PONDERAY — Ponderay residents and their neighbors to the north, south, east and west are all invited to join in the fun at the second annual Ponderay Neighbor Day celebration scheduled from 1 to 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 29.

Once again, the event is being held at Harbison Field behind the Hoot Owl Restaurant, on city owned property that may one day serve as a gateway to an underpass leading to Lake Pend Oreille and the shoreline trail.

The city of Ponderay and the Friends of the Pend d’Oreille Bay Trail are hosting the free community event, which features numerous fun activities for children, live music from the Miah Kohal Band, food vendors, a beer garden, craft and retail vendors, demonstrations by the Northside Fire Department, and an opportunity to give input on the city of Ponderay’s plans for the Field of Dreams.

“Last year we had such a great community turnout, and residents actually came to City Hall to request that we organize it again,” said Mayor Steve Geiger, on the decision to host a second Ponderay Neighbor Day. “We are looking forward to another fun afternoon of connecting with our neighbors.”

Among the kid-friendly activities booked for the event are pony rides, a petting zoo and llama kissing booth; wood crafts sponsored by Home Depot; a bouncy castle, obstacle course and Water Zorb Balls from Northwest Inflatables; a climbing wall provided by the Army National Guard; carnival games; corn-hole and disc golf games; face painting; mural painting; and a kids’ fishing pond provided by Sandpoint Marine and Motor Sports.

Vendors include a variety of products and farm produce, with food provided by Papa Murphys, Jalapeno’s, Twisted Kilt and Trinity, as well coffee, kettle corn, ice cream, and apple cider.

One reason the city and Friends of the Pend d’Oreille Bay Trail originally teamed up to host the event was to celebrate the connections being made throughout Ponderay and between neighboring communities, such as the Pend d’Oreille Bay Trail. Last year, the public was invited to take surveys about what they’d like to see happen on Harbison Field and along the lakeshore, if an underpass were constructed under the railroad.

This past summer, the city applied for a federal BUILD planning grant to fund the design and engineering of an underpass at the Harbison Field location, which would provide pedestrian and bicycle access to the lakeshore. The grant awards will be announced in December.

At this year’s Ponderay Neighbor Day event, the city invites participants to chat with the mayor and city council members about how the Field of Dreams should be developed. The city received a $100,000 planning grant from the LOR Foundation to start the process of designing the proposed 50-acre regional park.

“At the city of Ponderay, we take enormous pride in being responsive. The Ponderay Field of Dreams visioning effort provides all of us with an opportunity to make a positive impact that shapes our entire community for generations,” said City Planner Erik Brubaker. “So what’s your dream? Come join us at the Little City Hall booth. We know you have a dream, we are listening.”

Residents who take a survey about the Field of Dreams will be entered into a free raffle. Drawings will be made at the tail end of the event for a family trip to Quinns Hot Springs Resort ($300 gift card); a trip for four (2 adults, 2 children) on the Scenic Pend Oreille River Train ride on Saturday, Oct. 13; and a Yeti cooler.

Last year, the raffle prize was a chance to ride in a hot air balloon. Unfortunately, weather conditions were too windy for the tethered balloon rides. Due to the cost and unpredictability of balloon rides, the city and Friends came up with the alternative raffle prizes this year.

Ponderay Neighbor Day is funded through generous sponsorships from local businesses and organizations, including Mountain Metals, P1FCU, HMH Engineering, the LOR Foundation, Blue Sky Broadcasting, Montana Shed Center, Kootenai-Ponderay Sewer District, Ace Septic Services, Schweitzer Mountain Resort, DSS Backyard Events, Columbia Bank, Idaho Forest Group, Ponderay Design Center (Sandpoint Furniture, Carpet One, and Selkirk Glass and Cabinets), Litehouse Foods, Northwest Autobody, Waste Management, Safeway, and other in-kind and cash donations from area businesses.

For more information, visit the city’s website at cityofponderay.org/ponderay-neighbor-day-2018.