Bald Eagle Days has something for everyone

Bald Eagle Days is over, and now Chamber of Commerce Director Meg Morris and Assistant Director Megan Kuhl can sleep again.

"I feel like I gave birth to my second baby this week," Morris said with a laugh.

The two were still high from the event on Tuesday and were making a list, talking about what went right, what they learned and what they want to do differently next year.

"All of this is going to feel like it flows a lot more smoother for the second time you put it on," Kuhl said.

What the two are envisioning is a bigger, better event with more vendors, including more food vendors.

They laughed about their concerns on Saturday, and the minor troubles they handled, including a car that was left on Main Street after the parade route was supposed to be cleared. Hotel doors were knocked on, and a lot of people got involved in trying to track down the owner. Finally a hotel guest found him, relaxed and drinking coffee in the dining room.

A woman who moved to Cathlamet a couple months ago told Kuhl that she loved walking around and seeing people hugging people at the event.

"That's what Bald Eagle Days is all about," Kuhl said. "It's like a reunion, a family reunion, a friends reunion. It was kind of cool to hear that feedback from new residents."

They had so much fun, they're considering adding more events to the calendar, just to make people happy.

"We need other things to look forward to," Kuhl said.

The event this weekend was well attended. There were twice as many entries in the parade as last year, according to the parade organizer, Marissa Washington. The candy handed out along the parade route may have been more plentiful than the offering at Halloween. Happy people chatted and checked out vendors, eating elephant ears, ice cream, popcorn, hot dogs, and homemade salmon chowder.

This year's Grand Marshals were Sandi and Francois Benbrook-Rieder. According to the Chamber, Sandi "has been helping Wahkiakum County for over 34 years. She fell in love with our area back in the 1980s when she worked for the state doing community development. She and Francois bought their property in 1999 and moved here from Renton in 2003.

"Sandi has been a member of the Chamber of Commerce since 2003 and has served as secretary, vice-president, and president. Sandi has served on many boards and committees through the years helping Wahkiakum County. Not only do Sandi and Francois love living here, they are big supporters of shopping local. You will see them at all the local businesses and farmers market, working to help grow business here in our county. Sandi and her family have made our county better."

See more photos of Bald Eagle Days by selecting Photos tab at the top of the Wahkiakum County Eagle webpage.