Ninth Lake Sylvia State Park Fall Festival coming Sept. 15

Plenty of family-friendly activities will return this year.

By Michael Lang • September 6, 2018 1:30 am
Photos courtesy Helen Hepp, Friends of Schafer and Lake Sylvia There will be plenty of fun activities for kids, like sack races, at this year’s Lake Sylvia State Park Fall Festival, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 15, at the park. There will be plenty of fun activities for kids, like sack races, at this year’s Lake Sylvia State Park Fall Festival, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018, at the park. Photo courtesy of Helen Hepp.
Photos courtesy Helen Hepp, Friends of Schafer and Lake Sylvia There will be plenty of fun activities for kids, like sack races, at this year’s Lake Sylvia State Park Fall Festival, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 15, at the park. There will be plenty of fun activities for kids, like sack races, at this year’s Lake Sylvia State Park Fall Festival, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018, at the park. Photo courtesy of Helen Hepp.

The Lake Sylvia State Park Fall Festival is coming up Sept. 15.

The Friends of Schafer and Lake Sylvia State Parks’ fundraiser returns for its ninth year.

“Bring the whole family,” said Candi Bachtell, who is the festival organizer this year.

“It’s a laid back wonderful gathering of people,” said Helen Hepp, a former group board member. “It’s the old tradition of getting together and enjoying music for people of all ages.”

There will be 14 new artist vendors this year and 12 festivalgoers have seen before, said Trina Young, chairwoman of the artists market.

Organizers are aiming for a quality handmade-only art market, attracting artisans — the majority of them from Grays Harbor or nearby counties. Mediums include textiles, pottery, stained and fused glass, jewelry, iron work, soap and bath, and others.

For vendors to be included in the non-artist portion of the market, they have to either be involved in the East County community, forestry, the environment or state parks, organizer Julie Rabey said.

As at past festivals, a garden bench will be raffled.

The “informal and relaxed” guided canoe and kayak tour returns, Hepp said. A few kayaks will be at the lake available on a first-come, first-served basis. The float starts at 2 p.m.

“The vintage kids games are a highlight,” Bachtell said. About 600-700 people turn out for the festival.

Other events this year include the trail races. There will be 5-kilometer, 10-K and half-marathon races. Day-of-event registration will be available beginning at 7:30 a.m. with the races starting at 8:30.

“One of the nifty things of the races are the race medals, a piece of wood that’s hand painted. And they’re just beautiful,” Hepp said. Elma’s Bonny Hieronymus of BonnysAngels does the medals. Her business’ Facebook page (facebook.com/BonnysAngels) says she started the artwork after her daughter, Kirsten, was diagnosed with cancer in 2006 and has continued it since her death in 2008. BonnysAngels booth will return for the fall festival.

There will be food and nonprofits’ booths to stroll through and sample their wares.

Montesano Mayor Vini Samuel is in charge of the Pancake Breakfast this year. The breakfast is 7-11 a.m. and costs $5.

Girl Scouts will conduct an arts and crafts booth for children, and Boy Scouts will conduct a Dutch oven cooking demonstration, as long as it’s safe to have fires. As of Monday, Sept. 3, fires were OK at the park.

“We weren’t able to do the cooking last year because it was too dry,” Hepp said. “The boys come from all over the Harbor. I had no idea the amount of good things you can do in a Dutch oven.”

Author and historian Gerald Schafer will present a historic talk using his Doc Shores persona at 1 p.m.

More information is online at fosls.org or facebook.com/LakeSylviaStateParkFallFestival.

There will be a shuttle bus running from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. from Simpson Elementary School (519 West Simpson Ave. in Montesano). Most parking by the lake will be taken up by the fair activities. “We borrowed it from (the Montesano Health and Rehab Center), so we can load wheelchairs and walkers with it,” Hepp said.

Photo courtesy Helen Hepp, Friends of Schafer and Lake Sylvia BonnysAngels will do the medals again for the races at this year’s Lake Sylvia State Park Fall Festival, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 15, at the park. BonnysAngels will do the medals again for the races at this year’s Lake Sylvia State Park Fall Festival, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018, at the park. Photo courtesy of Helen Hepp.

Photo courtesy Helen Hepp, Friends of Schafer and Lake Sylvia BonnysAngels will do the medals again for the races at this year’s Lake Sylvia State Park Fall Festival, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 15, at the park. BonnysAngels will do the medals again for the races at this year’s Lake Sylvia State Park Fall Festival, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018, at the park. Photo courtesy of Helen Hepp.