Danny Pham plays his ukulele during the 2015 "Airway's Got Talent" competition.
The city of Airway Heights is celebrating its 33rd annual festival, Aug. 19-20.
For this year's event, dubbed "Airway Heights Days," the city's parks and recreation department wanted to do focus on partnering with other departments - police, fire, planning and public works - along with local businesses and organizations for the event."
"As a department, we enjoy and appreciate our local partnerships," Andy Gardner, parks, recreation and community services supervisor, said. "That's what makes this a community event."
The festival once again starts with the Kiwanis Watermelon Races on Friday at 6:15 p.m. The rules are the same as in past races. All watermelon racers must be handcrafted with both the front and rear axles having two wheels. All four wheels must touch the ground.
Citizens can compete in the Residents Race to win a championship plaque. Local businesses and organizations will race in the Corporate Cup Challenge to win the traveling championship plaque, which is currently held by two-time defending champion Motion Auto Supply. Prizes will be awarded for grand champion, best decorated and most innovative design.
Registration will be from 5-6 p.m. with the Residents Race being $10 and the Corporate Cup at $15.
"We have fun with it," Gardner said. "The races are something that kicks off the festival and I don't think they're going away anytime soon. People enjoy watching and participating in it."
After the Watermelon Races, residents can compete in the watermelon and hot dog eating contests, a first for the festival. There will be pie and popsicle eating contests at 12:30 p.m. the following day.
"The eating contests are something that's fun and are well known at neighborhood festivals," Gardner said. "It's another way for the community to be a part of the show."
The parks and recreation department will then show the final Summer Moonlight Movie Series, Hal Needlam's' "Smokey and the Bandit," an action comedy about a trucker who has to smuggle bootleg beer and avoid highway patrol officers. There will be a Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, similar to the car in the movie, on display.
The second day of the festival begins with Cleone's Closet Community Rummage Sale at 9 a.m. From 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. there will be the Show and Shine automobile show, hosted by Slick's Car Club. The club has also put on shows at different events in the West Plains, such as the one during the Medical Lake Founder's Day Festival.
"Slick's Car Club has provided us with some good knowledge and have been helpful through this process," Gardner said.
The festival also marks the fourth year of the Airway's Got Talent competition. The first round of the competition begins at 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. and the second round is from 1-2 p.m. There will also be the return of the Kiwanis Club beer garden.
The festival will also feature performances from the following bands: Hot Club from 3-4 p.m., Misty Mountain Pony Club: 4:30-5:30 p.m. and Widow's Creek from 6:30-9:30 p.m.
The festival ends with the return of the fireworks display at 9:30 p.m.
Al Stover can be reached at [email protected].
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