A Molly B'Damn good time
Courtesy photo Fran Bates (wearing the hat in the center) was named Molly Queen at Molly B’Damn Days in Murray.
Photo by JOSH MCDONALD Molly Queen candidate RayAnn Davis rides atop a Jeep during the Molly B’Damn Days Parade.
Photo by JOSH MCDONALD The Bedroom Goldmine Bar was a hoppin’ place to be during Molly B’Damn Days.
MURRAY — There were good times had by all last weekend at the annual celebration known as Molly B’Damn Days.
Despite being in one of Shoshone County’s more remote areas, Murray made sure that during a busy weekend throughout the Silver Valley, their annual festival was not one to be missed.
Kicking off Friday afternoon with vendors and drinks, the festival ran through the weekend as an estimated 2,000 people made their way up the North Fork of the Coeur d’Alene River to party with Molly.
Chris Littlejohn, one of the event’s main organizers, was thrilled with how the event ran for the entirety of the weekend.
“I think the weekend was a huge success for us,” Littlejohn said. “We had a constant flow of people and it really was a good time for everyone who attended.”
Littlejohn owns the Bedroom Goldmine Bar, which was one of the main hubs during the festival and told the News-Press that his ATM machine went through more than $8,000 during the weekend.
“It was probably the best weekend of the year for Murray,” Littlejohn said. “It definitely was our best weekend of the year.”
Littlejohn discussed how he feels the event grew due to improvements made in the various ways it could be advertised.
“Promoting through social media was really big for us I think,” he said.
While the festival runs for more than just one day, Saturday is really the main event for the weekend as the helicopter rides, water slides, parade and crowning of the Molly Queen really gave families several options during the day.
The Molly Queen competition in particular is one of the biggest events, as it raises money for the city park and gives spectators a look back on Murray’s sexy and scandalous history.
This year, Fran Bates won the crown of Molly Queen, but the real winner was the park itself as more than $2,000 was raised in donation monies to determine the winner of the contest.
“That money goes toward maintaining Walt Almquist Park and we really worked hard to get the park ready and presentable for this year,” Littlejohn said. “By this time next year, it’s going to look really good. We had a lot of family-friendly options this year and I think that made a difference for us.”
Molly B’Damn Days is an annual celebration of former resident and historical figure Maggie Hall, an Irish immigrant who landed in Murray in 1884, changed her name to Molly B’Dam and became well-known for her work in Murray’s brothels before passing away at age 35.
Molly B’Damn Days is a celebration of her lasting legacy and impact on the Murray area.