The Black Forest Community Club will host the 2017 Black Forest Festival Saturday, Aug. 12, at the corner of Shoup and Black Forest roads. Last yearís festival was one for the books, and weíre looking for a repeat.This year will include western-themed features arranged around the traditional festival events. And there will be a few new items. Befitting the 2017 festival theme ìBlack Forest or Bust,î the Western Mining Museum will join us for the day to give you and your family the opportunity to ìPack a Muleî and ìPan for Gold.î Learn about minerals from their educational display, including benzonite, which was actually mined in Black Forest.There are more new features. The childrenís games will be gussied up to mesh with the Pioneer Town (new last year), thanks to a local Eagle Scout project. Micah Thomas will be building some new games that go back to the time Black Forest was settled primarily for ranching, lumber mill operations and farming. Native American dancing will be provided by the Matoska Dancers.Grant and Alison Goldberg of Twisted Pine Farms in Black Forest will set up a ranch for the day with their varied livestock. The Pals of the Pines 4H club will have their petting zoo, expanded for 2017 because of the purchase of the property currently dubbed North 477. The community club is thrilled to provide a beautiful forest venue for all of these animals on Festival Day and for residents year round.R&R Coffee CafÈ is generously cooking up a pancake breakfast again this year. The cafe will also offer specialty drinks outside in the afternoon, along with Rocky Mountain Breweryís home brewed root beer and sodas. John Bradshaw is coming through with the jailhouse again. And the outhouse races will be back. Entries for the race and the parade are open at http://www.bfcommunityclub.org/blackforestfestival.php. Or call 719-495-2718 to sign up for either opportunity.The Black Forest Festival is one of the many community services offered by the Black Forest Community Club, with proceeds going to local charities and nonprofit organizations. The event is fueled by an all-volunteer team. Once again, weíre shouting out to the local businesses to sponsor festival features, which will add plenty of fun and interest to this time-honored event. It takes a community like we have in Black Forest to pull this off.Many thanks to the folks who have stepped up to make this day great. Volunteer opportunities are still available. Please call 719-495-2718 if you would like to join the festival team. We sure hope you can come join us for some vintage Black Forest fun on Aug. 12.
