Heritage Days 2020 canceled
Bob Drolen, right, dances with his granddaughter Ruby Perrigo at the Coop during Heritage Days in this file photo. The event has been canceled due to coronavirus concerns.
Columbia Falls Heritage Days has been canceled, Shirley Reynolds, president of the Heritage Days committee said Monday.
Reynolds said collectively, organizers of the various events didn’t see how they could hold events safely due to concerns about spreading novel coronavirus.
Typically the event has an auction to benefit Columbia Falls High School sports programs, a car show, a parade, fun runs, a three-on-three basketball tournament and a host of class reunions, which draw people from across the United States.
The event has been ongoing for decades.
The first Heritage Days celebration in Columbia Falls was in July of 1980 (there was a celebration in 1979, too, but it was called Western Days, for what it’s worth.) Prior to that, it was called Progress Days, but there was a gap of several years between the first Heritage Days and Progress Days.
Columbia Falls is not alone in its cancellation. Kalispell has also canceled its summer parades as well and numerous other summer events across the Flathead Valley have been canceled due to concerns about crowds attending events and the possible spread of the virus.
There is a bright side. The Columbia Falls Chamber of Commerce will hold a free movie in Marantette Park on June 20 starting at dusk. The show is Mrs. Doubtfire. There will be popcorn, soda, water and candy for sale.
The show is sponsored by Super 1 Foods.