Camas Days delivers

Thousands flock to Camas to ‘celebrate Papermaker history’ during annual event

August 2, 2018 5:30 am
Life

Maxine Ambrose, queen of the 2018 Camas Days festival, rides with family members in the Camas Days Grand Parade, Saturday, July 28. Ambrose, a 1948 Camas High School graduate, has volunteered with the Inter-Faith Treasure House, Soroptimist International of Camas-Washougal, the Camas-Washougal Historical Society, the Two Rivers Heritage Museum, the Lost and Found Cafe, Friends of the Cemetery, Boy Scouts and her children's school PTAs.

A blow-up duck awaits 5,000 little rubber ducks making their way down the Washougal River from the Third Avenue Bridge toward the Ducky Derby finish line on Sunday, July 29.

Virginia Warren, 1998 Camas Days Queen, wore a paper skirt over shorts to the Royalty Luncheon, hosted by the General Federation of Women's Clubs (GFWC) Camas-Washougal, Saturday, July 28, at Zion Lutheran Church. Warren also participated in the Camas Days Grand parade that morning.

A stiltwalker gives a high five to a youngster as the 2018 Camas Days Kids Parade gets underway around noon on Friday, July 27, in downtown Camas.

Camas artist Keith E. Russell (left) and Camas Police Chief Mitch Lackey (right) stand next to Russell's painting of an early 1950s Camas Police car in front of the former Camas Hotel. Russell plans to donate the painting to the Camas Police Department. Lackey said he's been looking forward to seeing the finished work and was pleasantly surprised when he viewed it for the first time on Friday, July 27, during the first day of the 2018 Camas Days celebration. To find more of Russell's work, visit Facebook.com/ReflectionpaintingsbyKeith, or email KRussell@Maxcessintl.com. The Camas artist is open to doing commissioned pieces and specializes in paintings of classic vehicles.

Camas Farmer's Market organizers and fans march in the 2018 Camas Days Kids Parade on Friday, July 27.

Caroline Mercury wears a paper dress on the grand prize winning Georgia-Pacific float in the Camas Days Grand Parade, July 28. Mercury and Terri Shanahan (not pictured) recreated the dress from photo archives of a Camas Paper Festival.

Children ride decked-out scooters and bikes during the2018 Camas Days Kids Parade on Friday, July 27, in downtown Camas.

Camas Days Kids Parade youngsters ride decorated bike floats down Northeast Fourth Avenue, Friday, July 27. (Contributed photo courtesy of Krista Bashaw)

The Mystery Machine took second place in the non-motorized float, bike or wagon contest during the 2018 Camas Days Kids Parade, Friday, July 27. (Contributed photo courtesy of Krista Bashaw)

Thousands gathered in downtown Camas for last weekend’s 2018 Camas Days festival. Some even donned paper outfits for the event, helping to celebrate Camas’ longtime traditions and mill town pride and honor this year’s Camas Days’ theme of “Celebrating Papermaker History.”

Throughout the festival, which officially lasts only two days but has come to include Sunday festivities like the Camas-Washougal Rotary Club’s annual Ducky Derby fundraiser, mill workers and their families, including several grandchildren and great-grandchildren of paper mill employees, honored the town’s traditions and made some more Camas-focused memories.

On the festival’s opening day, Friday, July 26, Camas Days Kids Parade participants strutted their stuff in individual costumes, group costumes and on non-motorized floats, bikes and wagons.

Following are the winners from each of those contest categories:

Individual Costumes

James Russel, 10, as a news boy.
Abbey Lowe, 4, as a fire dalmatian.
Ajay Patel, 6, as a SWAT officer.

Non-motorized floats, bikes and wagons

Harper Copsey, 1, and Jameson Douglas, 4, for their Papermakers Mean Machine float.
Carson Whitman, 5, Harmony Whitman, 2, Gabriel Yott, 4, MacKenzie Yott, 3, and Taylor Yott, 11, for their Mystery Machine float.

Group Costumes

Papa’s Papermakers, ages 2-9, for their mill worker costumes that included original metal hard hats and overalls.
Jack, Will and Rob Summer Camp, ages 4-12, for their “Joe Papermaker” black and red shirts.
Camas Farmer’s Market, ages 10-adults, for a variety of fruit made from paper.

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