Freedom Fest: Fun, Fantastic, and Freedom Promoting

Despite competition from the Navajo Fair in Window Rock, and BYU-Utah football games, the Freedom Fest show went on Saturday night (9th), and Tim Gates and his great band brought their A game to Blanding. They performed a great variety of Tim's original songs, plus old favorites.

Tim Gates, of Richfield, Utah...making it big in Nashville, and in
Blanding, with his band, and wonderful writing skills. Thanks for coming.

Saylor Perkins, 1st place in the Freedom Fest Essay Contest.  Jim Keyes Master of Ceremonies for the evening
Both did great.  (Link to her Essay)

Freedom Fest Chairman, Kim Henderson, with
Marjorie Haun, Free Range Report
Editor. Both these Warriors are Public Lands Patriots.

It was a perfect evening for an outdoor concert.  

 "Matt Anderson, Devin Bayles Hancock, and Marjorie Haun ...ALL traveled for hours to attend #sanjuanfreedomfest.... Susan Flavel stayed until long after the crowds had left to help clean up... Love these folks." Nicole Perkins

Pre-show performers included Magnetic Pull, a local native/rock band composed of Dennis Kaniatobe Sr., Dennis Johnson Kaniatobe II, and Travis Mose.

The Grayson Girls also performed:  Beverly Brown Felstead, Cheryl Arthur Bowers, Gayle Perkins Shumway, Terri Card, Emma Holliday, and Keileigh Card Gilson.

Which prize do you want to win?  There were 13 choices, and 15 prizes.

Thanks to your generous support and to these ladies and Wendy Black, we raised over $2000 in ticket donations over the past 3 weeks.  Congratulations to the following winners:

1. Furniture 2U~~Console  $300 value: Owners David and Tifani Black --Winner William Brown

2. NuSkin Gift Basket  $250    Winner Wendy Black

3. Kay Shumway photograph $135   Winner Joel Tate

4. Massage by Lindsay Palmer Smith $50 -- winner Saleta Pugh Lusko, Hanksville 

5. 2 sets Local History/ Bob McPherson  $35 each, winners Leoni Hunt and Kendra Mander

6. Cowboy Country Photograph by Colleen Tibbetts-Moab -- Winner Jerry Murdock

7. Phone Skope (hunter special) -- Winner Camber Hancock

8. Fabric Art Bears Ears/$150 value by Devin Bayles Hancock -- Winner Jolly Bayles

9. Seven Issues Blue Mt. Shadows $77--Winner Mike Jensen

10. Canyonland Lodging Overnight, 2 nights for 1, Value $135--Winner Tymra Butt

11.  Antique Patriotic Quilt $300, quilted by Gayle Shumway--Winner Summer Begay

12. Browning A Bolt 300 Mg Winchester Rifle, $700 value donated by Sean Giddings and Mike Lacy -- Winner Merlin Grover  

13.  2 Electronic kid's cars donated by R.C. Willey -- Winners Alyn Mitchell and Doug Card

An honor guard was part of the program which recognized
patriot and soldier, Aaron Butler, who gave all.

Jerry Murdock recited The Ragged Old Flag.

Johnny Cash Lyrics:  "Ragged Old Flag"

I walked through a county courthouse square
On a park bench, an old man was sittin' there.
I said, "Your old court house is kinda run down,
He said, "Naw, it'll do for our little town".
I said, "Your old flag pole is leaned a little bit,
And that's a ragged old flag you got hangin' on it".
He said, "Have a seat", and I sat down,
"Is this the first time you've been to our little town"
I said, "I think it is"
He said "I don't like to brag, but we're kinda proud of
That Ragged Old Flag

"You see, we got a little hole in that flag there,
When Washington took it across the Delaware.
and It got powder burned the night Francis Scott Key sat watching it,
writing "Say Can You See"
It got a rip in New Orleans, with Packingham & Jackson
tugging at its seams.
and It almost fell at the Alamo
beside the Texas flag,
But she waved on though.
She got cut with a sword at Chancellorsville,
And she got cut again at Shiloh Hill.
There was Robert E. Lee and Beauregard and Bragg,
And the south wind blew hard on
That Ragged Old Flag

