Dachshunds on Parade postponed until 2019; threshing bee returns

Dachshunds on Parade postponed until 2019; threshing bee returns

Ellensburg’s annual Dachshunds on Parade will take a break this year, while the Kittitas Valley Early Iron Club’s threshing bee will make a comeback.

Dachshunds on Parade is being postponed until 2019 after the transfer of ownership to the Ellensburg Downtown Association didn’t go as smoothly as was planned.

“Something that a lot of people don’t know is that the EDA has never hosted Dachshunds on Parade,” EDA Director Molly Jones said.

Last year was the 15th year for the dachshunds event, which typically draws 250 weiner dogs to downtown Ellensburg the third weekend in June. It was started and organized by the McKean family.

“They’ve been looking to transfer ownership to us, and both the family and the EDA are feeling there isn’t enough time to transfer ownership and make improvements to host the event,” Jones said.

The improvements the EDA would like to make include a new website and an easier method of registration, as well as bringing in more local vendors. The EDA is committed to keeping the same authentic experience that people have come back for year after year, Jones said, and there will be no change to the traditional date of the event.

“We felt like if we were to throw it together we would burn more bridges than if we postponed,” she said. “We really appreciate people’s patience.”

THRESHING BEE IS BACK

While locals will need to wait another year for a downtown dachshund takeover, Kittitas Valley Early Iron Club’s 35th Threshing Bee and Antique Equipment will return after a year off.

The threshing bee will take place Sept. 15 and 16 at Anderson Hay and Grain in Ellensburg. The event didn’t take place last year because of venue and permit issues at Olmstead Place State Park.

The event started in the 1980s after a local group of farmers who fixed up old machinery came together because of their common interest.

“It was just a bunch of farmers here in the valley and we were restoring old farming equipment and this little group decided ‘why don’t we go nonprofit and start an official group?’” said event organizer Rick Crull.

The event is the sole fundraiser for the club and they hope to make up for the lost revenue from last year. There will music, homemade ice cream and a number of raffles. The grand prize this year is a $500 shopping spree at Super 1 Foods.

“There’s a lot of different things we still have to pay for,” Crull said. “Those raffle tickets are our bread and butter.”

A breakfast will be provided by the Rodeo City Kiwanis Club and a lunch will be served by the Kittitas County 4-H. Crull is also looking for volunteers to help out during the event.

Anyone interested in volunteering can get more information by calling 509-968-3094. For more information on the event, visit kveic.org.

Published at Tue, 08 May 2018 20:15:00 +0000

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