$1.25
your homegrown newspaper August 2, 2023
Vol. 19, No. 46
Ronan pg. 9
Training pg. 12
SUMMER GODDARD / VALLEY JOURNAL
Flathead Cherry Festival packs Polson’s Main Street By Taylor Davison Valley Journal
Car show pg. 14
POLSON — The Flathead Cheery Festival returned to downtown Polson last week to bring everyone out for one of the biggest events of the summer. Held for over 20
years, this year’s festival dedicated Main Street to hand crafted goods and cherry products brought in by members of the community. Put on this year in cooperation between the Polson Business Community and the Polson Chamber of Commerce, organiz-
er CarolLynn Lapotka said a quarter of all the vendors were new to the event. While some people were concerned this year’s early harvest might interfere with the festivities, Lapotka was happy to report this was not the case. There were plenty of cherries to go around.
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Event organizers obtained a special Tourism Events Grant from the Department of Tourism for this year’s festival. Grant funds helped offset promotion costs, allowing organizers the financial freedom to try to draw in as many people as possible.
While Main Street was lined with crafts and cherries, Fourth Avenue was filled with commercial and nonprofit vendors sharing their achievements. For the first time, Third Avenue accommodated two additional food
see page 2