Come to the Teddy Bear Picnic!

      Join us on Friday July 11 at 11 AM for a day full of old-fashioned picnic games.  Come on out to the Eagle River Commons, and join us for the Teddy Bear Picnic!  It’s a fun-filled way to start the Bear Paw Festival!  Younger “cubs” will enjoy story time, as well as games and age appropriate activities.

      Miss Bear Paw will be on hand to lead the Teddy Bear Parade – so bring your favorite teddy bear friend down to the picnic.

      Magician Don Russell will be on hand to amaze and entertain you.  Face painters will add a creative touch to your cheeks, along with the rosy glow from a great day of activities!

        Safe Kids Alaska will present their Summer Safe Kids Fair which includes a 911 Emergency Call Simulator, the Booster Seat Fit Test Station and the Life Preserver Fitting Station.  Look for their big tents in the middle of the picnic and have fun learning to be safe in Alaska.

        Hot dogs will be the main course, along with juice & cookies!

        The entire event, and more, is brought to you FREE through the generous support many local businesses as well as. Special thanks to our 2008 sponsors VFW Post 9785 and Carrs/Safeway.

Odor Eaters Rotten Sneaker Contest

      What’s blowing in the wind at the Bear Paw Festival?  It’s the Great Alaska Odor-Eaters Rotten Sneaker Contest!  This event is open to any child 5 –15 years of age wearing a pair of sneakers.  The worse the better!  Kids and judges go toes to nose in a fiendish frenzy of foul and fetid footwear for the title of the best of the worst! 

The contest takes place Friday, July 10 at 1 PM at the Eagle River Commons.  Registration begins at 12:15pm and the first 30 contestants receive an official T-shirt.  The champion, & one parent, wins a trip to Montpelier Vermont on the first day of spring, 2009 to compete in the National Championship.  The winner also receives a year’s supply of Odor-Eaters products, trophy, and their champion rotten sneakers may be permanently enshrined in the Odor Eaters Hall of Fumes. Parents need to accompany kids to sign an event release form.

Lunch Box Derby

        Be the first on your block to race an eggplant!  Let your imagination run wild and build a racecar made completely out of fruits and vegetables.  Cars are made using toothpicks, bamboo skewers and rubber bands.  This is the time to bring out all those engineering skills!  The cars will race down a 4 x 8 foot ramp.  The distance traveled will be from the top of the ramp to the front end of the main car body.  The race will take place Friday, at 12 noon at the Teddy Bear Picnic at the Eagle River Commons. Fruits & vegetables will be available on site to build your derby entry!  Come to the park and look for the ramp! SPONSORED BY EAGLE RIVER SUPER SUPPERS

Checking out those rotten sneakers!

(Photo courtesy of Alaska Star)

Sponsors treat all picnic participant to

Complementary hot dogs and drinks!

(Photo courtesy of Alaska Star)

A carrot on the go raced at

The Vegetable Derby during

Teddy Bear Picnic

Periwinkle Moose from Northrim Bank

visits with kids at Teddy Bear Picnic

(Photo courtesy of Alaska Star)