Huckleberry Days bring food, art and fun to Whitefish

Bringing more than 100 outstanding art, craft and food vendors together for a full weekend of fun in downtown Whitefish this weekend is the annual Huckleberry Days Arts Festival.

The annual Whitefish Chamber of Commerce event returns to Depot Park Aug. 10-12.

Back will be the fantastic original paintings, sculptures, garden art and jewelry, as well as spectacular photography, hand-thrown pottery, one-of-a-kind clothing and more.

Also back this year will be the finest food to be found on four wheels including Sweet Peaks Ice Cream, Island Noodles, Carl’s Corn Dogs, Glacier Shave Ice and Sweet Pickins Kettle Corn.

The Huckleberry Days community stage is part of the festivities. Among those scheduled to appear on the on Friday are Dakota Windsong flutist David Webb, the Kazookees — the Flathead Valley’s very own ukulele orchestra — and first-time Huck Days performers Irish Folk n’ Fun. Saturday afternoon the Old Time Fiddlers will take the stage, as will flutists Cathryn Lai and Anna Hansen-Lane.

Earlier on Saturday is the popular Huckleberry Dessert Bake-Off, which takes place Saturday at 9:30 a.m. in the park. The adult bake-off is always hotly contested and the addition of a kids division for bakers ages 14-and-under should add a bit more youthful excitement and creativity to the contest.

Cash prizes will be awarded to the top three finishers in both the adult and kids’ divisions, and the only rule is that the dessert must contain — what else — huckleberries.

For those interested in performing on the Huckleberry Stage or entering the baking contest, call Kevin at 862-3501.

Getting the weekend off to a mouth-watering start will be the folks from Glacier Bank of Whitefish, who’ll be giving away free Sweet Peaks Huckleberry Ice Cream to one and all at their downtown branch on Friday at 10 a.m.

Elsewhere around town, the Whitefish Wrestling Club will host the annual Huckleberry Pancake and Sausage Breakfast on Saturday, Aug. 11 from 7-11 a.m., on the Middle School lawn at the corner of Second Street and Spokane Avenues.

At Whitefish City Beach the annual Whitefish Lake Swim, featuring one-mile and half-mile races sponsored by the Wave, is on Saturday. Registration begins at 8 a.m. and the race at 9 a.m. For more information or to register, visit www.whitefishwave.com by Aug. 10.

For more information, call the Whitefish Chamber at 862-3501 or visit whitefishchamber.org.