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May 14, 2008

Watonga set to honor heritage

By Kasey Fowler Staff Writer

Watonga will celebrate Pioneer Days May 24. This year’s theme is “Celebrating Our Pioneer Heritage.”

According to Bob Shoemaker, director of Watonga Main Street organization, when Pioneer Days started it was a large celebration, but it died out throughout the years. Pioneer Days was restarted nine years ago by Watonga Main Street.

This year’s celebration will kick off with a parade at 10 a.m. Shoe-maker said there have been nearly 50 en-tries for the parade. The parade will in-clude tractors, floats, motorcycles, an-tique vehicles and horseback riders. Other activities include Cheyenne-Arapaho Indian dancers, Thomas Country Opry Band concert, bed races, hot dog eating contests, cow chip throwing, an old-fashioned corn grinding demonstration, a covered wagon, a woodcarving demonstration and horseshoe pitching.

Chances will be sold for handmade quilts. Conces-sions, including hot dogs, hamburgers, barbecue and cold drinks, will be available all day. For the kids there will be an inflatable slide, a moon walk, pony rides and rope-making and bonnet-making activities.

This year’s celebration is being held in conjunction with Former Teachers and Students Association events and will coincide with the Biennial Alumni Banquet. The banquet will be at 6 p.m. at Blaine County Fairgrounds.

Every year, a pioneer business is honored. This year Bob and Dick Oler are to be honored as aviation pioneers in Watonga. Their father is re-sponsible for Watonga having an airport and the family has been in aviation since it was established, Shoemaker said.

“It started from scratch and grew every year,” Shoemaker said of Pioneer Days. “We are very proud of it.”

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