Festival will celebrate mountains

Games, food entertainment planned

For more than three decades residents have beat the heat and enjoyed the national forest during the annual Mountain Festival at Camp Nelson.

This weekend, the 32nd Upper Tule Association Mountain Festival will be enjoyed at the Camp Nelson Meadow.

Activities will commence Friday night with a rib dinner at 5 p.m., but the main fun will be held on Saturday and Sunday.

The festival is a way for residents of the mountain communities to gather and have some fun. It is also a way for Valley residents to enjoy a day in the forest.

“I think it’s pretty important,” said Michelle Ray, who is in her 22nd year of organizing the event.

“It gets us some exposure and gets people up here to see the monument,” she added. Plus, she said it is a lot of fund.

Saturday and Sunday will be full of activities, food and entertainment, including Jerry Hall and Trick Shot providing Saturday’s entertainment from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Fire on the Mountain performing 3 to 7 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday.

Ray said there will be games to play for the kids, including a children’s bounce house and arts and crafts.

She added that beautiful arts and crafts will also be on display and for sale along with plenty of good food.

The Camp Nelson Volunteer Fire Department and the Camp Nelson Ambulance Association will have their equipment on display and Sequoia National Forest will have log sawing and Smokey The Bear.

Ray said there will be single and doubles horseshoe tournaments and volleyball both days.

A top block barbecue will be served from 1 to 5 p.m. on Saturday. There will be a bird show on Saturday as well, but not on Sunday. There will also be food booths offering things like tri-tip sandwiches, hamburgers, funnel cakes and Mary Brewer will be offering up her famous chili, both days.

Ray said the two-day festival will feature entertainment for the entire family. She said admission is free.

The Camp Nelson Meadow is just off Highway 190 in Camp Nelson. Ray said the Festival will go one rain or shine.