Good Old Days to brighten St. Ignatius once again
Some say the good old days are never coming back. But Good Old Days, the annual hometown party in St. Ignatius, is definitely back, in prime form. Fun and games and music and family reunions, and one of the biggest parades in the county will keep the town hopping all weekend long.
The action starts Thursday night (July 15) with a tennis tournament at the high school tennis courts. The tourney is for both advanced and beginner players — singles, doubles and mixed — and runs through Saturday.
St. Ignatius Mission Church is offering free guided tours of the recent restoration of the iconic paintings from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Friday.
The baking contest starts at 4 p.m. Friday with an adult and a junior division, unlimited entries allowed and cash prizes. The St. Ignatius Chamber of Commerce barbeque runs from 5 to 7 p.m., including sampling the desserts. This is the Chamber’s one fundraiser of the year, and it helps pay for what the group sponsors throughout the year, including Good Old Days, the Christmas Carnival and the Easter Egg Hunt. “Big Toys” will be available for little people to play from 5 to 7:30 p.m., and the Mission Mountain Market farmers market runs from 5 to 7.
Friday night at 7:30, the band that left festival goers deliriously happy and all danced out two years ago, Jeff Daniels and the Western Front, returns to the amphitheater until dark. Fireworks will top off the evening if weather permits.
Saturday kicks off with a pancake breakfast at the Senior Center from 7 to 11 a.m. The parade starts at noon Saturday, and then games, food, and craft booths start down at the Good Old Days Park at 1 p.m. This will include dog races, bingo, a beer walk, lawnmower races and the ever popular tug-of-war, where competitors literally drag each other through the mud.
“Jurassic Park” will show on the drive-in screen Saturday night at the park at dusk with popcorn and concessions just like the old days. Admission costs $25 per car.
A Praise in the Park church service will be held from 6 to 7:30 a.m. Sunday, followed by the annual fly-in and huckleberry pancake breakfast at the airport from 8 to noon. While you are out there, don’t forget to buy a duck so you have some feathers in the game at the high school senior class duck races. Put your bucks on a rubber duck starting at 9 a.m., and experience the thrill of the classic duck race on the canal at the airport at 10.
For more information, visit the St. Ignatius Chamber of Commerce Facebook page. Message them there or call Valley Banks LCB branch at 406-745-3123.
Buffalo Run is back
Good Old Days runners ready for a morning romp past beautiful fields at the base of the Mission Mountains will line up in front of Gambles Hardware on Main Street in St. Ignatius for the return of the Buffalo Run on Saturday.
The starting pistol pops bright and early at 7 a.m. for the half marathon (13-mile) race. The 1-mile, 4-mile and 7-mile fun runs will fire out of the gate promptly at 8 a.m. Runners should arrive early to be sure of their course and to pick up their number and T-shirt.
Runners can download entry forms at stlukehealthcare.org or enter online at runsignup.com/Race/MT/SaintIgnatius/GoodOldDaysBuffaloRun. Pre-registration before midnight July 14 costs $25, or $15 with no T-shirt. Registration fees go up after that day. T-shirts are limited to the supply available on race day. Proceeds benefit the St. Ignatius Chamber of Commerce. For more information contact Whitney Liegakos at 406-528-5262 or wliegakos@stlukehealthcare.org.
Editor's note: The print version of this article reported the wrong day for the pancake breakfast, which takes place 7 to 11 a.m. Saturday at the Senior Center.