Pocatello, Bannock County, ISU to join 65th annual Chubbuck Days
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CHUBBUCK – Community leaders from across the Portneuf Valley plan to display a show of unity by taking part in Chubbuck’s biggest celebration of the year.
On Saturday, a number of officials from the city of Pocatello and Bannock County will march in the Chubbuck Days parade, a departure from previous years where primarily only Chubbuck city officials attended. Also for the first time in recent memory, Chubbuck will have many of its city departments running booths at the festival later in the afternoon.
“Whether you’ve lived here for years or are new to Chubbuck, Chubbuck Days is a great chance to come together, have fun, and celebrate what makes our community so special,” said Chubbuck Mayor Rodney Burch in a written statement.
Municipal Services Director Kami Berger, who is organizing the Chubbuck Days festivities, said the cities and counties joining together for the parade is really a continuation of what the new mayors of Chubbuck and Pocatello have been trying to do since they took office.
“(Mayor Burch) and Mayor (Mark) Dahlquist both are really focused on being a united front. They have made an effort to attend all the community events together jointly,” Berger said.
As such, Burch invited Dahlquist and the Pocatello City Council to join them for the parade, Berger said. Additionally, Burch invited the Bannock County commissioners and Idaho State University President Robert Wagner to join the parade.
This isn’t the first year that a Pocatello city official has attended Chubbuck Days in an official capacity. Marlise Irby-Facer, spokesperson for Pocatello, said in a written message that former Mayor Brian Blad attended Chubbuck Days “years ago.” Although not sure on what year it was, Irby-Facer said it was before she was hired in March 2022.
Dahlquist will not be able to attend because he is on his first planned vacation since becoming mayor, scheduled prior to the invitation, but other officials will be joining the time-honored Chubbuck tradition.
Chubbuck Days first began 66 years ago, in the summer of 1960. Due to Chubbuck Days being canceled in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, this is the 65th year of the celebration.
“I can’t speak to the intent behind Chubbuck Days in 1960, but … it really is just about bringing the community together. … (And) just having a reason to get together. Be with one another, show support for our businesses, and just a sense of pride in where we live,” Berger said.
The festivities will kick off with a free family movie at Stuart Park, sponsored by Simplot, where families can sit out on the grass and watch a movie together right as the sun sinks below the horizon. This year, Chubbuck will be showing “Hoppers,” a Pixar film that came to theaters in March of this year.
The next morning, the festivities will continue with the parade, which will start at 10 a.m. The parade will begin in the area of the west entrance to the Pine Ridge Mall, on Hawthorne Road, and then will turn left onto West Chubbuck Road, eventually ending at Independence Avenue.
Directly following the parade, the Chubbuck Days festival at Cotant Park will take place, starting at 11 a.m.
Among the 66 vendors tabling this year, the city will have four booths set up, for the mayor and City Council, public works department, police department and fire department.
Berger called this a chance for citizens to see the, “actual faces of people that work in the city, not just someone that’s on the phone or behind a desk.”
The police department plans to run a dunk tank for its officers.
The fire department won’t do the Fireman’s Rain event due to ongoing water mitigation efforts, but it will have activities set up and interact with the public.
The booth run by the Public Works Department will be answering questions from the public on topics such as utility bills and water rates, sanitation services, street projects and more, and they’ll also be offering some giveaways. The mayor and City Council will promote the city’s budget book, new this year, where the public can learn about the city budget in a digestible format.
“We’ve never published a budget book before, and we put a lot of time and effort into it this year. … I’m really excited for people to see it and be able to ask questions about our budget,” Berger said.
Burch said all were welcome to join the Chubbuck Days festivities.
“We invite everyone to join us at the parade and festival to enjoy connecting with friends and neighbors, and make lasting memories,” Burch said.