Mountaineer Days returned to Wrightwood on July 10 and 11, after taking last year off. The annual festivity came back in full swing with loads of vendors and events to the delight of Tri-Community residents.
Over 60 vendors lined Park Drive and Evergreen Road selling various goods and wares during the two days. The parking lot of the Community Building was transformed into a food vendor’s court. It also served as the stage for the Villains of Yesteryear Western Re-enactment that was performed several times per day.
Popular competitive events were a pie-eating contest, a cornhole tournament, a water balloon toss, a hula-hoop contest, a watermelon eating contest, and a mustache and beard contest.
On the 11th, the hula-hoop competition attracted eight competitors. After a few minutes into the bout, that number was quickly slashed to three. The remaining participants used different strategies to varying degrees of success. The first of the three to be eliminated was a young lady that used a wide base strategy. It seemed to be working well for a while, but she soon tired just enough for her hoop to hit the floor. The final two ladies in the match were Kailee Dones and Riley Weber. Dones seemed to be using a minimal energy-wasting strategy, with her hips just slightly moving enough to keep her hoop spinning. Weber’s strategy was very different. She was using more of a maximum energy strategy. After several tense minutes, Weber emerged victoriously.
The pie-eating contest was another crowd favorite and had ten participants. The rules of the game were that no hands were allowed, creating quite the spectacle for the large crowd gathered to watch the fun. The winner of the pie-eating contest was Janos Weber, brother of Riley Weber.
On Sunday the 11th, Mountaineer Days also held a parade that traveled from Pine Street, turned onto Apple Avenue, kept rolling down Cedar Street, and turned again onto Evergreen Road.
