A bear of a festival
Smokey Bear, music and nature highlight the Festival of the Forest
contributed photo / Sandy Post
Youngsters enjoy a lesson about Smokey the Bear's Trail taught by U.S. Forest Service rangers as part of last year's Festival of the Forest.
The Festival of the Forest doesn’t just celebrate the amazing natural resources that surround us; it also brings in some exceptional musical resources, including the New Iberians, the Garcia Birthday Band and the Too Loose Band.
But this year, those popular bands will have some pretty stiff competition in a Southern belle and a bear.
Grace Saad, a volunteer ranger with the Forest Service, will sing the “Smokey the Bear” song with the legendary and furry mammal.
“It is an extensive four- or five-verse song,” said Saad, who noted that she feels very comfortable singing and also plays the piano. “(But) we usually sing the first.
“It’s just going to be the coolest thing you’ve ever heard.”
While the song may be the highlight for many, the festival – coming up Saturday, Sept. 13, and Sunday, Sept. 14, at the Wildwood Recreation Area, 65670 Highway 26 in Welches – will also have a lot of other cool things, including food, vendors and, of course, the music.
The Forest Service will also be on hand with a variety of interactive and educational displays and activities. Children and their families can make wooden nametags and painted fish, enjoy animal furs and tracks, learn about fire prevention and enjoy a guided hike through the forest.
Or kids can really get into the spirit of the festival and become Junior Forest Rangers by completing a series of activities, filling out a booklet and sending it in for a badge and certificate.
“They always really love to get the badge in the mail,” Saad said.
Christy Covington of the Zigzag Ranger District noted that it’s a great opportunity for area families to come out and enjoy the surrounding natural resources.
“I think it offers the opportunity for all of us as a community (to) celebrate the forest that’s in our back yard and the mountain,” Covington said. “I think it brings us all together.”
The festival almost didn’t return this year, however; it lost some grant funding from Clackamas County. Organizer Tony De Micoli found a willing supporter in Clackamas County Bank and also noted that some of the bands are performing for just gas money.
“That’s telling me the community wants (the festival),” De Micoli said.
De Micoli also brought the Special Olympics on board for the festival – not as a sponsor but as a beneficiary. Inspired by this year’s Olympics in China, De Micoli decided to send part of the proceeds from the Festival of the Forest to the Special Olympics.
“I don’t know how many (Special Olympians) we have on the mountain, but I had a neighbor who was involved,” he said. “I’m hoping for the future that the Clackamas County chapter of Special Olympics will be a participating partner in this.”
The Festival of the Forest runs from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 13, and Sunday, Sept. 14. Admission is $5 per vehicle per day. For more information, visit www.mthood.info/forestfest.