This June 17-20th, Emmett, ID will once again host it’s world famous, small town Cherry Festival. Some people have noticed over the last few years, however, that something is missing from the Festival. Something big.
I don’t know about you, but when I hear the words “cherry festival,” I imagine main street Emmett bedecked with red ribbons and garlands and booths set up with bakers and farmers, all offering everything you can think of made with cherries: all varieties of cherry pies and cakes and tarts, cherry shortcake, cherry shortbread, cherry jams, cherry ice cream being churned right there by a local kid. I see stands with cherry lemonade, cherry soda, cherry snow cones, EVERYTHING that summer brings but made with delicious, juicy Emmett cherries! And crates and crates of actual cherries. It’s usually quite hot this time of year, so all of these things are very refreshing as one wanders through the booths sampling this and that. There may also be a craft booth or two; somebody selling jewelry or the local 4H chapter scout talking to kids about the program. All of this compliments the early morning parade and crowning of the Cherry Festival queen – a local teen. This is what myself and many other Idahoans picture when we see the adverts for the Festival.
This vision is not, in fact, what greets us upon arrival to the city park. I’ll let the song below explain what has actually become of the longtime local summer tradition, but in a nutshell: it ain’t your grandmother’s cherry festival. It’s a kind of ‘carnival’ I guess you’d say – and a shabby, sticky one at that. There’s lots of fried food and fried people; the heat and the heavy food do not mix well. I seem to recall some games with prizes. I definitely recall not enough places to sit to eat and none of it in the shade. The food is all high-priced, so bring wads of cash. That’s after the $50 entrance fee. Also, I could have been in any town in the USA. Very little was unique to Emmett. I know there are still cherry orchards in and around Emmet. Not as many orchards as twenty years ago, but they still exist. So why do we now have a street fair cum carnival that appears to have been trucked in from Las Vegas or California and features no cherries? I’ve heard talk that it has to do with D&B taking over major sponsorship of the Festival. This was their big idea. If you do attend, talk to some locals and ask them what they think. It could very well be what the people want. I’ll take a return to the Festivals of yesteryear any day over the current set-up, but that’s just me.
Here is the song I wrote about it for your enjoyment. All in good fun! It’s an inspired nod to the 1923 novelty song “Yes! We Have No Bananas” performed best by Louis Prima. Be sure to visit my YouTube channel Invasive Steve where I post all my songs and music videos. And be sure to attend the Cherry Festival. I hear the fried Oreos are really something special.
And here is an MP3 version of No Cherries Please! as requested:
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