July is prime summer time in the Flathead, and Lakeside and Somers take advantage of this sunny opportunity on the west shore of Flathead Lake to have fun while promoting and supporting their communities.
On July 14, the Lakeside Community Club will host its annual Community Fair, which serves as one of the club’s biggest fundraisers of the year. The theme of this year’s fair is “Make a Splash.”
According to Lakeside Community Club President Kay Hopkins, all of the money earned from the fair will go to nonprofits on the west shore of Flathead Lake, including ALERT, Lakeside QRU, the Somers Rural Fire Department, the West Shore Food Bank and more.
Last year, the fair distributed around $26,000 to the local nonprofits, Hopkins said, all of it earned in one day.
“It’s a one-day event and it’s a big deal,” she said.
The day begins at 7:30 a.m. with a pancake breakfast at the Lakeside Chapel, followed by same-day registration for the 5k run and walk at Volunteer Park. The 5k begins at 9 a.m at the park.
Also at 9 a.m., check out the wares at the Attic Treasures and silent and children’s auctions in the Lakeside Gym, along with homemade goods at the Bake Shoppe. There will also be peanut brittle, a Jelly Belly stand, coffee, cinnamon rolls and more.
At 9:30 a.m., parade participants will line up at Bierney Creek Road, and the parade begins at 11 a.m. Kids can partake in the watermelon eating contest at 1 p.m. and get back to the silent auction before it closes at 2 p.m. The fair closes at 3 p.m. and the duck races take place at Tamarack Brewing Company Alehouse and Grill at 4:30 p.m.
Hopkins said the silent auction will have plenty of interesting items, including a dollhouse mansion created completely by hand and detailed down to the last linen and doily in each room.
It was an anonymous donation, she said, but its worth is placed in the hundreds and even thousands of dollars.
Another piece that could see plenty of bids is a 16-foot duck boat, Hopkins said.
The Lakeside Community Club has been in place since 1929 and has more than 125 women who meet monthly and facilitate community outreach. For more information, visit the club’s website at www.lakeside-community-mt.com.
The following weekend, on July 21, Somers takes its turn as the place to be on the west shore as it prepares to host the 15th annual Cajun Street Dance.
Event organizer Steve Kelley likes to categorize the street dance as the valley’s best party of the summer.
Last year’s party went pretty well, he said, and he expects this year’s dance to be as big or bigger.
“We have up and down years but all in all it’s a steady build,” Kelley said.
This year’s headlining act will be Lil’ Brian and the Zydeco Travelers, who earned heavy praise and a Flathead following after a performance several years ago, Kelley said.
Other performers will include Missoula-based blues musician Kevin Van Dort and Three Eared Dog, Kelley said.
As usual, there will be vendors with food and beverages, he said, with some new additions for patrons to peruse. One of the biggest differences for this year’s party is that it has been moved across the street to Sliters Ace Hardware’s parking lot, Kelley said, so it can be on a paved surface.
Proceeds from the dance will go to the Somers Company Town Project, which is dedicated to preserving Somers’ history.
“The street dance has always been about giving back to our community,” Kelley wrote in an email to the Beacon. “This project will be a testament to the contribution Somers has made to the history of the Flathead valley.”
Tickets for the Somers Cajun Street Dance are $20 and available at Del’s Bar in Somers and Joe Blogz in Lakeside. For more information, call 857-3119 or 857-3351.