Over 70 business owners promoted their wares at the third annual Falcon Festival on July 3. More than 2,000 visitors showed up to peruse the booths, listen to a bit of music, treat their kids to a children’s play area, indulge in a bit of barbecue, hot dogs and pizza and participate or watch the pet contests. The Falcon Professional Development League, along with State Bank, sponsored the daylong event. It was a beautiful, sunny day with no wind – unusual for Falcon.From jewelry to woodworks to health care information to the Pikes Peak Humane Society’s new pet adoption mobile unit, the people had a variety of places to hang out and meet neighbors and business owners.Pet contests a winner among kids and adultsAmmie and Shannon Vincent, owners of Farmer Jim’s and Purina, sponsored a pet look-alike contest, the cutest pet contest, the most unique pet contest and the best of pet tricks contest. The kids and their pets awed the audience and frazzled judges Tricia Kreps, State Bank owner; Peggy Sundberg (Cowgirl Peg); and Marylou Doehrman, publisher of The New Falcon Herald. All of the contestants deserved a prize for their entries, but the big winners included Liz Edder’s 3,015-pound Belgian horse, Kenny (the most unique animal); and Kiersten Allison and Poncho (double category winners: the pet look-alike and cutest pet contest) and Catelyn Scott and Baby (pet tricks). Poncho, Baby and Kenny move on to the Purina nationals, and the best video will determine the winner.Cowgirl Peg a highlight as wellPeg Sundberg rescues old horses, and her experiences with them have turned into story lines for her renowned children’s books. Sundberg, also known in the publishing world as Cowgirl Peg, writes children’s books promoting lifelong lessons and messages through horse tales.One horse she rescued, Lonesome, is the lead character for her first book, “Lonesome the Little Horse.” Lonesome, a smaller-than-average horse with a limp, ran away from his ranch to escape the larger horses that had been bullying him because he was different. When Sundberg encountered Lonesome, through the sheriff, he was ill and malnourished. After hearing his story, Sundberg determined that Lonesome’s story could easily translate to children. “I always loved to write; I won awards in high school, and I won the Texas State Journalism Award,” Sundberg said.Sundberg used her talent and a lot of moxie to self-publish her first book, which is now in its third printing. Her second book, “Isabelle Lives a Dream,” is based on an inner city child in search of a dream. She is currently working on her third book in the Cowgirl Peg series.Sundberg lives on a ranch in Colorado City when she is not traveling the country visiting schools and sharing her horse tales. For more information on Cowgirl Peg, visit her Web site at www.cowgirlpeg.com.Woodmen Hills festivities attended by manyThere were 125 decorated bikes in the kid’s bike parade. From 5,000 to 6,000 people attended the fireworks that evening.Four-hundred people – twice as many as last year – enjoyed a pancake breakfast, sponsored by Boy Scout Troop 149.Clay Lloyd is the scoutmaster for Troop 149, and he said the breakfast raised just a little under $1,500 for the local troop. Considering their total 2003 budget was $3,000, the major fundraiser was a big success. Lloyd wanted to say a special thanks to the community for coming out to the event.Boy Scout Troop 149 would like to say a BIG thank you to the following businesses that made our pancake breakfast a HUGE success.*Boy Scout Troop 49’s membership has increased this year from to 30 to 49. It’s led by the boys and a senior patrol leader, Lloyd said. “They decide on what they want to do and when they want to do it,” he said. The troop is self-supporting with adult supervision and a committee in charge of fundraising and finances.Donation of Door PrizesFantastic Sam’sBig RAnimal Hospital of FalconFalcon Food StoreUnited Restaurant SupplyFarmer Jim’s FeedBeauty ConnectionsPapa Murphy’sMeineke Care CenterCarlin DodgeFalcon Auto Service CenterDomino’s PizzaCurvesOther donationsRSC Rentals – GeneratorCreative Playthings – Jumping ActivityWoodmen Hills Metro District – inviting us to use their facility and donating the grill, tables and chairs.
