As you probably saw on this week’s front page, there’s lots going on this weekend.
Friday through Sunday is the Thunderbird Arts & Fine Wine Festival on the Avenue of the Fountains. Fountain HiIls residents are free.
A variety of wineries will be there to sample their wines.
An engraved wine glass and six tasting tickets cost $10.
Then on Saturday, March 12, is the Kite Flying Festival from 11 a.m. to 6 pm. at Fountain Park. It is sponsored by the Pakistan Information and Cultural Organization.
The first of two community St. Patrick’s Day celebrations will be held. The Sunday, March 13, event is put on by Fountain Events, Inc.
Cost of admission is $5 per adult with kids 12 and under free.
Planned as a family day, there will be entertainment starting at noon and activities for adults and children from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The fountain will turn green at 1 p.m.
If you miss the fountain turning green on Sunday, it will again take on the emerald color at noon on Thursday, March 17.
This event is coordinated by Kern Entertainment.
There will be a variety of food vendors, offering corned beef and cabbage, fish and chips, and even a Vegan food truck.
Steve Grosz of 88.7FM The Pulse will play Irish music, and the Elks Lodge will operate a beer garden. I suspect they will be serving green beer.
The tradition of turning the fountain green began in 1978 when a young cowboy and building contractor named Terry Gill moved to town from Lewiston, Montana. He had a reputation of being mischievous. He rode his horse into the Silver Stein on St. Patrick’s Day 1978.
Later that year at a Christmas Party at the home of Martin Dawson, a discussion arose about Terry’s antics on St. Patrick’s Day. He was asked what he would do for an encore the next year, and without hesitation he replied, “I want to turn the fountain green.”
Furthermore, he challenged others within listening distance to join him in water skiing around the base of the fountain as it turned green.
The Fountain Hills Shamrock society was formed and the members met periodically to plan out their shenanigans for the next year.
Over the years they painted green shamrocks and green footprints on streets and buildings. They also created Nessie, the Fountain Ness monster. Built on an old pontoon boat, Nessie was a popular attraction each year.
There is no more Shamrock Society, but the memories and the tradition of the green fountain live on each year.
Speaking of special events, the fund-raiser for the Fountain Hills Theater was last Sunday night and I hope it was a financial success, because it was a fun event for those who attended.
I had some fun by wearing my Elvis wig and sideburns from those days long ago when I was doing an impression of the king of Rock and Roll at local bars and fund-raisers around the state.
I also wore a pair of Elvis sunglasses I picked up at Graceland in Memphis, Tenn., during a cross-country drive with my son, Brent.
I was prompted to do that by Dori Wittrig, who serves on the Theater board. She called several weeks prior to the event to see if I could be a dance contest judge. I said I would let her know. “And do you think you could wear your Elvis wig?” she asked.
Diane found the wig in a box in the garage on Sunday afternoon along with some other memorabilia from those years.
I wore it with a shirt with old cars and palm trees on it, shorts and an old pair of Vans canvas shoes that had belonged to my grandson, Hunter. That made me in line with the “Good Vibrations” theme of the event. (Incidentally, the band, the Southwestern Surfers, was terrific.)
It was funny the reactions I got. Some people would not make eye contact with me, others didn’t recognize me, but would say hi to Diane. Dori spotted me during dinner and gave me a big hug. “You did it!” she said.
