OROVILLE — Just as a person might find at any large street fair, downtown Oroville’s Salmon Festival had a wide range of activities and entertainment Saturday.
Attendees could enjoy a car show, live music, a square dancing demonstration, kayak trips, a benefit run, educational displays, and even “professional wrestling.” There were food, beverage and craft vendors, of course.
All of this to honor the Chinook salmon, a fish with a historically large population but one that has dwindled to the point of being endangered. The fish hatch in the river, swim out to the Pacific Ocean to spend their three-year lives, then return to the rivers to spawn. Chinook salmon are the largest species in the Pacific, weighing 30-40 pounds on average.
The festival celebrates the return of these majestic fish to the Feather River during their fall run of October through December, but due to the prolonged drought that only ended earlier this year, California wildlife officials canceled the fishing season in April in an effort to protect the salmon’s numbers.
That act of preservation had no effect on the enthusiasm attendees at Saturday’s festival demonstrated. Several blocks of downtown Oroville were closed to vehicular traffic to accommodate booths and exhibits. It was difficult to determine the number of attendees, due to there being no admission fee, but it appeared to be in the low thousands.
Slightly east of downtown, there was plenty of action at the Feather River Fish Hatchery, with access adjacent to the river on Table Mountain Boulevard. Wildlife experts from the California Department of Fish and Game hosted a table with a large display of preserved wild animals as well as pelts, skulls and antlers from others, along with informational material on all of them.
Specimens included rabbit, golden eagle, skunk and black bear, in addition to deer and elk antlers. There was a pelt from a mystery animal; Fish and Game biologist Chris Ronshausen said experts weren’t sure of the species, but thought it could be mink.
“We acquired these animals through a variety of methods,” Ronshausen said. “Some of them were victims of poaching, while we found others on the road and they were still in good shape.”
Emmett Allen, age 6, and his 4-year-old brother Caleb were intently studying the specimens along with their mother, Lisa.
The boys were impressed by the softness of the skunk’s fur, but that wasn’t Emmett’s favorite part of the display.
“I like the bear,” he said, pointing to the head with its menacing teeth visible. “That’s pretty cool.”
On the run
By 11 a.m., crowds of festivalgoers were beginning to swell downtown with Myers Street and Montgomery Street the epicenter of activities. Dozens of classic and restored cars had their hoods, trunks and doors open for public inspection. The blaze of dazzling color from their paint jobs attracted people who could also vote for their favorites, as organizers assigned each car an entry number.
A fun activity blended with a poignant theme at the Avie’s Place 3K Color Run on the levee just north of downtown. Entrants ran the 3-kilometer (1.86-mile) course in a fundraiser for Avie’s Place, a playground planned for a two-acre parcel at 3656 Oro-Bangor Highway south of Oroville.
At intervals during the run, race volunteers tossed colorful powders on entrants, who appeared to be covered in pastels by the time the event was over.
Plans call for not just any playground; it will be one that is fully compliant with the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), allowing easy access for children with any degree of disabilities or limited mobility.
Oroville residents Louie and Nicole Wallace have pushed for this type of accessible playground since their daughter, Avalynn — “Avie” — died in 2019 at age 7 following a three-year bout with acute myeloid leukemia. Both of her parents described the lack of truly accessible parks and playgrounds for children; efforts through the Avalynn’s Hope organization will one day alleviate this, they said.
“When we reach our target, Avie’s Place will be the only playground in the United States with a play structure accessible on multiple levels for children in wheelchairs,” the group’s informational literature says.
“We’ve had an architect create the plans,” Nicole Wallace explained, “and now we’re working to get the county on board.”
She added that “we hope to run programs (for children) through the park. There aren’t a lot of resources, but we want to have encouraging programs and increased awareness.”
Wallace said the group will soon obtain 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status, thus allowing them to apply for grants to help defray the cost — approximately $3 million for the entire project.
“If we had the money now, we’d be able to build the park in about a year,” Louie Wallace said.
The group’s web address is aviesplace.org.
Moves
Not far from the levee sits the Oroville Convention Center — formerly the Municipal Auditorium — and inside, a group of square dancers were demonstrating their skill to the call of Tim Merino.
Member Alan Mendoza said the Oroville Promenaders square dance club seeks new members, and showing off their folk dancing was a good way to do it.
John Crowston, another member, said the 30-member group meets at the Convention Center at 6 p.m. each Wednesday. He said the group has scheduled a 12- to 14-week class for starting dancers; it will cost each entrant $7 per week, or $75 for the entire session. Crowston said those interested can register at squaredancefun.com.
Enthusiasts of pro wrestling had a treat when the Pro Championship Wrestling bout between “El Chupacabra” — whose other stage name is “The Mexican Werewolf” — took the ring along with champion Rayshawn Prince, who arrived with his title belt on prominent display.
Fans cheered and jeered, as appropriate, when their favored contestant used leaps, kicks, punches and clothesline moves to impede the other.
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