B
58th Annual
Bohemia Mining Days
BMD 2017 starts with a bang, welcomes big crowds
Each year, Cottage Grove splits in two.
One
side of the town becomes Lemati and
cmay@cgsentinel.com
the other, reverts back to the Slabtown of
old recreating the rivalry of the city's founding. The tradition
may have the city split down the middle but it's all in an effort
to come together for four days to welcome tourists and residents
alike to Bohemia Mining Days.
This year marked the 58th time Cottage Grove opened its
By Caitlyn May
doors to tourists from around the region to explore the city's his-
tory as a mining and lumber dependent town. Between July 13
and July 16, the fi ctitious Bohemia City in Coiner Park saw hun-
dreds of people wandering from booths to activities.
All four days were jam packed with events including a live
music series that welcomed bands such as Home Free and
Haywire to Bohemia Park. In Coiner, local merchants manned
booths and feud games helped determine if Lemati or Slabtown
would be victorious in this year's contest. And in between the
two parks, a carnival played host to kids and adults alike while
three separate parades made their way down Main St.
According to festival coordinator Cindy Weeldreyer, the 2017
Bohemia Mining Days was a success with several "full-circle"
stories from visitors as far away as Utah coming out of the four
days of fun, games, contests, food and festival happenings.
The "feud" continues
PHOTO BY CINDY WEELDREYER
PHOTO BY GREG LEE
Former marshal Gary Williams passes on his badge to new marshal Bob
Ehler.
The infamous feud contests included cherry-pit spitting (above), candlestick races and various other competitions to see once and for all who wins
out Slabtown or Lemati.
PARADES, PARADES, PARADES
PHOTO BY GREG LEE
Bohemia Mining Days presented three parades over the course of four days including the Kiddie Parade photographed above that began at the
Cottage Grove Library before marching down Main St. Saturday so the Grand Miners' Parade and to kick the festival off on Thursday, ladies climbed
into their bloomers and paraded down Main St.