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October 19, 2005

BEATTY DAYS

Beatty bustling over the weekend

By RICHARD STEPHENS
PVT

RICHARD STEPHENS / PVT
The American flag is reflected in the chrome headlamp on one of the classic cars on display during the annual Beatty Days celebration.

RICHARD STEPHENS / PVT
Children chase a greased pig around a pen during the event.

RICHARD STEPHENS / PVT
Beatty and Gold Point members of the High Desert Drifters re-enact a gunfight for spectators' enjoyment during last weekend's Beatty Days celebration.

RICHARD STEPHENS / PVT
The Bed Races seemed to replace the Burro Races. The competitors on the left were from the Beatty High School Close-Up Program, which sends a number of students to Washington, D.C., each year.

If you were bored last weekend, then it's just about dead certain you weren't in Beatty. With a two-day motorcycle Grand Prix, the Missoula Children's Theater production of "The Frog Prince," the Pink Lady Paint Party at Rhyolite, and all the events associated with the Beatty Days celebration, there was so much to see and do that there was scarcely time to see and do it all.

Despite predictions of inclement weather (that did not materialize except for some fairly strong winds on Friday), Beatty Days went off pretty well.

The crowd at the fifty-one-entry parade was disappointing, but there were plenty of people in the park to ogle classic cars, sample cook-off chili or Dutch-oven dishes, listen to live music, watch Old West shootouts, and participate in various contests of skill (or silliness).

The decision was made not to have burro races this year. They had drawn disappointing crowds considering the effort and expense involved in putting them on.

There were also a paintball tournament, the poker run, and wheelbarrow races (someone billed them as "wheel barrel" races). The now traditional bed races were fun to watch, even if there weren't many entrants, but the most fun to watch were the greased-pig races. Everyone except the frightened, squealing piglets seemed to be having a great time.

The motorcycle races appear to have drawn a lot of participants and spectators, making good use of the course Dave Spicer and crew developed near the old Pioneer mine site.

Altogether, Beatty was - at least for one weekend - far from the sleepy little town some people like to portray it as. Now maybe the volunteers from the Beatty Chamber of Commerce, the Beatty General Improvement District, and others responsible for all these events can catch up on a little sleep. They deserve the rest.