Sebastien Rubino / sebastian@thereflector.com
Battle Ground Harvest Days is about to bring the community together again for a fun two-day festival in July.
Organizer Kendra Laratta noted that the event will be different this year, but said there will still be lots of fun opportunities for people.
“In the past, the Battle Ground Festivals Association was able to put on a mechanical carnival with rides, and that was a great addition to Harvest Days as other events and activities took place,” Laratta said. “But this year there are no carnivals available for our area for our time period. We contacted everyone and there were simply no mechanical carnivals with labor shortages and gas problems.
Harvest Days will still feature a plethora of events, even without the carnival. The Harvest Nights cruise will take place at 6 p.m. on Friday, July 15. There will also be a beer garden with live music on July 15 and 16. It will open at noon and is located west of the Margarita Factory at 11 N. Promenade Avenue.
There will also be a pancake breakfast at Battle Ground High School from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Saturday, July 16, which will be hosted by Clark County Fire District 3. Pancake breakfast funds will go to a person or group in need, according to organizer John Idsinga.
Then at 10 a.m. on July 16, the Harvest Festival parade will take place.
Once completed, there will be a classic BMX bike show at the skatepark at 912 E. Main St. near the Community Center from noon to 4 p.m.
“Some of these bikes come from very far away and can be worth up to $10,000 to $15,000, so there should be some interesting bikes to see,” Laratta said.
Laratta said there will also be entertainment on the main stage at Battle Ground High School from noon to 5 p.m.
“We expect a few K-9 shows to perform from the Clark County Sheriff’s Office, as well as music and entertainment,” she said. “We have a magician coming out (too).”
The Vendor Lounge will run from noon to 5 p.m. on Saturday, July 16 and will be hosted by the Battle Ground Boosters Club. The beer garden will operate throughout this day. There will also be bouncy castles, slides and obstacle courses for children. People can buy a $10 wristband to gain access.
The parade is expected to feature a number of politicians running for office, as well as marching bands, which were absent from the past two parades, Laratta said.
The dancing horses are also ready to return to the parade.
Idsinga said the Royal Rosarians will plant a rose in honor of Battle Ground Citizen of the Year, Tyler Mode, in Central Park after the parade.
To top it off, a fireworks display will take place at 10 p.m. on July 16 near the Lewisville campus, marking the first time the city has held a fireworks display for Harvest Days. Laratta said it would be “a pretty good show”.
Parade participants should register online at battlegroundfestivals.com/events/harvest-days-parade. More information on Harvest Days can be found online at The Battleground
festivals.com.
