Layout for all the carnival rides and food fair continues to throw a curveball into Silver City Days planning.
Organizational challenges in the new downtown locale may come right down to the wire, says Keith Smyth, volunteer operations manager.
Nevertheless - with only three weeks left until opening day on May 9 - Smyth reminds locals to save the date because plenty of midway excitement, stage entertainment, good eats and more, are coming this way.
“In the big picture, I can say we are ready to go,” Smyth told the Times. “Our group works closely with the city’s main people to make this work, so it’s a dynamic process with location of trailers and infrastructure, ” he explained.
“And we were slightly delayed this year because of the Smokies playoffs, but now, we are hot on the details.”
One of the biggest hurdles to re-configuring the five-day event was accounted for last year, but is still presenting a few issues. The traditional food fair site had to change after the riverfront end of Spokane Street was permanently closed to allow for re-development of the former Crown Point Hotel.
The committee came up with four alternate scenarios last fall, and after considerable review, agreed to migrate trailers and tents a few blocks down to Riverfront Centre frontage and Helena Street to Cedar Avenue.
With 18 food vendors on the Riverfront Food Fair menu, Smyth says fitting in the offerings is proving to be a little tricky because the dedicated stretch along the Esplanade is much narrower than a downtown street.
“Because of the new hotel coming into town, there are a lot of organizational changes and lots of logistical changes,” Smyth said. “But everyday, problems are being solved.”
That’s because he has a secret weapon in his back pocket, long time volunteers who are ready at a moments notice to thrown in their brains and brawn to help figure it all out.
“There’s still some legwork to be done,” he added. “But we’ve done this for three years now and we’ve gotten here (through) volunteerism.”
Although there are still first-time loose ends to tie up, the traditional start to Silver City Days remains unchanged.
The festivities will officially kick off Tuesday, May 8 at 7 p.m. in St. Michael’s Catholic School, when the Knights of Columbus celebrate the 2017 Citizen of the Year.
Notably, this is the last week to submit names for Trail-Warfield Citizen of the Year. Nominations close Friday, April 20 at noon. For more information, contact Brian Volpatti at 250.364.1445.
The Riverfront Food Fair and Shooting Star rides are slated to open Wednesday May 9 from 10 a.m.until 10 p.m. and 3 p.m. until 10 p.m. respectively.
Thursday night the city invites communities to come together from 7-9 p.m. for a night time stroll across the Columbia River Skywalk in the second annual “An Evening Passeggiata.” The special event will include various booths set up and entertainment.
The Colombo Lodge Spaghettata is set for Friday from 5-8 p.m. and this year’s ambassadors will hit the Bailey Theatre stage at 7 p.m. for the Miss Trail Pageant.
Following the Trail Firefighters’ Parade on Saturday, will be an afternoon of events including 3x3 hockey, the Grape Stomp, and the Colombo Lodge/Silver City Days Bocce Classic.
“Our planning committee is an organizational committee,” said Smyth. “We welcome organizations in town who want to be a part of what we do. We’ll help them to use Silver City Days as a launching pad.”
Smyth encourages locals to check out the Saturday night dance in the Cominco Arena that features two acts, both with local roots.
“After all, where else can you dance the night away for $8 in advance or $10 at the door?” he asked.
Gary Morissette & the Unknown Culprits open the show at 8 p.m. Gary, who reached the Top-16 in the 2008 Canadian Idol competition, grew up in Fruitvale and now lives in Eastern Canada, so the band is making a special trip to perform at Silver City Days.
Scarlet Sway will close the evening. The band, which features Trail natives Karli Harrison, and Jordan and Kim Fines, placed in the Top 10 of 2018’s CBC Searchlight talent competition.
For a full listing of Silver City Days events, look for the West Kootenay Advertiser on May 3.