I'm a liberal pagan living in West, Texas. Yes. That West, Texas.

Thursday, August 21, 2008

33RD ANNUAL WESTFEST AUGUST 29-31


Yes, folks..it's that time of year again. When the population of West, by Goddess, Texas goes from 2,600 to 35,000. It's Westfest time again. 33 of them suckers. They have already started putting up the tents and we're all hoping the weather continues like it is..It's been raining off and on the past 3 days and supposed to rain through the week-end too. Which has brought the temperature down to high 80's and low 90's. so if it keeps up the weather will be nice for Westfest, or so we hope.
The event will begin with the Westfest Preview Party on Aug. 29 under the East Pavilion on the festival grounds with the Miss Westfest Pageant. The gates open at 5:30 p. m. and the Pageant is set for 7 p.m.
The reigning Miss Westfest 2007 is Hannah Hutyra and she will crown the new Miss Westfest. The contestants are Sara Horton, Kyndall Holecek, Katelynn Kaska, Ashley Firasek, Andi Katelyn Otto, Kayla Urbanovsky, Kalyn Rae Pavlas, Courtney Gilmore, Charley Jean Allison and Brooke Keel. (notice all the Katelyn's, Kelyn, Kyndals?....must have been the year for K's.) Following the pageant, the Wayward Sons will perform from 8-9p.m. followed by Branded Heart from 9:15-10:15 p. m. with Donna Beckham and her band to be the featured performers and they'll play from 10:30 p.m. till midnight.
In addition to the pageant and the bands, children will be treated to a special price offering in the Midway carnival ride area during the Preview Party. Children attending the festival Friday night will be able to ride all mechanical carnival rides(6p.m.-10p.m.) for $20. This doesn't include the price of admission. The Midway Carnival will be much larger this year than the years before as we have a new vendor and he is bringing 20-25 rides. Admission price for the Preview Party has decreased from $12 to $10 for adults. In addition, all children age 12 and under are admitted free when accompanied by an adult.
On Saturday, the parade will begin on the Reagan Street side of West City Hall at 10 a.m. The parade will go through the city's downtown area with Ron and Betty Holzmann serving as Parade Marshals. Westfest then kicks off starting at 11a.m. and will continue till 12:30 a.m.
There is a free shuttle bus from the Reagan side of the City Hall to the festival grounds(about 1/2 mile), for those who want to leave their cars/trucks etc. in town or at their house. It runs both Saturday and Sunday. Parking on the grounds is $3 a vehicle with the remote parking area ($2) located across from the West Community Center(and the Library). The price of the Westfest for Saturday and Sunday is $7 for adults and $4 for children 6-12. Children under 6-years of age are admitted free when accompanied by an adult(like they would just drop them off at the gates). A senior citizen discount of $4 per person is offered for those 65 or older. (next year I'll get the discount). The seniors have to ask for the discount. (Don't want to piss some 64 year old Czech lady by calling her a senior..she'll kick the kolaches out of you.) Military personnel with their Id's will only have to pay $4 also. Westfest is also offering a price break on their tickets by ordering them in advance. For $20 you can go all 3 nights. You can get it online at westfest.com or at Muska Insurance.
On the festival grounds there will be numerous food booths with hours of entertainment under the Cultural Amphitheater, over 70 arts and craft exhibitors, music and dancing under both the East and West tents on the festival grounds.(generally called the beer tents)
The Taroky Tournament is scheduled for Saturday in the West Community Center near the festival grounds.(over by where I live on the other side of the Center and the Library).In addition to being open during the Preview Party, the children's area will have various rides available on both Saturday and Sunday. There will also be a Kid's Game Park area on the ground which will feature games and several free items for the children. There will be a three-story inflatable slide, a petting zoo, various games including the electronic games Guitar Hero, Rock Band and Dance, Dance Revolution.
the Washer pitching will be at the rodeo arena on Saturday beginning at 3 p.m. Horseshoe pitching is on both Saturday and Sunday in the arena beginning at 6 p. m. (the Dulock's (kinfolk to my granddaughters Haley and Nicole)usually win...my cousins and son played one year thinking they were pretty good. I tried to explain these Czech's don't play, this is serious business for them...they were like..yeah, yeah, we'll win. They got their asses handed to them on a plate, first round. Laughed my ass off.)
The Texas Antique Tractor Pullers Association is hosting an antique tractor pull on the rodeo grounds at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
In addition to the ethnic entertainment in the Cultural Amphitheater both Westfest Saturday and Sunday, beginning at 8 p.m. they will have Karaoke. (whoopeee)..I have been so drunk I actually didn't know if I was coming or going, but never been drunk enough to Karoake.
The Kolache 5000 Fun Run is set for 8 a.m. on Sunday at the festival grounds with an estimated 250 plus runners expected to participate in the race. Westfest officials said the gates will be opened at 6 a.m. for those wishing to get to the races early.(yeah...right)
The Rev. Michael Lyons, pastor at Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church in Ganado, is to celebrate the Polka Mass set for 10:15 a. m. Sunday in the Cultural Amphitheater.
The annual Kolache Baking Contest is set for Sunday at the West Community Center. There is a professional and non-professional division for bakers wishing to enter their kolaches or buchtas.
If all goes well, Junebugg is coming down from Alabama for Westfest...Think she's coming early so we can hang out, bullshit and I can show her the town. So far Sooner is coming, but he's closing on his house and unless something happens, he'll be here too. That Sunday I've been invited to the benefit out in Crawford for the friend of Carrie Jo who is the sweety pie that gave me the free book cases..I mailed the $400 Martin Guitar Book to her for the silent auction. Then she is having a bbq at her house with bands, etc. I thought that Junebugg and Sooner would enjoy that. Just hope the Secret Service don't arrest me and ruin my day. If I can get in touch with James Hand I'll ask him if he wants to go and maybe sit in with the bands..I will take plenty of pictures...and will post them with the post telling how much food we sold, and how many people showed up. This will be the first Westfest I have gone to in years. (Generally I just stock up on groceries and don't leave the house till Monday morning.)The last time I went I had my 4 granddaughters, 2 step-grandsons, some of their friends and had them for 3 days and 2 nights in my little house. Poor Nate, the pitty bull dog..he was freaking out..trying to protect all the kids, guard the doors, and make sure I was ok too. He almost had a doggie breakdown. So did I ...I called the kids that morning early and said ..'come and get them....now..'...They said but Mom, we're hung over...said, don't give a shit, come and get them. I was plum tuckered out. This was right after my second of 4 back surgeries...so wasn't in the best of shape.)
Well, that's the Westfest news update...want to see what it looks like?...go to westfest.com .see the town, and some great Westfest pictures..
Going to work tomorrow and see if Tom and I can co-exist in the store. If not, I'll have lots of free time to post and read all the books I have checked out of the library. y'all come back and see us y'hea?

