plains Day and the number of events offered over the weekend depends on funding and membership levels.

At this year’s event there were not enough volunteers to run the family games in Fred Young Park.

“Year-to-year to get it done more effectively it would help if we could get more volunteers,” Day said.

Day continued by pointing out the handful of volunteers are quite capable of putting on the event each year, but a larger pool of residents would be of immeasurable value for the whole community.

This year’s Plains Day featured a sizeable turnout for the afternoon parade and the evening dance in EL Johnson Memorial Pool Park also drew an energetic crowd, many of whom remained for the drive-in movie.

Over the years, Plains Day has evolved and is quite a different event from the summer celebrations of years past.

Plains Mayor Greg Eitelberg remembers the event during his childhood as an event with a different atmosphere from the contemporary celebration.

“The local merchants themselves put on the event to thank the citizens,” Eitelberg said.

Eitelberg added there were also several events, no longer in the Plains Day schedule. One of the older events included a competition to catch a greased pig. Whoever caught the pig would be able to keep it as long as they were lucky enough to corral the slippery creature.

Additionally, the mayor recalled a plane dropping paper plates, which could be taken to local businesses in exchange for prizes.

“I remember a lot of people hanging around downtown, not just for the parade, but for the whole day,” Eitelberg said.

The mayor was quick to note, following the closure of the local sawmill the event began to change.

He also noted how the lack of available volunteers has impacted the event.

“We don’t have the participation the town once had,” Eitelberg said.

Eitelberg understands the challenges facing the Plains Day Committee and other organizations responsible for putting on the annual event.

Through his time with the Plains Lions Club, Eitelberg  has become well aware of the challenges in attracting support for various efforts within town.

“I fully understand their frustration in not getting a large number of volunteers,” Eitelberg said.

Eitelberg pondered the future of the event and was unsure of what upcoming Plains Days would bring.

Nonetheless, the mayor is still happy the town can come together and put on an annual celebration.

“We are lucky to have what we have,” Eitelberg said.

The 2014 edition of Plains Day experienced a warm sunny day for the festivities to take place.

Although the future for Plains Day is unknown, everyone awaits the day in anticipation.