While searching through the museum’s archives for 50 years of Fiesta Days history, Genise Hunter of Frazier Park discovered that “the Pokey” was an early tradition created by the founders of the annual three-day community festival that began in 1968.

August 4, 5, 6 this year mark the 50th Anniversary of Fiesta Days. The goal from the beginning was to bring people together in the first weekend of August for crazy fun—while raising funds for emergency medical care in the Mountain Communities. The Mountain Memories Association (MMA) produces the annual community party.

Between the big pet show on Friday, Aug. 4, the parade on Saturday, Aug. 5 and the famous log-sawing and horseshoe contests on Sunday, Aug. 6, you’ll find sack races, nonstop music, fiesta food, a diaper derby, craft vendors, family reunions, a carnival and children’s rides.

Fifty years ago, in the days when the event was still called Fiesta “Daze,” those who did not dress up in wild west costumes were held prisoner in the Pokey until they paid up to get out.

The money raised by MMA brought the first ambulance service here, and later subsidized Hall Ambulance to keep an ambulance in Frazier Park. See more of the famous Pokey resurrection on page 7.

—Patric Hedlund

Photo captions:

(l-r) JJ Reina, Albert Coonrod and Matt Verdon are cooking up a Fiesta Days surprise.

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This is part of the July 28, 2017 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.

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