15 comments:

Heidi said...

Where does the time go? It seems like I just read your post about Westfest last year a few months ago. Can't believe September is just around the corner!

Travis Erwin said...

Someday I'm gonna make it down for this and I think that sign ought to be your banner.

Nit Wit said...

Sure am glad it's going to be a quite weekend in West.
I don't know about going to Crawford, I heard that the Gump might have a little vacation down there again.
Even our county fair doesn't have many rides anymore. Caravels with rides are a dyeing breed at least up here.
I watched the Women's beach volleyball gold medal match. That was great. I still haven't figured out how they keep those cute outfits fro slipping, maybe duct tape.

old enough to moan said...

Are you on the WesFest publicity payroll? if not you should be, that's as good a write up for an event as you will see in any advert over here.
Hope the weather is kind. Have fun.

KrisMrsBBradley said...

Never made it to West Fest, though my family only lives about an hour away. We did do the Lampasas Spring Ho every year when I was a kid though.

Nan said...

Charley Jean gets my vote for Miss Westfest based on her being the only candidate whose name doesn't look like it came off a soap opera.

Allan said...

Lotsa 'K's alright, Texans must name their tykes using methods similar to the way meteorologists name hurricanes...I think Urbanovsky is my new favorite surname, kinda citified and Eastern Bloc at the same time...
Enjoy! I'll play with my West toys this weekend in your honor...that Doctor P should be cold by now!

LostInColor said...

What a grand and busy weekend! Wish I could drop by.

Anonymous said...

I so wish I was there for a par-tay like that. We haven't got anything really super great over here.

I hope you have a blast!!!!

Jan said...

I hope you stay clear of the Secret Service to give us complete coverage.

Westfest sounds like something I would love to go to.

tsduff said...

You stay right out of that Bush ranch and away from all them Secret Service type dudes, you hear? You don't need anything interfering with your great time at West Fest! Hope the rain clears up.

sageweb said...

Never to drunk to Karoake...I love that...I have never been that drunk either.

Sounds like so much fun. Hope the weather stays good...I am going to make it to West one of these days.

yellowdoggranny said...

rudegirl:time flies when your having fun.
travis:come on down, you'll have a great time..i want a tshirt made with that on it..
nitty:i no one hears from me after the labor day weekend, call the white house and tell them to let me go..
you guys and girls beach volleyball..but then i liked the male swimmers..
oetm:i should be good at it, i've been writing about it for 4 years, ha..
ihope it rains..
mrsb:can't believe it you lived an hour away you never came to it...people come here from all over the country and czecheslovakia
allan:you haven't drank you dr pepper yet?..jeez, it would never last that long in my refrigerator..this will be fun..first one in many years.plus the fun is showing the newbies the westfest and town.
my favorite czech name is Pustejovsky, and i still cant pronounce it.
nan:i like charley jean too...the rest of them were too much alike everyone else's name..
lic:come on down, we have it every labor day weekend..your always welcome.
catscratch:like i said..come on down..plenty of room and lots of pevo(beer).
jan:yah, im 'skert of them guys, i know they have me on some sort of watch list..
you'd have a ball..really..
tsduff:no we want the rain..not tons of it, but enough to keep it cool... ive been up there twice and no arrests so far..
sage:i love to sing along to the radio in the car, but karoake? no way..you and lost in colorado need to come down...west is gay friendy...

McRaven said...

Is Willie going to be there? If Willie is going I might have to hitch hike down...

yellowdoggranny said...

no nancy..no willie..i keep hoping..they had asleep at the wheel one year..