Cherry Carnival
Bear River celebrates summer with dunk tank, greased pole and street parade
Cherry Carnival has been the main event in the Bear River summer for 123 years.
When you’ve been doing something that long, you know exactly what works and what brings the crowds in.
Eric Cox, one of the organizers from the Bear River Fire Depart- ment, says he looks forward to Cherry Carnival every year.
“I love events like this that bring out the whole community, people come home for this,” he said. “Maybe there’s people you only see once a year, you get a chance to catch up and talk.”
The main fundraiser for the Bear River Fire Department is July 23 and on that day you have to keep an eye out for the firefighter’s boot drive on your way into the village.
For the second year in a row, they are holding a pancake and sausage breakfast at the fire hall from 7 to 10 a.m.
Which gives you just enough time to catch the street parade starting at 10 a.m., a half hour earlier this year.
The fire hall is putting on a chicken burger and salad lunch from noon to 1 p.m.
The timing of high tide allows the greased pole to go at 1:30 p.m. – this contest, a highlight for many who attend Cherry Car- nival, involves dozens of people falling into the water after failing to grab the little Canadian flag stuck into the end of the pole.
The winner, who inevitably falls in too, takes home $100.
The canoe races are at 2:30 p.m.
The games of chance and the dunk tank are all afternoon as is the bingo and white elephant table, back by popular demand.
For the second year in a row, don’t miss your chance to compete in the mini-excavator challenge all afternoon – first prize is also $100.
And, of course, you can get your boxes of cherries from the firefighters while supplies last.
Live music at the gazebo all afternoon and evening includes Harvey Marcotte, Ron Parks, Caleb Miles and Brad Hewey and friends.
The firefighters are putting on a pig roast for supper and for dessert is the pie eating contest and cherry pit spitting plus the duck race.
Then the big fireworks show near 10 p.m. caps off the festivities.
Of special note too is the Wednesday night hymn sing at 7 p.m. on July 20.