Celebrate the birth of Idaho on March 4
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IDAHO FALLS — Eastern Idaho will get a chance to look at its history during Idaho Day on March 4.
The annual event commemorates the day President Abraham Lincoln created the Territory of Idaho. To mark the day, the Bonneville County Heritage Association is hosting a celebration at the Colonial Theater and they are inviting the community to come and participate.
“The theme this year is ‘Downtown Memories,’” BCHA President Ann Rydalch says.
Rydalch says the event will be packed with activities and presentations including the highlight — a short film showing the development of the Idaho Falls “Downtown” from the 1880s up to World War II.
The event will begin at 6 p.m. and the program starts at 7 p.m. During that hour contest entries from local K-12 students will be on display. Rydalch says some categories for the students include handwriting, essays, poems, music compositions, live presentations and digital mapping. There are over 200 contest entries.
“(During the) evening we recognize and give cash awards to the winners,” Rydalch says.
Prior to the program’s start time, there will also be a silent auction. At some point during the event, a combined choir of 100 students from Westside and Dora Erickson elementary schools will perform a musical performance.
Each year the BCHA awards what they call Heritage Heroes voted on by the association’s members. Those selected to be honored this year are the Idaho National Laboratory for 70 years of research and innovation. Another one is Doug Andrus Distributing that’s served the community for 80 years. Rydalch says the Colonial and Paramount Theaters are being honored for 100 years of service and fun, as well as the Bank of Commerce for providing 60 years of dedicated service.
“We hope that by encouraging people to get acquainted with the county heritage that they will also learn about their own heritage and their own families and record and write those histories as well,” Rydalch says.
Rydalch says the event does not commemorate a legal holiday. In 2014 the Idaho Legislature established the day as to encourage counties and cities to honor the birth of Idaho.
“I think it’s important for (people) to learn about our Idaho Heritage and our county heritage… that’s how we learn how to touch the past and embrace the future so to speak,” Rydalch says. “It’s really a family event and we encourage everyone to attend this free event.”