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Bring Back Sierra Mountaineer Days

Gwen DunnOAKHURST — If you’re someone who talks about the “good ol’ days” when the whole town celebrated local heritage together and nobody wanted to miss it, you can plan to attend a meeting on Thursday, May 19, and share in the vision to bring back Sierra Mountaineer Days.

Gwen Dunn, formerly Gwen Lopez, is determined to do just that. She’s the chair for the 20th Anniversary this year of Mountain Heritage Days, set to take place Friday and Saturday, Sept. 16 – 17.

“I grew up as a teenager in Oakhurst and Bass Lake in the 1970s,” explains Gwenn. “I’m a Sierra Mountaineer Days girl and now I want to do some things from the past that haven’t been done in a long time. It was a lot of fun and I remember the kind of feelings it brought to me each year. Those are the feelings I want to bring back!”

This year’s theme for the 20th anniversary of the event is “Saving the past, for the future,” and Gwen says that refers to the historic 1800s, as well as Sierra Mountaineer Days, and the past 19 years of Mountain Heritage Days.

Mountain Heritage Days Parade 2013 - Everyone loves a parade - Photo by Kellie Flanagan“If you remember this time and want to live it again, please join the community in helping me and our team put this great event together. It’s going to be a family event, and we’ll have many things for children to do. We have about three months to put this all together.”

Volunteers are critical to the success of the reboot, and that starts with the first meeting scheduled for Thursday, May 19, at Fresno Flats Historic Park in the library room at 5:30 p.m.

Specifically, at this time, the committee is looking for a dunk tank, a mechanical bull, and a kitchen supervisor who is accredited in safe handling of food.

Our next meetings are Thursday May 19, 2016 and Tuesday May 31, at 5:30 p.m. in the library building at Fresno Flats. Please contact me if you would like to chat about this event and let me know what you can offer to help make it a success for the mountain communities.

Mountain_Heritage_Days_Parade_2013_-_Yosemite_National_Park_Mounted_Patrol_-_Photo_by_Kellie_Flanagan.jpg“I am asking everyone to stick with me and let’s make this year one of the best we can have. In doing this, we will be ‘saving the past, for the future.’ It’s going to take the community to pull it off. Hope to see you there!”

For more information contact Gwen Dunn,  (559) 265-2608, stampindun@sbcglobal.net, or fresnoflatsmuseum@sti.net

Gwen Dunn is the Fresno Flats Historic Museum and Park Event Coordinator, and Sierra Historic Sites Association Secretary of the Board/Membership Coordinator, and Mountain Heritage Days Chairwoman

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