Kegs slide, kids fly at Neighbor Day

Ponderay — Between live music, bungee trampolines, face painting, food vendors, and a mechanical bull, Saturday’s Ponderay Neighbor Day had something for everyone. 

The eighth edition of the event drew countless visitors and featured 76 unique vendors, according to event organizer and Ponderay Planning and Zoning director KayLeigh Miller. 

“We're big into community events out here,” Miller said Friday. 

According to Miller, the free festival started as a one-off, grant-funded event designed to bring together local residents. Neighbor Day was a hit, and it became a yearly tradition. 

“It was so popular the community requested we kept doing it,” said Miller. 

Now, Neighbor Day is funded by donations from area businesses and draws visitors from across the county. This year, band One Street Over played live music while festivalgoers perused booths hosted by business owners like Ian Welton. 

Welton, a paraprofessional at Farmin-Stidwell Elementary School, owns and operates Sandpoint Station as a side gig. With his five 3D printers, Welton creates and sells custom plastic toys, decorations, and figurines from video games, music, and pop culture. 

“You just have to find the niche thing that nobody else is doing,” said Welton, who has an online marketplace and sells his merchandise at events like Neighbor Day. 

In addition to operating a small business, Welton uses his 3D-printing capabilities to bring smiles to students’ faces. Last year, he created custom trophies in the shape of Farmin-Stidwell's mascot to give to students at the end of year awards ceremony. 

“It’s super fun,” said Welton. 

Nearby, local emergency responders gave safety presentations including showing onlookers the process of extricating a person from a wrecked car. Later, they had some fun of their own when they suspended an empty keg from a horizontal wire and competed in a tug of war-style game. 

In the “keg battle,” teams faced one another and aimed fire hoses at the keg to push it along the wire. When it reached the pole on the opposite end, one team emerged victorious — but both were soaking wet. 

The city leadership of Ponderay used the gathering as an opportunity to share information about their recent projects like the Field of Dreams sports complex, the first phase of which was completed in August, and the Front Yard Project, which aims to revitalize Ponderay’s waterfront for public use. 

Ultimately, though, the most important objective for Neighbor Day was to bring the community together. 

“The best part is that we can offer it for free,” said Miller. 

“For one day, no matter what somebody makes, nobody has to tell their kids no.”

    Attendees paint a landscape of Ponderay featuring the Selkirk Mountains, Lake Pend Oreille, and the Field of Dreams on Saturday.
  

    Sandpoint Station owner Ian Welton, pictured right, talks to a customer about his 3D-printed toys, game boards, and figurines.
  

    Attendees enjoy a brief window of sunshine during Saturday's event.