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Silver City Days in downtown Trail serves up new tasty treats

Everything from homemade ice cream to grilled cheese specials and buffalo burgers served up during Trail's Silver City Days.
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Silver City Days serves up new tasty treats

Two scoops are always better than one. Especially if it's old fashioned ice cream made in one of B.C.'s finest family dairies, and served with a local twist.

New to the Silver City Days food court is “D” Dutchman Dairy ice cream, with Fruitvale Mayor Patricia Cecchini serving up the cool treat that's made with real cream and flavoured by hand.

Since 1979, the dairy has been owned and operated by Cecchini's family in Sicamous.

“The ice cream is by the Dewitt family, which is my family,” she said. “A lot of ice cream today is mostly oils. But ours is made with real cream and all the flavourings (added) by hand - and it all happens on our farm.”

There's 28 flavours to chose from during the Spokane Street food mall, which is open from 10 a.m. until 11 p.m. today and Saturday, then on Mother's Day from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.

“I was asked to do Silver City Days in the past so this year I thought I would bring the trailer,” said Cecchini, mentioning for years she's scooped the family's ice cream from the Beaver Valley May Days concession. “Our store in Sicamous has a line up out the door all summer long, so I thought I'd bring our ice cream to the Kootenays and show off my family,” she chuckled.

Another new food choice this year is Mook Thai, authentic southeast Asian fare served up by Rossland's June Quirk.

“We thought we would do this so people can try our Thai food,” said June. “All the ingredients in our curry are our own from Thailand, we don't buy it in the market.”

Quirk, and a friend who traveled from Vancouver to help cook, are serving up traditional Phad Thai, ginger curry stir fry, pork red curry with rice, barbeque pork with sticky rice, spring rolls and Thai iced tea.

If fair goers are craving North American fare, flavoured to the nth degree, then X-Treme Grilled Cheese has a long list of the sandwich choices that are anything but basic.

This is the first Silver City Days for Celina French and she's gearing up for a busy weekend alongside helper Karen Weir, both whom hail from Castlegar.

“I had a little catering business while I was living in Saskatoon,” said French. “My husband works in the mines, so I started making grill cheese with my own spin and people loved them. I'd like to open a food truck, but when we came here, I thought I would start with this tent.”

Options include pulled pork and crispy onions, chicken with cactus cut sauce and crispy potatoes, or for the sweet tooth, apple pie grill cheese. Whatever the choice, sandwiches are served on fresh ciabatta that's grilled on a panini press.

“Our first event was last weekend at Castlegar's Spring Fling,” she said. “I've already had one lady come up to me on the street to tell me how good her sandwich was. I've been getting a lot of good feedback, and I am really excited for this weekend.”

The newcomers are working alongside returning food court favourites including the Lower Columbia Metis Society's grilled buffalo burgers and the Kiwanis beef on a bun or deep fried corn dog.

Silver City Days is a major fundraiser for both groups, and all funds raised stay local.

“Everything, including our burgers, are bought locally,” said Myrt Servatius from the Metis organization. “Most of the money raised helps fund our annual Louis Riel dinner, which is free to the community,” she explained. “And if our members need help with something, like taking a course at Selkirk or money for an art project, we will help with that as well.”

Kiwanis Brian Pipes said serving up a loaded beef on a bun and corn dogs is the group's second biggest annual fundraiser.

Money raised is dispersed through 20 local organizations such as Special Olympics, Kootenay Festival of the Arts, the Jumpstart program, and the Trail Ambassador program.