By Jo Garcia-Cobb
Who says a tiny town would be hard pressed to organize a fun-filled summer festival?
Being a town of only 350 people has not kept Scotts Mills from getting the community together for a full day of music, food, arts and crafts, and games. It’s also treated visitors to delights not usually found in big festivals.
Instead of the high energy and big crowds that come with big festivals, the 28th annual Scotts Mills Summer Festival Aug. 13 offered visitors a relaxing Saturday to ponder what makes this tight-knit community tick.
“It’s a small hometown festival where people put their hearts into doing it,” Wanda Jenkins, Scotts Mills resident and co-owner of Scotts Mills-based Jenkins Woodworking said.
The festival kicked off with a parade that featured the town’s kids, firefighters, tractors, old cars, donkeys and visiting Belgian horses. A wrecked car from an alcohol-related accident was on display courtesy of the non-profit Oregon Impact, and the rolling exhibit in the glass-sided trailer lent a sober teaching moment to the festival.
After the parade, the festival committee awarded a $500 scholarship check to Dylan Hyslop. Active in the Scotts Mills Friends Church and Vacation Bible School, Hyslop will be attending George Fox University and will be majoring in math and biology this fall.
“He’s a real ambitious kid,” said Jennifer Barber, festival committee secretary.
Feeling the need to support the future of Scotts Mills’ children, the festival committee established the Scotts Mills Summer Festival Scholarship, which is open to graduating seniors who attended Scotts Mills Elementary School.
Festival committee members and volunteers work year-round to raise funds for the scholarship and the festival via spaghetti dinners, car washes, taco feeds, and raffles. “We spend everything we have every year. We were able to give as much as $700 in scholarships in past years,” said Barber. The festival has also received donations from private citizens and area businesses.
As of last year, the festival has done away with the night street dance. “A lot of people didn’t care for loud music and the late nights. We did it for 25 years and decided to not do it anymore for that reason. Now, we shut down at 6 p.m. We’re still looking for an alternative that’s more family oriented, perhaps a community movie and barbecue,” said TR Williams, festival president.
Future plans include the expansion of craft and food booths, and maybe adding an arts show. “We would like to be able to give more in scholarship, and maybe add a second day to the festival,” said Williams, who has been a resident since his family moved to Scotts Mills when he was two. “We’re all family here. Kids can run around, and we look after everybody.”
