Hundreds of people filled the Woodward downtown Saturday for the annual Friends and Neighbors Day celebrations.
Festivities began Friday night, with a church supper at the Christian Church, a golf cart parade at the golf course and a teen dance at the fire station sponsored by Minburn Communications.
Saturday’s activities were heavily weighted toward food and fun, including dozens of vendors along Main Street, an arm-wrestling contest, car show, inflatables and bags tournament for the kids, the Little Miss Woodward Pageant, a pie auction and raffle and many other activities, all topped off with a band from 7-11 p.m. and fireworks at 9:45 p.m.
Grand Marshals of this year’s Friends and neighbors Day Parade were Troy Janssen, his wife, Melaine Whitlatch Janssen, and their daughter, Greta. Troy is co-chair of the Woodward Friends and Neighbors Day Committee and has led the revival of the Woodward Future Farmers of America program.
Melaine lured 50 vendors to this year’s Friends and Neighbors Day, and she is also active in youth little league and the local Girl Scouts of the United States troupe.
Greta brings a child’s perspective to the planning of events.
“It looks like we missed the rain,” said Woodward Mayor Brian Devick, announcer for the 11 a.m. parade, “but we’re in for the heat.”
