By Coben Scott
On Aug. 10, the Black Forest Festival marked its 55th year celebrating the character and history of Black Forest.
As the crowd gathered; the event filled a niche for everyone. A live chainsaw art demonstration, local vendors and a beer garden were just a few of the visitor attractions that greeted people as they entered the festival from the west side of Shoup Road near the Black Forest Community Center. In the morning, Scout Troop 70 and Scout Troop 71 cooked a pancake breakfast for fair goers.
On down the hill, a live music stage was set up and visitors could enjoy local 4H and Future Farmers of America livestock and other demonstrations.
Visitors could stroll through a sea of vendor booths that included about everything imaginable, from coin collections to a variety of art mediums to Hawaiian donuts. There was also a kids’ farmers market. Several children had set up stands selling their homemade goods. An adult farmers market was also available. Floating all around the event was this year’s mascot, Tequila, the donkey.
At the beer garden, volunteer Leif Garrison said, “It’s a way to celebrate Black Forest, both for visitors and residents.” The Keeper of the Keys is another highlight of the festival. An upstanding citizen in the community, someone who has contributed greatly and deserves recognition is awarded each year as the Keeper of the Keys. This year’s recipient is Picker Munson, who helped save much of the history of Black Forest by personally watering down many original town structures at the peak of the Black Forest Fire. If not for Munson, the community center, log school house and community church might not be standing today.
Starting at 10:30 a.m., crowds gathered along the parade route to watch the annual parade. Leading the parade was Black Forest Fire Rescue; following them were Scout troops carrying flags, and sheriff deputies on horseback were next. Picker Munson and several others followed in collectors’ cars. Cheerleaders, marching bands, Cub Scouts, the Black Forest band, the Model A Club, the Kit Carson Riding Club and a pack of llamas were all part of the parade. The llamas were enticed down the parade route by bubble-blowing fairies.
Previous Keeper of the Keys recipients and community volunteers for 25 years, Marie and Jace Turner, talked about what the event meant to them. “It’s to preserve and protect the community … the pioneers had to build community here to survive, so it’s all just a very special place to be at and still have that.”
Shari Conley is also a former Keeper of the Keys recipient and longtime volunteer who helped make the festival what it is today. Conley said, “It’s really like Horton Hears a Who, we want people to know, ‘We are here!’ We are Black Forest and we want to keep it a treasure.” Conley’s favorite part of the event is the Forest Lifestyle Demonstrations. “It’s a peek into the old rural side of the forest, from the animals to the lettuce farmers there, it’s something that not every festival has,” she said.
