Rangely

A brief history of 35 years of Septemberfest fun

ph-sfest-carshow
Check out hot rods, classic cars, vintage automobiles, and a plethora of cool vehicles during the auto show at Elks Park Sunday.
RANGELY I Over the course of its 35-year-plus history, Septemberfest has evolved in unforeseen and often colorful ways.

And, as long-running events in a community tend to do, the event’s history and past have begun to take on subtle qualities of legend, with people remembering aspects of it differently from one another.
Which only, in the humble opinion of this reviewer, lends the thing more interest and fun.
When the event officially began, for instance, is a matter of good-natured contention. Well-known local Barbara Wade maintains that Rangely’s first Septemberfest launched as early as 1976, when she and Flossie Eddy took it on.
Local historian Bob Haag and longtime Rangely Town Manager Don Peach recall its originating in the early 1980s, with Rangely Area Independence Days (RAID) and bicentennial events happening in the late 1970s.
Whatever the case, one of the richest periods of Septemberfest’s existence evolved as Wade and Eddy chaired the event and then, after Eddy moved to Grand Junction, as Rangely resident Brenda Ahrens took on added responsibility.
“Why did I do it? I did it because it was fun,” Wade said. “Flossie and I had a ball doing it.”
In the 1980s, Rangely’s town square was the center of much Septemberfest action. It was where dances and entertainment happened, complete with a stage built next to the library for performers.
It was also where town trivia and Septemberfest’s “challenge nights” took place.
“You would pay $1 to challenge somebody to do things, like dancing the hula,” Wade recalled. “I remember once the mayor had to push his wife down Main Street in a wheelbarrow. We used to say the police would come and bring you there if you’d been challenged and didn’t show up.”
Local doctors rose to the challenge of riding stick horses while singing “Rhinestone Cowboy,” Wade said, while town officials occasionally submitted to pies in the face. Rarely did anyone fail to accept or carry out a challenge.
An established Septemberfest tradition until the event changed hands in the early 2000s was the Elks Park Talent Show, which featured an Ace West semi-truck trailer as the stage for performers of all ages (but mostly singers). Local high school instructor Mildred Sims would lead audiences in “The Rangely Song” to commence the show, another tradition that has since died out.
Ahrens and Wade spent plenty of time asking for donations locally and in nearby towns for prize giveaways or contest awards.
“Helping plan Septemberfest was definitely worth it,” Ahrens said. “For one, I enjoyed working with Barbara Wade because she’s such a character. And, of course, (daughter) Miranda sang (at the talent shows), so I was involved anyway. I figured I might as well help out.”
Parades have long been part of the Septemberfest mix, and for years, they began with resident Wayne Nickson singing the Star-Spangled Banner via loudspeaker. Horses were always first to lead the charge down Main Street, but that changed after participants requested to be in front of the inevitable droppings.
On Labor Day, high school teenage girls would answer interview questions and perform a talent before one of them would be crowned Septemberfest’s Miss Rangely (one of whom was Wade’s own daughter, Cheri). On that day, too, the winner of the locally voted-on Prettiest Baby Contest won accolades.
And there’s more: over the years, rodeos, demolition derbies and firefighters’ hose competitions have all had their place in Septemberfest, Peach said. One tradition that has endured over the decades Peach admits he came up with: the Sunday afternoon ice cream social.
“There were all kinds of events that people took on their own and added,” Peach said. “A lot of volunteers and groups have contributed over time.”
Above all, Wade and Ahrens recall the strong sense of community that accompanied Septemberfest during its evolution in those early years.
“That was all the fun of it,” Wade said.

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  • It's that time again! Another edition of great local news stories is 
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  • It’s getting late, do you know where your kids are? Read all the Rio Happenings for this week in print or online at ht1885.com.
  • Mormon crickets have hatched near Rangely. They were all sighted on BLM land north of Hwy. 64 near the junction of CR 96 and CR 1, down a dirt road near the Moffat County line.  The picture shown was taken yesterday by Mary Meinen from Rangely. She says the crickets are about the size of a ladybug (less than 1/2”). Some of them are actually yellow in color but most of them are darker. They are milling around and getting ready to start moving soon. Note: Photo is not to scale.
Rio Blanco County and the White River and Douglas Creek Conservation Districts are still asking for your help to identify additional hatch-outs of crickets so that control efforts can be put in place. The success of the program will highly depend upon local landowners and the public helping to locate crickets as soon as they hatch.  See last week’s paper for a list of ways to help or contact the County Weed & Pest District at 970-878-9670 or the Conservation District office at 970-878-9838 with any questions. Website: www.WhiteRiverCD.com
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It's that time again! Another edition of great local news stories is 
🐰 Hopping 🐰 your way this morning! Catch up on everything thats 🐣 hatching 🐣 in Rio Blanco County this week.
Need a copy? Signing up is fast and easy! Visit our website at ht1885.com/subscribe to get a copy sent to your door every week! 
We appreciate all your continued support!
It's that time again! Another edition of great local news stories is 🐰 Hopping 🐰 your way this morning! Catch up on everything thats 🐣 hatching 🐣 in Rio Blanco County this week. Need a copy? Signing up is fast and easy! Visit our website at ht1885.com/subscribe to get a copy sent to your door every week! We appreciate all your continued support!
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It’s getting late, do you know where your kids are? Read all the Rio Happenings for this week in print or online at ht1885.com.
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Rio Blanco County and the White River and Douglas Creek Conservation Districts are still asking for your help to identify additional hatch-outs of crickets so that control efforts can be put in place. The success of the program will highly depend upon local landowners and the public helping to locate crickets as soon as they hatch.  See last week’s paper for a list of ways to help or contact the County Weed & Pest District at 970-878-9670 or the Conservation District office at 970-878-9838 with any questions. Website: www.WhiteRiverCD.com
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A crew from the Flat Tops Chapter of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation joined forces last summer to remove obsolete fences to improve habitat for wildlife. Read the full story and the foundation’s update from their 30th Anniversary meeting in this week’s edition and online at ht1885.com.
A crew from the Flat Tops Chapter of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation joined forces last summer to remove obsolete fences to improve habitat for wildlife. Read the full story and the foundation’s update from their 30th Anniversary meeting in this week’s edition and online at ht1885.com.
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