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Plans coming together for 54th AFAD
The 54th annual Air Force Appreciation Day in Mountain Home -- the community's largest celebration -- kicks off the morning of Sept. 6.
The event is designed to honor the men and women stationed at Mountain Home Air Force Base and to recognize all uniformed members of the U.S. armed forces.
The main events feature the state's largest parade followed by a free barbecue and entertainment in Carl Miller Park.
Events actually begin the evening prior with the annual corn shucking to prepare the corn for the free barbecue in the park the following day. The public is invited to take part in the activity on Sept. 5, which starts at 6 p.m.
At the same time, the annual commander's social is also held at the park that evening, in addition to the AFAD Fun Run and Walk.
Celebrating its 21st anniversary this year, the race begins at 6:30 p.m. at Carl Miller Park and follows a course through town that is monitored by police for safety. The course stretches three miles for walkers with a five-mile option for runners.
The cost to enter the race is $30, and people may register online by going to www.mountainhomechamber.com. For details, call Keyra Elmo at 344-5502, extension 262.
Festivities on AFAD day itself, Sept. 6, begin with an invitation-only VIP breakfast at 8:30 a.m. at War Memorial Hall, 515 East 2nd South St. The event is by invitation only.
For the first time in years, the AFAD parade will not begin with a military aircraft flyover. The local Air Force base and the Idaho Air National Guard are currently restricted from these types of performances due to ongoing budget constraints outlined in sequestration.
Meanwhile, the Warhawk Air Museum in Nampa also was unable to support this year's flyover like it did in 2013.
The parade, which officially begins at 10:30 a.m., will wind its way from Paul's Market through the city's downtown area before it concludes at Carl Miller Park.
John Gross, a volunteer who worked behind the scenes at each AFAD celebration over the past 20 years, will serve as this year's parade grand marshal.
As of Monday, more than 60 entries had already registered to be part of the AFAD procession. Each year, an estimated 2,000 citizens walk, ride and march in the state's largest parade. Another 7,000 or more people are expected to line the streets to watch the parade, many of them waving tiny American flags or dressed in red-white-and-blue outfits.
The deadline to enter floats or vehicles in the parade was Friday, although organizers usually make accommodations for late entries.
AFAD Parade Chairman Sue Gross noted the parade is not arranged on a first come, first served basic.
"It is an orchestrated event," she said. "We spread out floats, decorative displays and awesome equipment throughout the whole parade -- start to finish. Everyone wants to be in the front of the parade and has good reasons for their request. However, to be an entertaining parade, you have to place entries in a fashion that viewers see interesting entries coming towards them to the very end.
"The final entry is just as important as the first," she added. "When viewers start seeing the animal entries, another of the highlights of the parade, they are excited all over again -- and virtually everyone stays in place until the Famous Pooper Scoopers pass them."
As soon as the parade ends, activities move to Carl Miller Park where more than 100 vendors will set up booths, offering everything from food to arts and crafts to games. More than 10,000 individuals typically show up to enjoy the festivities throughout the afternoon.
In addition to the entertainment, people line up for the free barbecue, which features pulled beef sandwiches, corn and more. The meal begins as soon as the parade ends, roughly around noon.
AFAD organizers request that dogs and other pets not be brought to the park.
During the afternoon events, the Chamber also begins raffling off a number of items donated by local businesses. AFAD raffle tickets are $1 each or six for $5.
Tickets are available in advance at the Mountain Home Chamber of Commerce, Paul's Market, La Mode Cleaners, Mountain Home News, Bank of the Cascades and Idaho Independent Bank. People may also buy them at the chamber booth in Carl Miller Park on Saturday.
Raffle prizes include a $1,500 shopping spree from Ageless Beauty, a natural gas barbecue from Intermountain Gas, a set of luggage from Brenda's Travel Service, a 32-inch LCD television from the Bank of the Cascades, two $250 cash prizes, a one-night stay and dinner for two at Cactus Pete's, a tool set from Lowe's and a Paula Deen cookware set from Bealls.
AFAD is an event that is almost legendary throughout the Air Force, according to the event's organizers. From humble stop-and-start beginnings, it has grown to become the community's largest event.
Run by the Mountain Home Chamber of Commerce, it takes hundreds of volunteers to put it on, a coordinating committee that has to deal with thousands of details to make it work, combined with the wholehearted support of businesses and individuals throughout the community, officials added.