Holiday cheer around the Basin
JOEL MARTIN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 2 years, 9 months AGO
A Grant Transit Authority bus dashes through the snow at the 2022 Moses Lake Ag Parade. This year’s event is Dec. 1.
FILE PHOTO
An excited family waits for Santa to make an appearance at last year’s Winterfest in Soap Lake. This year’s event is Dec. 2.
The Grinch sits in an orange Grant County Jail jumpsuit on the back of the GCSO’s paddy wagon as part of last year’s Bells on Basin parade in Ephrata. Bells on Basin returns Dec. 9.
Joel Martin has been with the Columbia Basin Herald for more than 25 years in a variety of roles and is the most-tenured employee in the building. Martin is a married father of eight and enjoys spending time with his children and his wife, Christina. He is passionate about the paper’s mission of informing the people of the Columbia Basin because he knows it is important to record the history of the communities the publication serves. | November 22, 2023 1:30 AM
MOSES LAKE — Here comes Santa Claus, here comes Santa Claus, right down just about every main drag in the Columbia Basin. Many local communities will hold holiday celebrations over the next couple of weekends. Here are some places to load up on Christmas joy:
Winterfest
Soap Lake will hold Winterfest on Dec. 2. The fun starts at 10 a.m. with a holiday bazaar at the Soap Lake Community Center, 121 Second Ave. SE, offering crafts, food, jewelry and more, and a book sale at the Soap Lake Public Library, 32 Main Ave. E. Turkey bingo will be held at noon at the Del-Red pub, 311 Main Ave. E. Coffee and hot cocoa will be served at 3 p.m. at McKay Healthcare & Rehabilitation, 127 Second Avenue SW, and caroling will begin at 5 p.m. Santa will make an appearance at 4 p.m. at Marina Drive and Main Avenue for photos with children. More information is available from the Soap Lake Chamber of Commerce, [email protected].
An excited family waits for Santa to make an appearance at last year’s Winterfest in Soap Lake. This year’s event is Dec. 2.Bells on Basin
Ephrata will celebrate Bells on Basin on Dec. 9, including a 5K or 1-mile run at 9 a.m. and Polar Express passports at 10 a.m. at the Ephrata Recreation Center, 121 Alder St. SW. Hot cocoa and popcorn will be served free at 4 p.m., followed by the tree lighting and live music at 4:45 and the Bells on Basin Parade at 5. The event is sponsored by the Ephrata Chamber of Commerce, www.ephratachamber.org.
The Grinch sits in an orange Grant County Jail jumpsuit on the back of the GCSO’s paddy wagon as part of last year’s Bells on Basin parade in Ephrata. Bells on Basin returns Dec. 9.Quincy Valley Christmas
This Quincy holiday celebration will take place Dec. 1-3: The Christmas Light Parade will start at 5:30 p.m. Friday on Division Street in the Cenex parking lot and finish at the Port of Quincy, 101 F St. SW, for photos with Santa. There will also be a walk-through living Nativity 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Quincy Valley Historical Society & Museum, 415 F St. SW. Saturday there will be a Christmas Market 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Quincy Public Market, 1004 F St. SW, and the Festival of Trees at 6 p.m. at the Quincy Business & Event Center, 111 F St. SW. Sunday the Quincy Valley Allied Arts Community Choir will offer its concert at 6 p.m. at Quincy High School, 403 Jackrabbit St. More information is available from the Quincy Valley Chamber of Commerce, 509-787-2140.
Ag Parade
Moses Lake’s annual Ag Parade and Street Party will be Dec. 1 at Sinkiuse Square. The party begins at 5 p.m. with music and free french fries and hot chocolate, as well as a Santa sleigh for family photos. At 7 p.m. the parade will roll down Third Avenue with trucks and farm equipment decked out in bright lights. The event is organized by the Downtown Moses Lake Association, www.downtownmoseslake.org.
Wanapum Heritage
The Wanapum Heritage Center, at Priest Rapids Dam near Mattawa, will host Shop till you Drop this Saturday and Dec. 9 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. There will be live demonstrations of beadwork, tule mats, weaving and hemp string, as well as a variety of local and traveling artists offering unique handmade arts and crafts. More information is available by calling 509-766-3461.
ARTICLES BY JOEL MARTIN
Quincy National Night Out scales down
QUINCY — Quincy’s National Night Out was more compact this year, which worked out well, said QPD Sgt. Joe Westby, who’s in charge of event planning for the Quincy Police Department. “National Night Out is a big event, and the fact that we’re able to shrink it up is like a breath of fresh air,” Westby said. “If you're always doing the same thing, it's kind of nice to switch things up and see how it works.” National Night Out took place Thursday on the block of C Street next to the police station, a shift from previous years when it was held at Lauzier Park. The smaller space meant fewer emergency vehicles for children to explore, but it also meant less walking for attendees. Grant County Fire District 5 brought a fire truck, and the Grant County Sheriff’s Office had a patrol boat. Renew, the Grant County behavioral health agency, had a booth and so did Quincy Partnership for Youth. Veterans Operation Creation sang the national anthem, and the Quincy Animal Shelter brought kittens that piled over each other making friends with passersby. As before, the QPD served grilled hot dogs.
Quincy Police retirements leave big shoes to fill
QUINCY — There are some big shoes to fill at the Quincy Police Department. “We’re losing 48 years of experience between them,” Quincy Police Chief Ryan Green said at the retirement party for Capt. Jorge Trujillo and Det. Damon Powell Thursday. Trujillo, who grew up in Sunnyside, has been with QPD for 19 years, he said, coming on as a patrol officer fresh out of the military. From there he served as a field training officer, a detective and finally captain. “I consider him my left-hand man,” Green said. “He runs the operations side of the house … He knows the agency very well, and he knows the community.” Trujillo has some projects around the house to tackle now that he’s retired, he said.
Big fun on a small scale
Wheat Land Communities’ Fair opens Thursday
RITZVILLE — The Wheat Land Communities’ Fair isn’t as big or as flashy as some of the county fairs around central Washington, but the folks who keep it going like it just the way it is. “It’s somewhere you can go and get an old-time traditional feeling, and you’re comfortable letting your kids roam the grounds and experience all that it has to offer,” said Board Member Lori Williams. “It’s more of a feeling than (one) specific thing,” The fair starts Thursday in Ritzville and runs through Sunday. Starting Friday, the 56th Ritzville Rodeo will take place alongside the fair at the rodeo grounds. This year the entertainment budget was expanded, Williams said, to be able to offer more fun that’s covered by the cost of admission. For the kids, there’s face painting, balloon art, Lego crafts, races, contests and games. Children can also ride on a little train towed around the fairgrounds behind a tractor.