Hot Damn!
LEFT: The only known photo of Maggie Hall, a.k.a Molly B'Damn
RIGHT: The new headstone created for Molly B' Damn located at the G.A.R. Murray Cemetery
LEFT: Photo courtesty of Uidaho RIGHT: Molly Roberts
MURRAY — I’ll be damned! Molly B’Damn Days are back in action after taking a hiatus last year due to the 4,400-acre Deceitful wildfire that ran through the area, causing road closures and evacuations.
The festival will be celebrated in the historic town of Murray, taking time to honor the local pioneer legend, Molly B’Damn, in a family-friendly atmosphere.
Helping run the festival are Kippie and Eric Corta, who recently bought the Sprag Pole Bar, one of Shoshone County’s oldest restaurants.
“We are so excited to have Molly B’Damn Days Friday, Saturday, and Sunday,” said Kippie.
The festival will kick off Friday afternoon with vendors making their way up the North Fork of the Coeur d’Alene River and selling wares down the main street.
Most of the events will be on Saturday, with the parade lineup starting at 12:30 p.m. and the parade beginning at 1 p.m. Previous years, the parade has featured local favorites like the Wallace Elks No. 331 Drum and Bugle Corps and local fire/EMS personnel, as well as the ladies competing for the title of ‘Molly B’Damn Queen.’
“We will have the parade, live music, a bounce house, helicopter rides, a tommy gun raffle, and a car show. It’s going to be a fun-filled weekend.”
The Dennis Funke Car Show will also be featured on Saturday, a show in remembrance of the well-respected car aficionado Dennis Funke, who passed away in 2016. Funke spent the later years of his life in Prichard, a town next to Murray, and enjoyed riding four-wheelers and working on old cars.
Registration for the car show is at 8:00 a.m. in Murray. The registration cost is $30, and the event proceeds will support the maintenance of the local town park and the local volunteer fire department. Grab bags, and dash plaques will be provided to the first 100 participants who register. The winners will be announced around 4:00 p.m.
The tradition of naming a Molly B’Damn queen will continue, with the girls, sponsored by local businesses, competing to see who can raise the most money for the event. It’s also a tradition that the ladies running for the title show up in their best “madam” outfit and show it off on the delegated float. The Molly B’ Damn Queen will be announced after the parade.
After the eventful day, enjoy a drink and listen to Country musician Bob McComb playing at the Sprag Pole Bar, on Saturday from 5-8:00 p.m.
Molly B’ Damn Days will go all weekend in Murray from Aug. 19-21, starting Friday at 5 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday at 10:00 a.m.
The story of Molly B’Damn will be featured in the new Shoshone News-Press publication Valley Pop, which will be published at the end of each month, starting this August.