The 2024 Malad Valley Welsh Festival will have something for everyone, including kids of all ages. Families are invited to participate in lots of programs and activities on both days of the Festival.  The Welsh Festival is on June 28-29 this year with most kids’ activities at Malad City Park. See www.welshfestival.com for the complete schedule.

Youth Poetry

All Semi-Finalists in the Welsh Festival Youth Poetry Contest are invited to come to the Festival to vie for cash prizes and for the crown that will be awarded to the winning poet for every grade level.  Over 120 Semi-Finalists from Malad Schools received certificates at Awards Assemblies held before school was out along with invitations to read or recite their poems at the Welsh Festival. The Youth Poetry Competition is at 1:00 on Friday, June 28.

Youth Art

Over 150 winning works of art by Malad Elementary School students will be on display throughout the Festival. All art has a Welsh theme, and judges had a difficult time determining winners in every classroom in the school.  The art will be displayed in the Relief Society Room of the 2nd Ward Church.

Youth Concert

Twenty young musicians from Malad Valley have been invited to share their talents at the Welsh Festival Youth Concert on Friday, June 28 at 3:00 p.m.  Students will perform piano, vocal, string, and instrumental numbers and show that music continues to be important in Malad, just as it was in pioneer times.

Face Painting

The Malad High School Dragonettes will hold a fund raiser during the Welsh Festival.  While staffing the Information Booth, the Dragonettes will paint designs on faces of children at their nearby booth.

Kids’ Activities

Lots of games and activities will entertain kids on Friday, June 28. Organized by the Oneida School District After-School Program, the Kids’ Activities will feature dragon-themed games as well as other entertaining activities.

Dunk Tank

Maybe not just for kids, the dunk tank will be set up on both days of the Festival in Malad City Park to cool off participants and entertain observers. The dunk tank is a fund raiser for the Malad High School wrestling team.

Dragon Half- and Quarter- Marathon Races

Sponsored by the Malad High School Cross Country Team, the Dragon Half- and Quarter Marathon races will be held on Saturday, June 29.  Runners of all ages can sign up for the race that will start near the Divide and end at Malad City Park. Contact Coach Tia Talbot for more information (435-757-3476 or [email protected])

Taste of Wales Booth

Collaborating with Samaria’s Heritage Square Committee this year, the Malad High School FCCLA students will again sell authentic cookies, breads, and other treats at the Taste of Wales Booth on both days of the Festival.

Scavenger Hunt

Families are invited to participate in a scavenger hunt at the Malad Valley Heritage Square in Samaria on both days of the Festival.  Those who find the hidden gems at the Square will receive treats as prizes besides learning about the Welsh pioneers who came to Malad Valley in the 1860s and 1870s.

Heritage Games

Pioneer children trekked across the Plains with their families, but they also played games as the wagons slowly headed west.  Organized by the Malad Middle School MathCounts Team, the Heritage Games will teach kids of all ages about stick-pulling, stilt walking, races, and other games that pioneer kids participated in back in the 1800s.

BSA Troop #1776

The local community Boy Scout Troop #1776 will again be in charge of setting up and tearing down for the Welsh Festival.  On Thursday, June 27, under the direction of Troop Leaders Bill Lewis and Tony McClain, the boys will set up awnings, haul chairs and tables out of the church to locations around the City Park, bring totes and boxes of signs and banners out of storage, and get Malad City Park ready for the Welsh Festival.  They will put everything away at the conclusion of the Festival on Saturday in preparation for next year’s Festival.

The Malad Valley Welsh Festival is partially funded by grants from the Idaho Blue Cross Foundation, the Bistline Foundation of the Idaho Community Foundation, the Idaho Humanities Council, and the Idaho Commission on the Arts.