"On Flanders Field in World War I,
She got a big hole from a Bertha Gun,
She turned blood red in World War II
She hung limp, and low, a time or two,
She was in Korea, Vietnam, She went where she was sent
by her Uncle Sam.
She waved from our ships upon the briny foam
and now they've about quit wavin' back here at home
in her own good land here She's been abused,
She's been burned, dishonored, denied an' refused,
And the government for which she stands
Has been scandalized throughout out the land.
And she's getting thread bare, and she's wearin' thin,
But she's in good shape, for the shape she's in.
Cause she's been through the fire before
and i believe she can take a whole lot more.

"So we raise her up every morning
And we bring her down slow every night,
We don't let her touch the ground,
And we fold her up right.
On second thought
I *do* like to brag
Cause I'm mighty proud of
That Ragged Old Flag"

                            Ariel Bellvalaire, the guitar rocker/ singer with the Tim Gates Band.

Ariel's video promo

                              Thanks Tim Gates for a terrific evening!  

A BIG THANKS to our Freedom Fest Sponsors

We couldn't have done it without your help

1. MAIN STREET DRUG AND BOUTIQUE - Monticello, UT 2. CRUMP REESE - Chevy Buick Ford - Moab, UT 3. BLUE MOUNTAIN HORSEHEAD INN - Monticello, UT 4. SAN JUAN COUNTY 5. DR. JOSEPH WILSON AND ORTHODONTICS, INC 6. SPORTSMAN FOR FISH AND WILDLIFE 7. SAN JUAN COUNTY FARM BUREAU 8. ENERGY FUELS - Blanding, UT 9. SUPER SPLASH CAR WASH - Blanding, UT 10. HOLIDAY CONSTRUCTION - Blanding, UT 11. DT’S YARD AND TREES - Blanding, UT 12. CITY OF BLANDING 13. PHIL LYMAN, CPA - Blanding, UT 14. LONG CANYON RANCH and Kathleen and Allen Lund

"United We Stand” Theme for San Juan County Freedom Fest September 9

Listen to Tim Gates Video 

“United We Stand:  Local Voices for Public Lands“ is the theme of this year’s San Juan County Freedom Fest being held Sept. 9 at the San Juan High School (Blanding, Utah) football practice field.  Chairwoman, Kim Henderson, emphasized, “No matter what side of land issues you are on, or what side of the mountain you are from, we want everyone to come and unitedly enjoy an evening of great entertainment and sociability.  We hope to have people from other counties, and even states, come and join us.  Invite your friends and family from other places.”  

 The event begins 4 PM and offers a full slate of entertainment, food and craft booths, concessions, and 10 great raffle prizes. Local performers include Native American dancers, The Magpies (Beverly Felstead, Terri Card, Kaleigh Gilson, Cheryl Bowers, Emma Holliday, and Gayle Shumway), and Magnetic Pull, "the best in Native Rock" from Blanding, Utah.  The group includes Dennis Kaniatobe Sr. on keyboard, lead guitar and vocals; Travis Moses -percussion and Native Flute, and Dennis Kaniatobe II, Lead and Bass guitar. Darren Parry of the NW Shoshone tribe, will be a guest speaker.

The main performance begins about 8 PM featuring Tim Gates, lead singer in a Nashville trio called Due West.  Gates is also a member of the Nashville Tribute Band, which has performed in San Juan County several times.  Attendees need to bring their own chairs or blankets.

Vendors Needed

Anyone interested in setting up artisan, food, or product booths should call Nicole Perkins before August 21. 435-485-0214. There is a $25 charge; however, two concert tickets will be provided to each booth. 

Freedom Fest Writing Contest

In preparation for Freedom Fest students in grades 3-8 are encouraged to enter the Unity writing contest.  There are two different brackets: grades 3-5, and grades 6-8.  The essays will be judged on development of the theme, “United We Stand.”  Winners will be announced the night of Freedom Fest, and first place winners will be invited to read their essays. Students do NOT have to live in San Juan County to participate.