COMMUNITY MyEagleNews.com Wednesday, June 23, 2021 A3 Family Fun Day returns June 26 Event features bouncy house, mechanical bull, dunk tank, water slide, rock wall and more By Steven Mitchell Blue Mountain Eagle The Grant County Fairgrounds will host Family Fun Day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, June 26. The 14th annual gathering will fea- ture a bouncy house, mechanical bull, train rides, dunk tank, water slide, rock wall and health information booths with many community organizations, accord- ing to an event fl yer. The event is free and open to the public. The organizers will also off er a bike helmet exchange. Those interested can bring an old helmet and $6 to purchase a new, inexpensive helmet for their child. The event will off er $1 hot dogs and hamburgers along with free snow cones. Organizer Rhiannon Bauman of Fam- ilies First said that the Grant County Fair- grounds, Local Community Advisory Council and the Frontier Early Learning Hub are this year’s sponsors. Bauman said events like Family Fun Day are important for communities in that they are inclusive to all families in Grant County. “It’s a time for families to just have fun locally,” Bauman said. Event organizers, Bauman said, are excited the event will happen this year after COVID-19 canceled last year’s festivities. “We are excited that we are able to continue this event this year to bring back some normalcy for our commu- nity,” she said. Bauman said the event will show- case 20 health care booths with informa- tion on activities for kids. In addition, she said some community organizations that would have been at the Grant County Health Fair decided to participate in Family Fun Day this year instead. She said wristbands for children to play on infl atables such as the bouncy house are free this year. However, she said organizers ask that families drop by the Families First booth to sign a waiver fi rst. Bauman said they encourage those in the community to attend the event and enjoy a “great aff ordable time” with family. Contributed fi le photo Children receive a free helmet and fi tting from Debi Hueckman at the Grant County Safe Communities Coalition’s booth at a previous Family Fun Day event. Contributed photo/Teresa Aasness Eagle fi le photo Onlookers cheer and clap for Freidrick Maurer, 2, of John Day who created an impressive bubble at the CASA booth during Family Fun Day in 2018. Beau Clingman hops from one spot to the next at the Ninja Warrior obstacle course infl atable during Saturday’s Family Fun Day event at the John Day city park in 2019. Farmers Market kicks off with positive vibes Event continues every Saturday through the fall in John Day By Steven Mitchell Blue Mountain Eagle The Eagle/Steven Mitchell Antonio Roberts talks to customers at the Farmers Market Satur- day in John Day. The Eagle/Steven Mitchell Vendor Susan Marahrens stands next to her booth “All 4 the Bones” Saturday at the John Day Farmers Market. the Salem Farmers Market. “We all need compli- ments,” she said. “That’s just part of human nature. We want to know we do well. I think that’s just super, super important, espe- cially in today’s world when everything around us is so negative.” SPECIAL EVENT FRIDAY EVENING What: The John Day City Celebration and Street Fair When: 6-8 p.m. Friday, June 25 Where: First Street and in the Flowers and More parking lot Free hamburgers will be served from 6-8 p.m. Mtn. View Mini-Mart 211 Front St., Prairie City 541-820-4477 Weekly Specials Sunday - Family Style Joy’s Choice | Thursday - Asian | Saturday - Sushi S247938-1 The John Day Farm- ers Market kicked off Sat- urday with a steady stream of customers and new ven- dors off ering a wide array of products from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The weekly event The Eagle/Steven Mitchell continues every Saturday Customers peruse the off er- through the fall. Manager Stephanie ings at the John Day Farmers LeQuieu said the Farmers Market Saturday. Market would have a few more vendors selling produce he loves the social aspect of and that the John Day Green- the Farmers Market. “I spent a lot of time in house would be at the market the woods, so it’s been nice later in the summer as well. LeQuieu said this year being able to get out and talk they added a shopping feature to people,” Roberts said. He said the randomness to the John Day Farmers Mar- of the conversations cannot ket website. She said she received a be found anywhere else. Michelle McManama, grant to help cover the cost for professional photography who is in her fourth year of vendor products, and it selling wood engravings at doesn’t cost the vendors any- the Farmers Market, said thing to have their products that the market had given her a big boost of con- available online. “This is a very low-barrier fidence over the years, way to get some of our Grant enough to open a booth at County products available to be sold all over,” LeQuieu said. “It’s very cool.” She said she should have had roughly fi ve more ven- dors, but many had last-min- ute emergencies or other matters that kept them from setting up shop this week. Nonetheless, new ven- dor Susan Marahrens, a John Day resident who makes homemade dog treats, said business was “not too bad” and that the Farmers Market gives her a way to get feed- back from people about her product. Marahrens said she is on disability and could not “sit and do nothing.” She said the vendor booth is something she can do independently. Plus, she said, everybody loves their dog. For his part, Antonio Rob- erts, a retired fi refi ghter, said S249953-1 S249897-1