Thousands make trek to Talkeetna

July 15, 2007

By John R. Moses/Frontiersman

TALKEETNA - This is a village that knows how to throw a party, but the Talkeetna Historical Society outdid itself this year when as many as 5,000 visitors streamed vehicles into the Village Airstrip parking area and overflowed onto the streets.

The big event was the first day of the 35th annual Talkeetna Moose Dropping Festival.

Coordinator Debbie Whitcar seemed almost stunned by the turnout, which she credited to a strong lineup of musical events and good weather.

&#8220I'm happy, but it's a little overwhelming,” she said.

A new mother whose work ended at 1:30 a.m. Saturday and began again at 6 a.m. with traffic duty, Whitcar said adaptable volunteers saved the day when more vehicles than expected poured down the Talkeetna Spur - and didn't stop coming.

&#8220This is the first time in 35 years we've had to close down the airstrip,” she said.

Troopers she had requested for traffic assistance did not show, but locals filled in.

&#8220They're still coming for the dropping,” she noted at 5:30 p.m. as cars made their way through crowds of people drawn toward the VFW Hall along crowded E. Third Street.

At that hour there were spaces in the airstrip to accommodate new cars and RVs.

Whitcar said she didn't have a guess about how many people would turn up today.

The Mountain Mother Contest will see female competitors vying for fittest in wilderness survival skills on a course designed to test their mastery of skills like wood carrying while a &#8220baby” is strapped to their back. Festival events for today include music up to 6 p.m.

The popular Kids Zone also had more business than expected Saturday and almost ran out of candy, for which Whitcar made an emergency stop to provide.

Suzy Kellard, local chamber of commerce president, said $4,500 was raised during the Moose on the Loose auction. A plywood moose painted by merchant Beth Valentine sold for $1,000. Valentine's other moose went for $275, and comes with a bottle of glue. It holds toys and, well, just about everything else.

&#8220Looks like that moose went through the gift shop, the hardware store and everywhere else to get that stuff,” joked auctioneer Dusty Robson of Trapper Creek.

Valentine said there was some last-minute work on the &#8220I Spy a Moose' entry.

&#8220I worked until 1:30 in the morning re-gluing everything,” she said.

There were 18 moose sold.

Vendors were also in high spirits.

&#8220This is one of the most fun festivals they have in the state,” said Cliff Penn of the Friar Tuck's and Indian Valley Meats booth just off Main Street. He was still cooking up buffalo brats and reindeer hot dogs just before the 6 p.m. fair closing time when crowds began streaming toward the Vet's Hall for the Moose Dropping raffle.

Penn, who travels with the booth to just about every festival in Alaska, is in a position to know. &#8220Things went well today. The weather was good.”

AT 6 p.m., VFW member John Connolly stood on the back of a pickup truck overseeing the dropping of the painted moose pellets. VFW Post 3836 has hosted the event since its inception. A volunteer measuring crew was made up of Dog Brenneman and Clarence Wells, who wore appropriately decorated hats.

Connolly is the traditional master of ceremonies at the dropping.

&#8220My wife's comment is that anyone who volunteered to jump out of an airplane will volunteer for anything,” he said. &#8220That's my wife's comment.”

The festival continues today with an 8-11 a.m. biscuits and gravy breakfast that the VFW Hall on Veteran's Way next to the Village Airstrip parking area. Music begins at 11:45 a.m. and ends at 6 p.m. The Mountain Mother competition starts at 1 p.m. at the VFW Hall. Registration for entrants is at 12:30 p.m.