Chamber of Commerce Market Night

Rootin’, Tootin’ Good!

Maybe you’re craving a sweet slice of cinnamon raisin bread with a nutty, whole grain taste. Perhaps you’ve got a hankering for two jumbo chili dogs. How about a Wild West old-fashioned soda flavored with black cherry or orange cream?

You and your neighbors in the San Gorgonio Pass can make new friends and pick up the latest bargains every Tuesday at Market Night. The event, which runs through August 17th, is sponsored by the Beaumont Chamber of Commerce. The good times at Noble Creek Community Park, 650 W. Oak Valley Parkway, run from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Carl Thornton and his daughter Natalie, 10, came from Cabazon for a recent Market Night. Thornton, with a bag of Kettle Corn in his hand, stood in line with his daughter, who had her eye on a fresh-whipped smoothie. A 1981 graduate of Beaumont High School, Thornton often runs into old friends at Market Night and looks forward to the spontaneous reunions.
“You find out what your friends have been up to,” he said. “And everyone is so friendly at Market Night. I would advise people to come check it out. It’s good family fun.”

Some browse a line-up of venders offering new purses, disappearing ink or Hi-Bounce Stretch Balls for baseball, basketball and soccer. Others check out booths with fresh, organic produce. Visitors to Market Night are serenaded by the Blues Deluxe band, which plays such all-time favorites as “Stormy Monday,” “Crossroads” and “Red House.”

As Market Night vendor and supporter David Grube says about his old-fashioned sodas, “It’s rootin’, tootin’ good!”

Silver Screen memories

“Movies at the Park” harkens back to the good old days when people in Beaumont bundled up the family and headed for the Cherry Pass Drive-In. In the 1950s and 1960s, cars filled with kids in their pajamas headed for the tiny town’s favorite place for a night out. (The drive-in was located on a big patch of land where Stater Bros. and Applebee’s are now.)

Bundled up and ready to go

Mayor Brian De Forge remembers his mom and dad making popcorn, gathering up the family of seven and heading down Sixth Street to watch a movie under the stars. Often, they would spread a blanket out on the ground near a movie speaker. In those days, people would roll down their car window, remove a speaker from a pole, attach the speaker to the glass and adjust the volume. In the days of double features and cartoons, restless youngsters could scamper off to a swing set near the oversized screen and play. Eventually, the Cherry Pass Drive-In went the way of most drive-ins and was torn down as times changed.

Yesterday, once more!

That long-ago era of family fun still thrives in modern-day Beaumont. Every Tuesday night this summer through August 17th, the Beaumont-Cherry Valley Recreation and Park District presents “Movies in the Park” at Noble Creek Regional Park. On Tuesday, July 6th, the movie “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” delighted an audience of young and old in an amphitheater setting. The 2009 animated film is based on a beloved children’s book about the town of “Chewandswallow.” In the movie, a young inventor dreams of improving everyone’s life and finally food falls from the sky like rain. On next Tuesday, July 13th, the movie is “Blue Hawaii” starring Elvis Presley. After that, it’s back to cartoons.

So, if you’re looking for a fun way to spend an evening with the kids, the Beaumont Blogger recommends a starry night out at the movies. Bring a blanket and lawn chair and some marshmallows for roasting in the fire pit, and enjoy some old-fashioned fun for a new experience! The event is co-sponsored by ChurchForFamily in Beaumont. A $1 per family donation is requested.