Sandy Mountain festival through the years

Sandy loves its festivals. Pioneers and those who came after celebrated in grand style with picnics at Cedar Creek, Nelson Park, and other favorite gathering places. Some people dressed up, took buckboards or horses all the way out from Portland to breathe fresh mountain air, eat tasty food, and listen to the stirring oratory of patriotic speeches.

There were events such as the horse race down Sandy’s Main Street (still dirt; not yet paved in 1907) all the way to Gresham’s Main Street and back.

The Sandy Mountain Days festival has been the signature event of our area. Since 1972 the festival has been held in Meinig Park, except for a brief hiatus during the pandemic. During the merrymaking, the park and town now can see in excess of 40,000 people turn out.

Before the Mountain festival, there also was another celebration. Our records show that in 1950 there was a Strawberry Festival June 17-18.

Twenty-two businesses in the area advertised in the promotion of this event. Twenty-seven organizations participated from as far away as Long Beach and Evergreen Valley (Chamber of Commerce and Saddle Club), natives from Wapinitia (Deschutes River falls area near Maupin), Molalla Buckaroo Riders, Oregon Trail Riders, Milwaukie Saddle Club, Clark County Sheriff’s Club, Clark County Saddle Club, Estacada Boot and Spur, Portland Mounted Posse, and many groups from other places as well as our own area organizations. Twenty-three other groups contributed toward the souvenir program and nine local churches lent their support for the festival.

Sandy loves summer!

Horse race down Main Street painting by Lea Topliff