Oakesdale: Old Mill Days marks town’s 125th

Garth Meyer, Gazette Reporter | Jul 17, 20130

Oakesdale’s Old Mill Days never left; it was just the celebration that was put on hold for five years.

This Saturday, it comes back as Oakesdale prepares for a day of fun marking the town’s 125th anniversary along with the 25th anniversary of the Oakesdale Historical Society.

“We’re ready to roll,” said Old Mill Days Committee Chairman Jake Dingman. “We’re hoping for people to come out and have a good time.”

This year’s chapter of the town’s long-standing event will include a parade, car show, beer garden, street dance, a midnight swim and a chance to drop local dignitaries into the dunk tank.

For a dollar a shot, school superintendent Dingman will be on the block, along with school Principal Jason Reed, Athletic Director Ken Lindgren and Erik Buhl, pastor of the Presbyterian Church.

The day’s events begin Saturday at 7 a.m. with a pancake breakfast at the fire station followed by a five-mile run, starting at the school.

At 11 a.m. the parade begins, featuring Miss Oakesdale Hayley Adams and a line of people, exhibits and vehicles, including classic cars which will later convene by the old mill for a car show. There will be vendors downtown on Steptoe Street which will be closed all day. The outdoor beer garden opens at noon between the fire station and the library.

Meanwhile, food will be served beginning at 11 a.m. at a tent next to the old Conoco gas station. Hamburgers and submarine sandwiches will be on the menu until 4 p.m. when burgers are joined by potato salad and pulled pork sandwiches from The Feeding Station in Tekoa.

All day, MaryJane Butters, owner of Oakesdale’s Barron family flour mill, will be at the site with an exhibit about the property; the only remaining mill on the Palouse which produced its last sack of flour in 1960.

Meanwhile, in the afternoon, disc jockeys Nick Hoenike and Tim Coles will play music downtown. Coles is the longtime Gar-Pal basketball coach and teacher/principal.

At 8 p.m., the band Blue Highway will play a crowd-pleasing range of songs from George Jones and Dwight Yoakam to John Cougar Mellencamp and Matchbox 20. They will go until 11:30 p.m., with lead vocals by Gar-Pal High School English teacher Scott Thompson, and Daryl Druffel of Colton on bass.

The midnight swim begins at 9 p.m. at the city pool.