Family fun at Trout Creek's Huckleberry Days
There's an ATV under the mass of purple balloons displayed by a parade entrant during this weekend's 2024 Huckleberry Festival in Trout Creek. (Chuck Bandel/VP-MI)
Festival goers line the street coming one of the park where this year's Huckelberry Festival in Trout Creek was held. Several thousand people thronged to the town for the festival's two-day run. (Chuck Bandel/VP-MI)
Clowns took over the main stage at the Huckelberry Festival under the parachute canopy at the main stage. (Chuck Bandel/VP-MI)
A young festival goer hangs onto a bag of popcorn while waiting for the Huckleberry Festival parade to begin. (Chuck Bandel/VP-MI)
A color guard leads the way at the head of the 2024 Huckleberry Festival parade Saturday morning in Trout Creek. (Chuck Bandel/VP-MI)
Spokane resident and Dad Aaron Willrich dances with his three-year-old daughter as music played under the main stage parachute at the Huckleberry Festival in Trout Creek this past weekend. (Chuck Bandel/VP-MI)
The Huckleberry Festival mascot, "Huck L. Berry" rides on the back of a mini-float during this year's Huckleberry Festival parade in Trout Creek. (Chuck Bandel/VP-MI)
If you are a parachutist, being under the chute is a good place to be.
If you attended this year’s Huckleberry Festival in Trout Creek, under the parachute was THE place to be.
Several thousand people flocked to this resort town along the Clark Fork River this past weekend, and while there was plenty to see and do, a solid core of Huckleberry fans gathered throughout the day under the parachute that serves as shade for the festival’s outdoor stage.
The festival got underway early as it always does with a family fun run, followed by the annual parade. Festival goers from throughout the area lined the streets around Trout Creek Park and along Highway 200 as a purple clad throng of floats and vehicles passed by.
“This is our third year in a row coming over here,” said Aaron Willrich, who hails from Spokane. “This is a good, fun thing to do.”
Willrich was the first to dance under the main stage parachute, twirling and dipping with his three-year-old daughter, Elliana, who delighted the gathering of music fans with her fledgling dance moves.
The music for dancing was provided by the Dwayne Brothers Band, who according to band leader Dwayne Brothers, had been hoping to play the festival again after being in Trout Creek in 1984.
“We’ve been hoping we’d get asked to be here again,” said Brothers. “This is a great place with so many good people from so many places.”
The band played a two-hour gig which enticed numerous Festival goers to shake a leg.
This year’s festival offered a wide array of crafts and foods, as well as numerous activities for children and their parents.
“Barney” one of two clowns who worked the stage after the band finished playing, got a chuckle from the adults in the crowd when he said he celebrated his 30th anniversary last year by taking his wife to Europe.
“I guess I should go back and get her this year,” he said.
Also under the parachute at the two-day festival was a pie-eating contest and an auction.
The Trout Creek fire department also took part in its usual way, a big breakfast for early festival early arrivals. And as usual a long line of visitors participated in the breakfast feast.
“We have come here before and were really glad to see they were serving breakfast,” said Sheridan, Wyoming resident Glen Beckert, who along with his wife and two children were on a vacation that included a stay in Glacier National Park.
More music and craft/food booths were on the schedule for Sunday, along with a horseshoe pitching tournament.
The event was held under sunny and cloudy skies, with temperatures in the low 80s.
Festival goers line the street coming one of the park where this year's Huckelberry Festival in Trout Creek was held. Several thousand people thronged to the town for the festival's two-day run. (Chuck Bandel/VP-MI)
Clowns took over the main stage at the Huckelberry Festival under the parachute canopy at the main stage. (Chuck Bandel/VP-MI)
A young festival goer hangs onto a bag of popcorn while waiting for the Huckleberry Festival parade to begin. (Chuck Bandel/VP-MI)
A color guard leads the way at the head of the 2024 Huckleberry Festival parade Saturday morning in Trout Creek. (Chuck Bandel/VP-MI)
Spokane resident and Dad Aaron Willrich dances with his three-year-old daughter as music played under the main stage parachute at the Huckleberry Festival in Trout Creek this past weekend. (Chuck Bandel/VP-MI)
The Huckleberry Festival mascot, "Huck L. Berry" rides on the back of a mini-float during this year's Huckleberry Festival parade in Trout Creek. (Chuck Bandel/VP-MI)