Cherry fans flood Polson's Main Street
10-year-old Jasper Wilde of Kalispell shows his winning style in the cherry pit spitting contest at the Polson Cherry Festival. Jasper spit his pit 15 feet, 2 inches to take first place in his first cherry spitting competition. Apparently he perfected his skill by spitting pits at his brother. (Marla Hall/Lake County Leader)
Cousins McKenna Kreis, Hamony Schilling and Alison Putzler are dressed for the Polson Cherry Festival. The 12-year-olds from Frenchtown and Kalispell have a special weekend with their grandparents every summer and plan it so that they can attend the cherry festival.
The entirety of Main Street as well as several intersecting streets were filled with vendors and activities as people from Kalispell to Missoula and beyond made their way to Polson to enjoy the 20th Annual Flathead Cherry Festival.
There were not a lot of local cherries available with the season arriving a little late this year, but the theme of cherries was everywhere — on birdhouses, aprons, clothing, jewelry, cribbage boards, and more.
Both kids and adults enjoyed the always popular cherry pit spitting contest and pie eating contest while masses of people explored the wide variety of tent vendors that stretched down Main Street.
The sweet aroma of caramel corn mixed with smells of BBQ, burgers, and other food choices filled the air as giggles of glee from kids riding on the bungee jump or getting their faces painted completed the festive atmosphere of one of Polson’s favorite summertime events.