Proceeds helped Olga Community Club and the new park

All roads led to Olga July 16, where the little village on the eastern edge of Orcas Island welcomed hundreds of visitors, many of them from Orcas, plus others who came from much farther away to reconnect to this special place or merely to have a good time.

Most ended up taking part in the parade, because they didn't have much choice. The sign greeting those to the celebration said it all: "Olga Daze Parade. No theme. No sign-up. No observers. Come. You're in it!" Among those who got the message were the Olga Symphony, the Odd Fellows and pony riders Cheyenne Stolmeier and Abby Sale. Longtime Olga resident Jane Barfoot rode in the parade's only float, which was covered with flowers, and contained the sign "Flower Child."

Olga Daze is more than a celebration, it's also a fundraiser. Traditionally, all of the proceeds from the bake, food, yard sales and more went to the upkeep and maintenance of the Olga Community Club building. But this year some of the funds will be shared with Olga's new community park which, under the leadership of Chris Morris, has been cleared and is in the process of becoming a place that entire families will be able to enjoy.

Revenues from Olga Daze have continued to climb since the first celebration back in 1993, said Fran McMillan, while making donuts for the annual bake sale. The initial Olga Daze raised about $1,000, while last year's event brought in approximately $1,650. Given the fact that there were more vendors than ever before at Saturday's Olga Daze, the proceeds likely neared $2,000, MacMillan said.

The Olga community held parades long before 1993, according to another longtime resident, Betty Marcum. She remembers seeing her father riding his tractor in Olga back in 1981. In those days, however, other groups sponsored the festivities.

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