Granite Area Arts Council Last week, our community-member board and staff interviewed four finalists for Granite Falls’s 2022 artist residency. At the risk of sounding cheesy, the conversations were as sparkling as the river. One candidate, a smalltown resident personally and professionally interested in touring little cities with vibrant arts scenes, told us, “[Granite Falls] is exactly e where I want to go g next.” Plus, most of the t artists seemed – if not y eager – at least willing to work with sock puppets, y and pleasantly curious - about the river squid. e Once the winning art d

Thursday afternoon, the annual kids fishing contest was held at Rice Park as a part of the Western Fest activities. Following the fishing contest was a watermelon feed and face painting.

On Tuesday, July 12th, the annual Garden Tour Fundraiser hosted by the Living at Home Block Nurse program will be held from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. The event is held each year featuring gardens and landscapes of local green thumbs. This year’s gardens featured will be Beth Fellers gardens at 565 Terrace Drive, and Curt and Paula Soine’s gardens at 530 Prentice Street.

Janessa Bakkelund and Jenna Weir are crowned Western Fest Princesses for 2022. Photo by Cynthia Christians Western Fest Queen Justine Angulo and Princess Emily Pederson give the crowd a wave after they are crowned.