The Third Annual CoyoteFest was one Howl of a blockbuster. With over 35 entries in the parade, 42 cars in the car show, great entertainment and record-breaking crowds, it was simply one terrific day! An estimated 750 people filled the streets of Coulterville with nearly 500 entering a free drawing created in order to try to obtain demographic information about our attendees…more than double the growing attendance we had last year.
Thank-you to Our Sponsors and Our Volunteers!
Thanks to the generous sponsorships we received from Allied Auto of Fremont, CA…who was the Event Sponsor, the Car Show Sponsor and the Bill Lane Memorial Trophy Sponsor…as well as the support of the Yosemite/Mariposa County Tourism Bureau, our outreach and advance promotion was far greater than in the past. And it paid off, as we had folks from Southern California, the Bay area and various locations throughout the Central Valley, even a few from out of state.
The success is in large part also due to the many organizations and individuals that took on large chunks of coordinating the entire event. The Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF) took on the challenge of building the opening parade, with the Mariposa Grizzly Band, the Mariposa Mounted Sheriff’s Posse and the 2015 Rodeo Queen and part of her Court all participating this year! Best of all, The IOOF is hyped about taking it on once again next year and continuing its growth!
Bill Lane, the founder of the CoyoteFest Car Show, passed away just a few months before being able to see that the hard work of this and the past few years really paid off this year! The number of entries more than doubled, and many of those participating for the first time loved the warm reception they received in Coulterville and have already said they will return, with their friends and car club associates next year! Thanks go out to Nina Mimnaugh, owner of Sierra Flowers and Michelle Shaw, a prior Best of Show winner, who stepped up and took on the challenge of coordinating the Car Show during the final weeks leading up to the big event. Michelle has already said she will take on the Chairmanship for next year with Nina assisting her, and they plan on starting the promotion in the next few months so that car clubs can calendar the event well in advance.
The Kids Korner was organized by the recently reorganized Greeley Hill Parent’s Group with the assistance of the DP Rattler 4H Club (who also made the dozens of coyote silhouettes that appeared around the community in the weeks leading up to the event). Scope helped with traffic control, the Coulterville Community Club coordinated the entertainment, obtaining sponsorships from Yosemite Bank, Wildfire Ranch, Merlin and Miriam Jones as well as pitching in themselves. The Gold Chain Lions Club took on the organization of the 30th Annual Coyote Howl. K & D Feed Store in Greeley Hill once again donated the hay bale seating around the stage.
George Partan, president of the Northern Mariposa County History Center thanks all of the above, as well as the NMCHC CoyoteFest Committee volunteers who worked all year long…Helen Bauman, Susan Bramson, Linda Clark, Sharon Coolidge, Debbie Cook, Ellie Dusté, Leslie Farrow, MaryAnn Huff, Mike Kambeitz, Jennifer and Bear Metcalf, Nina Mimnaugh, Doris Quinones, Michelle Shaw, Stacy Serrato, Richard Shimer, Dale Silverman and Monty Thornburg. Their efforts and planning made the event go smoothly all day long.
There are dozens of others to thank, too many to mention here, but a few more that need to be included for their efforts that day are John Shimer, who served as Parade Grand Marshall, David Silverman and Gavin Mimnaugh who served as general MC’s and Leslie Farrow who once again MC’d the Coyote Howling Contest. Also thank you to Leslie and Barbara Balestrieri for their great Sonny and Cher performance and the DP Line Dancers for theirs. Thank you to everyone who helped or participated, it was only because of all of your efforts and involvement that this year’s CoyoteFest was such an amazing success!
Winners…Winners…Winners
This year the Adult Coyote Pack winners were a surprise entry… (pictured above) Mariposa County District 2 Supervisor Merlin Jones (center), NMCHC Docent Coordinator Helen Bauman (on the left), and CCC President Mike Kambeitz (on the right). They howled like they meant it! Winners of the Coyote Pup Pack were Dakota, Lewis and Bronks (last minute entries with no last names). Winner of the Adult Howl was Chuck Harris, a former Coulterville resident and former Coyote Howl Winner who came back to successfully regain his championship, and the Pup that the judges thought had the most impressive and authentic coyote howl was Grace Welch. Congratulations to all!The winners of the eight team Horseshoe Tournament were Tad and Josh from the Oakdale area. They said they would return to defend their championship next year, so hopefully we can get their last names then!
Michelle Shaw of La Grange won the free drawing for a Black Oak Casino gift bag and no, this was not a “fix”…her ticket was pulled out at the CoyoteFest wrap-up meeting out of the basket holding many hundreds of entry forms!
David Silverman’s 1931 Model A Hillbilly Special, “Bubba” (pictured above), won the people’s choice award, narrowly beating out second place winner Michelle Shaw’s ‘56 Chevy Nomad. Tying for third were Jemmy Day’s 1966 Chevy Chevelle and Keith Truxx’ ‘69 AMC.Photos of the winners as well as all of the other participants of the various events can be found on the “Coulterville, CA” Facebook page.
The CoyoteFest is, at its core, a fundraiser. This year the History Center raised around $4,000 to help with various maintenance projects needed at the museum. The Greely Hill Parents Club raised about $1,000 which will go towards educational enrichment; the IOOF raised a few hundred dollars and sold many dozens of tickets for its November Dance. Merchants and vendors, both those in the park and those throughout the town all reported a very successful day, with many wishing they had brought more food and merchandise with them!
SAVE THE DATE… Saturday, September 24, 2016
The CoyoteFest is held on the last Saturday each September, so mark your calendars now! The Adult Coyote Pack winners have issued a challenge, they plan to take on all howlers and retain their championship!
