Mossyrock Blueberry Festival set for Aug. 1-2; Wenatchee Youth Circus set to perform, among other events

With the berry harvesting season in full swing, the 19th annual Mossyrock Blueberry Festival will be held next weekend on Friday, Aug. 1, and Saturday, Aug. 2, in the East Lewis County community.

The two-day festival will not only feature plenty of blueberries grown by local farmers, but also a pie-eating contest, wiener dog races, live bands performing throughout the weekend, food and craft vendors, a car show, a parade and more.

This year’s Blueberry Festival theme is “Blueberry Bloom and Buzz,” and Buddy Rose, a former Chronicle reporter now working for the East Lewis County Journal, will serve as the parade’s grand marshal.

Additionally, the Wenatchee Youth Circus will be performing at Klickitat Prairie Park, with daily shows, according to the Mossyrock Area Action League’s website.

The City of Mossyrock also participates in planning and hosting the Blueberry Festival, which is funded in part through the Lewis County Lodging Tax Advisory Committee.

This year’s festival is also being held in memory of Beatrice Minnear, a former Mossyrock City Council member, and Glenn Aldrich, founder of the Aldrich Berry Farm & Nursery who is considered the “original commercial blueberry farmer of Lewis County,” both of whom died in March.

All Blueberry Festival events are free to attend. Events dates, times and locations are listed below:

Friday

• From 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., the Mossyrock Historical Society cooling center and historical displays will be open at the Mossyrock Community Center, located at 219 E. State St.

• From 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., bounce houses and other inflatable games and activities, a mobile fishing pond courtesy of the Mineral Lake Lions Club, food and craft vendors, beer garden and more will open at Klickitat Prairie Park, located just south of downtown Mossyrock off of East State Street. Additionally, a beer garden featuring local craft beers and ciders from Longmire Springs Brewing in Packwood and 3 Dog Cider and Brewstillery in Salkum hosted by Bucksnort Pub will be open, with a portion of proceeds going toward Mossyrock school programs.

• At 2, 4 and 6 p.m. the Wenatchee Youth Circus will hold performances at Klickitat Prairie Park.

• From 8 to 10 p.m., country music artist Chris Guenther will perform live music at the Mossyrock Amphitheater in Klickitat Prairie Park.

Saturday

• From 7 to 9 a.m., a blueberry pancake breakfast cooked by the youth of Mossyrock Assembly of God will be served at the church, located at 118 Mossyrock Ave.

• From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., classic and custom cars will be on display for the Mossyrock Road Rebels Car Show at the Mossyrock High School field, located at 295 Williams St.

• At 10 a.m., the Mossyrock Blueberry Festival parade will begin and make its way eastward through Mossyrock down State Street. Line-up for those participating in the parade begins at 9 a.m. at the intersection of Isbell Road and West State Street.

• From 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., bounce houses and other inflatable games and activities, a mobile fishing pond courtesy of the Mineral Lake Lions Club, food and craft vendors, beer garden and more will open at Klickitat Prairie Park. Additionally, a beer garden featuring local craft beers and ciders from Longmire Springs Brewing in Packwood and 3 Dog Cider and Brewstillery in Salkum hosted by Morton’s Bucksnort Pub will be open, with a portion of proceeds going toward Mossyrock school programs.

• At 11 a.m., a “Blueberry Basics” class taught by WSU Lewis County Master Gardener Mary Jean Marsh will be held inside the Mossyrock Community Center.

• From 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., the Mossyrock Historical Society cooling center and historical displays will be open at the Mossyrock Community Center.

• At noon, a “Beekeeping 101” class taught by Lewis County Beekeeping Association member Beverly Phoenix will be held inside the Mossyrock Community Center.

• At noon, 2, 4 and 6 p.m. the Wenatchee Youth Circus will hold performances at Klickitat Prairie Park.

• At 1 p.m., the blueberry pie-eating contest will be held at Klickitat Prairie Park.

• At 2 p.m., the family fun dog show and wiener dog race will be held at the Mossyrock Amphitheater in Klickitat Prairie Park. Dog show categories include smallest, biggest, best dressed, best trick and people’s choice.

• From 2 to 6 p.m., Morton’s Nerd Pros! will be hosting  learn-to-play workshops and tournaments for Pokémon, Magic: The Gathering, Star Wars and other trading card games inside the Mossyrock Community Center.

• At 3 p.m., judging for the Blueberry Bake Off begins at Klickitat Prairie Park.

• At 5 p.m., Skydiving Museum & Hall of Fame ambassador Tim Weible will give a skydiving demonstration at Klickitat Prairie Park.

• From 8 to 10 p.m., country and rock music artist Brian Green will perform live music at the Mossyrock Amphitheater in Klickitat Prairie Park.

Aside from these events, the following blueberry farms in the area will be open to the public both days from the following times.

• Pan-American Berry Growers, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., located at 212 Klickitat Creek Road in Mossyrock.

• The Aldrich Berry Farm & Nursery, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., located at 190 Aldrich Road in Mossyrock.

• The McFadden Family Farm, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., located at 156 Damron Road in Mossyrock.

For more information on the 19th annual Mossyrock Blueberry Festival, read the festival guide online at https://tinyurl.com/26uyrn2x or visit the Mossyrock Area Action League’s website at https://mossyrockfestivals.org/blueberry-festival/.