Steamboat Pilot & Today

Yampa — Cowboys on horses playing polo using brooms for mallets.

It's one of the favorite events at Yampa's Fourth of July celebration, which may just be the best little summer secret in Routt County.

Kicking off the celebration at 1 p.m. Tuesday will be a parade that everyone is invited to walk in.

"All you have to do is show up at the (South Routt Elementary) school grounds at noon to get signed up," Linda Yackey said. Linda and her husband, Tom, have helped organize the event for 20 years.

Each child who walks in the parade will receive a gold dollar they can spend on the Fourth.

"We don't care if all they do is walk down the street, the kids will get a gold dollar," Yackey said.

Former Superintendent of Soroco schools, Bill Meek, and his wife, Sally, will be the marshals of the parade.

Prizes will be given for best float, best antique vehicle, best child's costume, best decorative bike and best horse and rider.

A volunteer band that has been practicing for a month will lead the parade down Moffat Avenue, guiding the line of people onto Main Street at Montgomery's General Store and stopping at the school.

Once the band is done leading the parade, the musicians will get in their cars and drive back to Moffat Avenue and march at the very end of the parade. That way, spectators can tell when the parade is over.

Expect to see a colorful assortment of people walking in the parade, including Ron Nielson and is calliope, which is an organ-like instrument that's played with the use of steam.

Immediately after the parade, lunch will be offered at the school grounds. A barbecue beef sandwich with beans and chips will be served for $4.50. Proceeds will go toward next year's Fourth of July celebration. Organizers make enough food for 500 people.

Booths and games will be set up at the school as well.

The games include old-time favorites, like the egg toss and three-legged race. Everyone is welcome to participate and the eggs will be provided.

The grand finale of the games at the school grounds is the tug-of-war. Locals organize teams to go against each other and, again, everyone is welcome to join the competition.

Ribbons will be given out to all the winners.

After the rope pulling, which is expected to be around 5 p.m., the festival moves back to Moffat Avenue. On the gravel street, teams of horse-backed locals go up against each other in a broom polo game.

"It gets kind of wild," Yackey said.

Trophies will be given to the winners.

After the polo game will be a horse race down Moffat Avenue.

"It's a great time," Yackey said. "I think everyone will have a lot of fun."

The festival then settles down until dark.

Once the sun is down, the Yampa Fire Department will put on a fireworks display. The firefighters shoot the fireworks from behind the Forest Service building and the best place to watch them is at Soroco Elementary School on Main Street.

"It's just a great day and we're getting bigger every year," Yackey said.

To reach Doug Crowl call 871-4206 or e-mail dcrowl@amigo.net