Yellow Bay fest a bloomin' success

YELLOW BAY — Community members gathered at the Yellow Bay Clubhouse Saturday to enjoy the town’s annual cherry blossom festival.

Undeterred by the day’s intense winds, vendors selling a wide variety of trinkets and collectibles, many locally-made, set up shop in the club’s parking lot near mile marker 18 on Montana Hwy 35.

Inside the clubhouse, and safe from the strong gusts, were a number of additional vendors as well as the Yellow Bay Ladies Auxiliary, who sold box lunches to attendees.

Event organizer Barbara Hammons said she was pleased with the event turnout, particularly considering the weather.

According to Hammons, the annual event is a key source of funding for the Yellow Bay Club; proceeds offset clubhouse maintenance costs or are used for the club’s charitable activities.

With the cherry blossom festival successfully completed, club members know it’s time to gear up for their next big event: Polson’s Annual Flathead Cherry Festival.

But with last winter’s extreme, and long-lasting, cold temperatures, what’s not as clear is whether this year’s cherry crop will be festival-grade.

“It’s too early to tell,” Hammons said about the summer fruit crop. “It’s looking average right now.”

For more information on the Yellow Bay Club, the Flathead Lake Cherry Growers and the upcoming Polson Cherry Festival, visit http://www.montanacherries.com/index.htm