A cowboy on stilts with a lasso was one of the features of Elkford’s Wildcat Days celebrations in 2022. (Joshua Fischlin/The Free Press)
Michelle Krenbrink works with the District of Elkford as a leisure services clerk and was a main organizer for Wildcat Days and the belated 50th anniversary celebrations in 2022. (Joshua Fischlin/The Free Press)
James Murray travels from Salmon Arm to Elkford to play Wildcat Charlie at Wildcat Days, and has been doing so for seven years. (Joshua Fischlin/The Free Press)
Ella and Sarah Hatt travelled from Lethbridge to Elkford for Wildcat Days in 2022. (Joshua Fischlin/The Free Press)
Edyn and Courtney Kennedy of Sparwood were at Elkford’s Wildcat Days celebrations in 2022. (Joshua Fischlin/The Free Press)
A cowgirl on stilts was one of the features at Elkford’s Wildcat Days celebrations in 2022. (Joshua Fischlin/The Free Press)
Elkford’s mayor Dean McKerracher on the left, with his great granddaughters, Locklyn and Brodie Karwandy, along with their mother Kenzie Karwandy. Kenzie and Brodie led the singing of ‘Oh Canada’ on Friday (July 1) celebrations. (Joshua Fischlin/The Free Press)
The Welsh family enjoying a barbecue on July 1 at the beginning of Elkford’s 2022 Wildcat Days celebrations. From left: Jaden, Paul, Jennifer, Ethan, Caleb, and Mikayla Welsh. Paul said “Elkford rocks.” (Joshua Fischlin/The Free Press)
A horse rider and a bull rider were featured at the Wildcat Days parade in Elkford in 2022. (Joshua Fischlin/The Free Press)
A bull rider at the Wildcat Days parade in Elkford in 2022. (Joshua Fischlin/The Free Press)
There were some fancy cars featured at Elkford’s Wildcat Days parade in 2022. One of Saturday’s (July 2) events was a ‘Show and Shine’ with vehicles. (Joshua Fischlin/The Free Press)
Wildcat Charlie (played by James Murray) at the parade for Wildcat Days in Elkford in 2022. (Joshua Fischlin/The Free Press)
There was a clown at Elkford’s Wildcat Days celebrations in 2022. (Joshua Fischlin/The Free Press)
There were bouncy castles for the kids at Elkford’s Wildcat Days celebrations in 2022. (Joshua Fischlin/The Free Press)
Edyn and Lilly Kennedy of Sparwood were sitting on a lawn in Elkford enjoying the Wildcat Days celebrations in 2022 with their parents. (Joshua Fischlin/The Free Press)
There was a family ball tournament at Wildcat Days celebrations in Elkford in 2022. (Joshua Fischlin/The Free Press)
A family sits down colouring at the art show at the 2022 Wildcat Days celebrations in Elkford. From left: Aaron Wrench, Maisie Wrench, Summer Breeze, Juniper Wrench. (Joshua Fischlin/The Free Press)
The Li family has been living in Elkford for 12 years and own a restaurant at the golf course in Elkford. From left: Cindy Li, Emily Li, Feng Li. (Joshua Fischlin/The Free Press)
Motorcyclists were featured in the parade at Elkford’s Wildcat Days celebrations in 2022. (Joshua Fischlin/The Free Press)
A float reads ‘Get Intimate With Nature’ and has a banner wishing Elkford a happy 50th anniversary at the Wildcat Days celebrations in 2022. (Joshua Fischlin/The Free Press)
Elkford’s mayor Dean McKerracher throws candies to kids during the parade at Elkford’s Wildcat Days celebrations in 2022. (Joshua Fischlin/The Free Press) 
Kids pick up candies thrown from floats at the 2022 Wildcat Days celebrations in Elkford. (Joshua Fischlin/The Free Press)
From left: Ian Stasuik, Stephanie Stasuik, and Pat Stasuik. The family was enjoying the parade at Wildcat Days 2022 in Elkford. Pat called it “excellent”, Ian said “It’s actually surprisingly good,” and Stephanie said “For such a small town, there’s a lot going on.”
One of the snazzy vehicles at Elkford’s Wildcat Days celebrations in 2022. (Joshua Fischlin/The Free Press)
A cowboy and cowgirl on stilts greeting a family watching the parade at Elkford’s Wildcat Days celebration in 2022. (Joshua Fischlin/The Free Press)
Local Search and Rescue was represented at the Wildcat Days celebration in Elkford in 2022. (Joshua Fischlin/The Free Press)
A craft fair was taking place at the Wildcat Days celebrations in Elkford in 2022. (Joshua Fischlin/The Free Press)
There was a dunk tank at the Wildcat Days celebrations in Elkford in 2022. (Joshua Fischlin/The Free Press)The streets of Elkford were filled with families, candies, parade floats and community cheer for the return of Wildcat Days in 2022.
From July 1 to 3, Elkford hosted its town celebration, named after their first settler Charlie Wiegert, otherwise known as Wildcat Charlie.
It was the first time hosting the event after a two-year COVID hiatus, and was held together with a belated 50th anniversary celebration for the town.
“I think that everyone’s so excited this year to get together, so it’s really busy and it’s awesome,” said Michelle Krenbrink, leisure services clerk with the District of Elkford and an organizer of the events.
Festivities began on Friday (July 1) in conjunction with Canada Day, and featured events like a family ball tournament, barbecue, beer gardens, concert, fireworks, and a wandering light-up stilt walker.
Saturday was jam packed with festivities, from the parade and pancake breakfast, art show, more beer gardens and concerts, continuations of the sporting events, show n’ shine, fire trucks, food trucks, a craft fair, roving stilt walkers and magician, Jurassic Attack Monster Truck rides, bouncy castles, a dunk tank, a contest to find Wildcat Charlie, and much more.
James Murray, who played Wildcat Charlie for the event, said he must have had about 100 people take pictures with him for the contest.
“This town, a small little town like this, puts on such an amazing event, it staggers the imagination,” said Murray, who has been coming to town from Salmon Arm and playing Wildcat Charlie for about seven years.
On Saturday, the lawns were packed with families sitting back to watch the parade.
Among them were the Hatts from Lethbridge, who had never been to Elkford before the event.
Young Ella Hatt said the parade was ‘amazing,’ and that her favourite part was all the candy that was being thrown to the kids from the people on the floats.
Sarah Hatt said it was worth coming from Lethbrige to see, and that Elkford is a ‘nice community.’
“It was really good, nice and short and sweet, kept the kids all entertained, and good atmosphere,” she said.
Courtney Kennedy of Sparwood was also there with her family.
“It’s wonderful,” she said of the celebrations.
She said there was so much for the kids to do, and that Friday’s fireworks were ‘awesome’.
“I love how much Elkford is doing for this great celebration,” she said.
READ MORE: ‘Great party’: Elkford to hold belated 50th anniversary and Wildcat Days celebrations in July
READ MORE: Gallery: Elkford celebrates Wildcat Days
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josh.fischlin@thefreepress.ca
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