Like an old friend, Frontier Days returns to Lovelock Aug. 2 - 4. The weekend centers around food, games and live music. Several contests offer cash prizes.
On Saturday morning, Grand Marshals Jeff Kearns and Misty Moepono-Wood will lead the parade from the community center to the courthouse park. They both live up to this year's theme of "helping hands."
Every year, Frontier Days raffles off Kearns' carpentry for a head start on next year's funding. His one-of-a-kind creations are always a big hit. The hobby is a break from his job as Pershing County's public administrator. Under the oversight of the court system, he settles the estates of people who die with no will or close relatives.
For several years, Kearns has donated wooden rocking horses, benches and canoes to Frontier Days. This time he made a Conestoga wagon pulled by four oxen.
Conestoga wagons got their name from the Conestoga River in Pennsylvania, where German and Swiss immigrants made them in the 18th century. The covered wagons hauled merchant goods and farm products to frontier towns.
Kearns' wagon weighs less than ten pounds but is fully functional.
"If I had a team of oxen, they could pull it right down Main Street," he said. "The wagon is pine, poplar, oak and a little plywood with a canvas cover."
Tickets will be available at Frontier Days, with the winner announced on Sunday.
Misty and Christopher Moepono-Wood are the president and vice president of Lovelock Frontier Days 2024. She also runs a nonprofit organization called "Polynesian Discoveries" whose mission is to help people with food insecurity. It assists those who need help feeding their companion animals, too.
"We understand that pets are an integral part of many families, and we strive to ensure they are well cared for," she says on their website.
As a native of Hawaii, Moepono-Wood appreciates the handcrafts of children living in the Polynesian islands. She brought samples of their lauhala bags, wallets, sarongs and jewelry to Lovelock and used the sales proceeds to help fund Polynesian Discoveries. She will have a booth at Frontier Days all weekend.
"We are not only preserving and promoting Polynesian culture, but creating a ripple effect of positivity and support in our community," she said.
Moepono-Wood could use some helping hands. A stray dog recently bit her leg when she stopped in Sacramento on her way to visit her sons. She had 18 shots, including rabies and tetanus vaccines, and is waiting for an appointment with a plastic surgeon.
She's committed to carrying on with her responsibilities as president of Frontier Days with assistance from her husband Christopher, April Nesmith (secretary and treasurer) and Mike Irvin (vendor coordinator). Linda Whyte runs the parade.
"We need volunteers. From helping with setup and teardown to managing different activities during the event, there is a lot of work to be done. We welcome anyone willing to lend a hand," she said. "We are also seeking sponsors. Sponsorship helps cover costs. It also provides an opportunity for businesses to demonstrate their support for local events."
It's been 56 years since the Chamber of Commerce handed Elaine Pommerening and her sister Pat Rowe $200 and asked them to throw a celebration for Lovelock's 100th birthday. They, together with their spouses and friends, came up with the first Frontier Days in 1968.
Over the years, Frontier Days has become part of the rhythm of Lovelock life. It heralds the end of summer and transition to fall. The first home football game is Friday, Aug 16, against the Wooster Colts. The pool closes the next day, and school starts a week later.
So, help if you can. Look for Kearns and Moepono-Wood at the head of the parade on Saturday, Aug. 3. Buy a raffle ticket for Kearns' Conestoga wagon and tell the Moepono--Woods, "Aloha."
For more information about Frontier Days or to volunteer, call 775-442-1336. Their email is lovelockfrontierdays@gmail.com
To sign up for the parade, call Linda Whyte at 775-530-0616. Lineup is at the community center at 8 a.m. The parade begins at 10 a.m.