We've Got The County Covered
The Eleventh Annual Blaine County Cruise has a full slate of events planned for the weekend as activities get underway Friday afternoon at 5:00 p.m. with registration taking place at the Blaine County Fairgrounds. After having dealt with two years of Covid-19 the event is back to hosting a full-fledged good time for all.
The Blaine County Cruise has been a summer staple throughout the years and offers something for everyone to enjoy. No requirements are needed, interested cruisers need not be car enthusiast or have a classic vehicle. The Blaine County Cruise is open to everyone, simply hop in your vehicle and join in on the fun.
The Blaine County Cruisers make a very dedicated effort to be as family friendly as possible and encourages participants to bring the kids. The activities planned are designed to include everyone and promote fun and fellowship. The condition of, or the make and model of your vehicle, doesn't matter. The event was once described by a cruise member in this manner, "We are not a 'shine and show' club. We like to drive and enjoy the vehicles we have."
Following registration at the Blaine County Fairgrounds Friday evening a Scavenger Hunt will take place. The hunt was first introduced a couple years ago and has proven to be a good time. When the sun sets, and the scavenger hunt has been successfully completed the Fairgrounds will become an outdoor 'Drive In' Movie theatre with the Movie Hit & Run being shown on a big screen attached to the back of the Grandstands. Concessions will be provided Friday night beginning at 7:00 p.m. by the Chinook FFA.
Saturday will be full of exciting things to do for all who register. Beginning with a Free Will Donation Breakfast from 7:30 - 9:00 a.m. hosted by the Blaine County 4-H Foundation. Everyone in the community is welcome to come enjoy breakfast whether registered for the cruise or not.
Those registered will then get in their vehicles and head out around 9:00 a.m. The Cruisers will first parade their vehicles past the Sweet Memorial Nursing Home just west of the Fairgrounds as they head out of town. The Residents of the Sweet Home sure enjoy watching the cruisers pass by, waving to them as they go.
John Haldeman was a part of the very first Blaine County Cruise and has fond memories, "I really liked seeing all the cars and talking to everyone, it was a lot of fun. I liked that we went all over and when we stopped, we played games. Now It is really neat to still get to see them go by as they head out of town!"
Registration for the Cruise Saturday will continue alongside the breakfast from 7:30 - 8:30 a.m. Those who register for the Cruise will have a chance to earn a $1,000 Grand Prize by collecting points throughout the Cruise. This year the Cruise will head to Big Sandy with several stops along the way there and back to have lunch as well as take part in a variety of challenges.
Cruisers will be given a scorecard with their registration Friday night or Saturday morning and will earn points through challenges throughout the weekend. The games and challenges are generally good, spirited events. This year's contest is still unclear, but one thing for sure is that they will be good spirited and family friendly with participation being the requirement to earn points.
Each registered vehicle receives a 'Punch Card" that keeps track of competitions they have done and points they have accumulated; everyone can play, each vehicle gets one punch card and at the end of the day their scores are tallied up. The competition is pretty loose with fun being the main goal.
The cruisers will eventually make their way back to the Blaine County Fairgrounds Saturday evening and must have their scorecards turned in by 6:00 p.m. to the registration table. Dinner will be served at 7:00 p.m. and like the breakfast, everyone is welcome to attend.
In conjunction with the dinner, the Awards Ceremony will take place with the Grand Prize $1,000 Winner being announced. Also, from 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 the Silent and Live Auctions will be conducted. Items to be auctioned of will be available for viewing at the fairgrounds beginning Friday.
Saturday nights movie will be "Six Pack" beginning after dark. Concessions will once again be provided by the Chinook FFA. You can get additional information about the cruise and related activities at the club's website: http://www.blainecountycruise.com.