A preview of the North County celebration of heritage and community
Michael McCormic, Jr.
For ClarkCountyToday.com
AMBOY — North County’s favorite community celebration, the Amboy Territorial Days, begins this Fri., July 13. A weekend-long event dedicated to remembering the logging heritage of the area, Territorial Days has proven year after year that some things are never simply the way of the past.
The festival officially begins at 3 p.m. on Friday in the Amboy Territorial Days Park, with a carnival, silent auction, and photography contest. Additionally, there will be a market area where visitors can purchase food, merchandise, and homemade goods. A beer garden will open at 6 p.m. and close at 11:30 p.m.
At 6 p.m., the Territorial Days Princess Court will be crowned on the Olstead Stage, followed by the Queen’s coronation shortly thereafter at 6:15 p.m.. As is tradition, the princess court is made up of 8th grade girls from Amboy Middle School and Green Mountain Middle School. The girls have been selling raffle tickets throughout their communities as part of their princessly responsibilities, which also include acting as representatives of North County in community celebrations throughout the area.
On Sat., July 14, festivities kick into high-gear early in the morning, with the Boy Scout Troop #349 serving breakfast in the food pavilion from 7-10 a.m..
Of course, no community event is complete without a parade, and Territorial Days is no exception. The theme of this year’s annual parade is “Gateway to Nature’s Wonderland,” so spectators can expect to see plenty of outdoors-themed parade floats and logging trucks throughout the procession.
Stage entertainment will be provided throughout all three days of the festival, and will feature a reptile show and live music by area artists including Ordinary Joe, Dan Pressler, Bad Motor Scooter, Laura May, and the 24/7 Band.
Territorial Days’ flagship event, the Log Show, takes place on Saturday at noon in the Waser Arena. A favorite of Amboy residents and travelers alike, the Log Show gives loggers, woodsmen, and general outdoorsmen the chance to prove themselves in a number of forestry-related competitive events.
Competitive categories at the log show include birling, accuracy fall, chain race, axe throw, choker setting, double bucking, modified saw race, obstacle pole racing, and the pole climb.
Youngsters are invited to participate in some of the competition, as well; axe throwing, choker setting, and pole climbing events are all offered in a separate kids category.
Admission to the Log Show is $5 per person.
Territorial Days closes on Sun, July 15th, but not without a bit more fun for the masses. Boy Scout Troop #349 will once again serve breakfast from 7-10 a.m. at the food pavilion.
The Ring of Fire Runs, sponsored by the Amboy Firefighters Association, begin at 7 a.m.. The races are a set of 10k and 5k runs routed through Amboy, and are advertised on the Territorial Days website as having “picturesque views of two local mountains.” A Logger Lap for younger participants will also be available.
At 10 a.m., Amboy Baptist Church will hold a Sunday morning service at the Olstead Stage. Entertainment will continue throughout the day, as will the carnival and vendor market.
A lawn mower race, featuring some machines with a little more power than the average lawn mower, is scheduled to take place at 1 p.m. in the Waser Arena.
Territorial Days will officially end at 6 p.m. on Sun, July 15th. All proceeds from the festival will be used to improve and maintain the Territorial Days Park. For more information on the Amboy Territorial Days, visit http://www.tdays.org/.
