SNOHOMISH — The occasional airplane flying over Harvey Field on Friday didn’t faze five-year-old Jackson Vanwaveren. He had an important decision to make.
Tickets in hand, his father, Dan Vanwaveren of Snohomish, thought it might come down to the Ferris wheel. Then Jordan saw the Go-Gator roller coaster and his decision of what ride to go on first at the Kla Ha Ya Days carnival was made.
The carnival at Harvey Field is part of this year’s annual Kla Ha Ya Days celebration and opens at 11 a.m. today and at noon on Sunday. Today’s events also include a five-mile River Run, a frog jumping contest, bed races, musical entertainment, a street fair, and the Sunset Parade and Kids Parade from 6 to 8 p.m. on First Street. Kla Ha Ya Days opened on Wednesday with the carnival.
Sharon Larson of Seattle watched Friday as her granddaughters, Hayley Hancock, 6, and Alexa Lorkowski Armon, 13, flew high above her head on The Yo-Yo, a swing ride.
“For Hayley, it’s the first time she’s been on a big kid ride,” she said. “So she’s all excited.”
The ride ended but Hayley’s excitement didn’t.
“Did you hear me?” she asked. “Can we go on the Ferris-go-round?”
Not everyone at the carnival was there to go on rides. In the parking lot, volunteers from the Kiwanis Club of Snohomish Tillicum collected parking fees and passed out flyers about their salmon barbecue at Hill Park.
“(Kla Ha Ya Days) is a festive, community event and a longstanding tradition,” volunteer Jeff Judy said.
Other service groups including the Snohomish Lions Club and Snohomish Rotary Club will also volunteer during Kla Ha Ya Days events, volunteer coordinator Jim Garcia said. An additional 60 volunteers from organizations such as the Snohomish Boys and Girls Club and the Fire Explorers will also help make the weekend a success.
“I pitch it as home pride,” Garcia said. “It’s really a community effort. The residents are really proud to help.”
Kla Ha Ya Days is part of an introduction to the Snohomish area for Patrick Dellinger of Northern California and his family. They may move to the area and stopped by the carnival to let Caleb, 7, Gabrielle, 4, and Jeremiah, 10, ride the Octopus.
“We like the like the small-town environment and the friendly people who are here,” he said before following his children to go check out the bumper cars.
Amy Daybert: 425-339-3491; adaybert@heraldnet.com.
Kla Ha Ya Days
Kla Ha Ya Days runs today and Sunday in Snohomish. For a schedule of events go to www.klahayadays.com.
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