Farmer Consumer Awareness Day Saturday in Quincy
CHERYL SCHWEIZER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 1 year, 4 months AGO
A pretty sparkly float was among the entries in the 2022 Farmer Consumer Awareness Day parade. The 2023 FCAD parade, and a whole day of activities, is Saturday.
Cheryl Schweizer/Columbia Basin Herald
Pioneer Elementary School students led their classmates down the street in the 2022 Farmer Consumer Awareness Day parade. The annual town celebration returns Saturday.
A potato and escort in the 2022 FCAD parade. Farmer Consumer Awareness Day 2023 is Saturday.
An ear of corn needs some butter, supplied on a float at the 2022 Farmer Consumer Awareness Day parade. Saturday marks the return of the annual Quincy community celebration for its 42nd year.
A tractor driver snaps a picture of the crowd at the 2022 Farmer Consumer Awareness Day parade.
Spectators study a quilt at the 2022 FCAD quilt show. The 2023 quilt show will be at Quincy Middle School Saturday afternoon.
A tractor fights the sled in the tractor pull at Farmer Consumer Awareness Day 2022. The tractor pull returns in 2023.
Senior Reporter Cheryl Schweizer is a journalist with more than 30 years of experience serving small communities in the Pacific Northwest. She began her post-high-school education at Treasure Valley Community College and enerned her journalism degree at Oregon State University. After working for multiple publications, she has settled down at the Columbia Basin Herald and has been a staple of the newsroom for more than a decade. Schweizer’s dedication to her communities and profession has earned her the nickname “The Baroness of Bylines.” She covers a variety of beats including health, business and various municipalities. | September 8, 2023 1:00 AM
QUINCY — A parade down Central Avenue, dancing horses, three-on-three soccer, a car show, a tractor pull — all the good old events return to Quincy on Saturday on Farmer Consumer Awareness Day.
While technically it’s not part of FCAD, the B Street Block Party is an unofficial kickoff; it’s from 6 to 10 p.m. Friday. One block of B Street, from Central Avenue South to First Street Southwest, will host vendors serving food and wine, along with some merchandise. The Olson Brothers Band will be performing live.
Saturday’s events start early and run all day. Signup forms, or links to signup forms, are available on the FCAD website, www.quincyfcad.org.
The “Beat the Beast” run, in memory of Ben Horning, kicks off Saturday’s events. The race starts at 8 a.m., with same-day registration at 7 a.m. Runners and walkers have their choice of two-kilometer or five-kilometer courses. The course starts at Mountain View Elementary School, 119 D St. NW. Proceeds go to fund Quincy school athletics.
A ceremony in honor of military veterans whose names will be added to the Quincy Valley Veterans Recognition Wall is scheduled for 9 a.m. at Memorial Park, 200 E St. SE. The Memorial Wall commemorates Quincy Valley residents who served in the military anywhere, at any time and in any capacity. New names are added each year.
The Quincy United soccer club will sponsor a 3-on-3 soccer tournament for children and adults, with games for adults starting at 9 a.m. and the children’s tournament at 11 a.m. Proceeds go to Quincy United.
The annual parade starts downtown at 10 a.m. Parade entrants check in at the stand at the intersection of Central Avenue South and B Street SE, and the parade route snakes through downtown to Division Street East.
Entrants can start lining up at 8 a.m., with judging at 9 a.m. and awards announced at 9:45 a.m.
The parade ends at Quincy Middle School, where most of the afternoon’s activities are scheduled. The Quincy High School Future Farmers of America chapter will be selling apples, potatoes, onions and other produce in the QMS parking lot. The Quincy Rotary chapter will be selling barbecue for lunch in the QMS gym.
The annual car show will be at QMS, but drivers can show off their rides in the parade. Advance registration is available. Drivers who want to be in the parade must register by 10 a.m. Saturday and cars for the parade will assemble at the Quincy Swim & Gym, 10 B St.SE.
The car show will have awards for classic cars, antique cars, contemporary vehicles, works in progress and motorcycles, among others.
The annual quilt show will be in the QMS gym, with attendees getting a chance to vote for their favorites. Dancing horses and their owners will be showing their stuff in the field next to QMS. Children’s games are scheduled for the field behind QMS, and the annual tractor pull — which draws people to watch only that, said FCAD chair Wyman Duggan — will be behind the middle school.
Cheryl Schweizer may be reached via email at cschweizer@columbiabasinherald.com.
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