It's a family affair — and all are invited to be part of the family at Amboy Territorial Days

The logging show at Amboy Territorial Days features 10 events including the Jack and Jill Double Buck competition. This is the 49th year the logging show has been held, said Amboy Territorial Days volunteer Nancy Buckbee. (Files/The Columbian)

Lane Columbian files Axe-throwing is part of the logging show at Amboy Territorial Days. Contestants for the show come from throughout Oregon and Washington. Amboy Territorial Days volunteer Nancy Buckbee said stars from the History Channel’s TV show “Ax Men” will attend the festival this year. (Steven)

Nancy Buckbee Amboy Territorial Days parade chairwoman

Nancy Buckbee

To keep a community festival going for nearly 50 years, with all volunteers, in a small town, there have to be people involved like Amboy Territorial Days parade chairwoman Nancy Buckbee.

Buckbee, 64, has coordinated the parade for 15 years, and her daughter's family, led by Carrie and Cliff Campbell, help run the festival's logging show. Two of her three granddaughters have been Territorial Days queen, and the third, Carissa Campbell, is in the running for the crown this year.

So this year's theme, "Family Traditions," is not just an empty slogan. And it isn't just one family doing all the work this weekend, Buckbee said, listing other names heavily involved — Suttons, Williamses, Browns.

Together, the dozens of families as well as the individuals volunteering to organize Amboy Territorial Days create one of the signature events of the Clark County year. It features an array of entertainment — free unless otherwise noted — such as:

-- A logging show, 1 p.m. July 11, with 10 events, including axe-throwing, log-rolling and double bucking. Admission is $5.

-- "Amboy Idol," like the popular television show "American Idol," only featuring local talent, with preliminary rounds at noon and 3:30 p.m. July 11, followed by the finals at 7:15 p.m.

-- Lawnmower drag races, 7 p.m. July 10, and lawnmower races, at noon July 12, with customized grass-cutters. Admission is $5.

-- Amboy Territorial Days queen's coronation, at 6:15 p.m. July 10. This year's court of 14 eighth-graders is the largest yet, with the winner to be chosen according to the number of raffle tickets the girl sells.

-- A parade through town, 10 a.m. July 11, with about 80 entries.

-- Open mikes and musical entertainment, including country singer Tim Hadler, who performs at noon July 12.

-- And a Native American drumming circle to end the festivities at 1 p.m. Sunday.

The celebration takes place in picturesque Amboy Territorial Park, among old-growth cedars, 12 miles north of Battle Ground.

Buckbee said she's already looking forward to the 50th annual event next year and the special activities that are planned to commemorate that achievement. But she acknowledges not looking much further into the future of the festivities.

"It's easy to get burned out on this volunteer stuff," she said. "It's not like a big honor. It's more like one volunteer passing down the work to another, one member of a family getting other relatives involved."

She added, "It's just our local community festival. We're loyal to it. We would never want it to go down. But we wouldn't mind some more help."