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The 55th running of the community’s Colorama celebration is coming Thursday and running through Sunday.

Two new features are in place for this year’s event.

A Sunday bull riding event kicks off at 2 p.m. Sunday. The new feature is a memorial to local rodeo rider and cowboy’s hand, Cleatis Lacy, who passed away about exactly a year ago.

The second new event is an arm wrestling competition set Saturday at 4 p.m. at Pepper Jack’s Bar & Grille in Grand Coulee. The competition will be held in the banquet room, with three-time world champion Mike Beggs here from Spokane.

The big Colorama celebration begins at 5 p.m. Thursday with the opening of the Paradise Amusement Carnival at North Dam Park.

The carnival also opens Friday at 3 p.m. for two ticket sessions and again on Saturday at 11 a.m. for two ticket sessions.

Always a crowd pleaser is the traditional parade that begins at 11 a.m. Bands, riders, floats, fire engines, and the works await those who gather along Grand Coulee’s Midway Avenue. The parade usually lasts over an hour and officials said there is a good number of entrees.

The Pro-West Rodeo begins Friday at 6 p.m. at the Ridge Riders Rodeo Grounds. The rodeo continues Saturday at 3 p.m. and then there’s the special added bull riding event at 2 p.m. Sunday.

The traditional arts & crafts fair opens at 10 a.m. Friday and Saturday at North Dam Park. Food and art and craft vendors will be set up just above the carnival grounds.

The Over the Dam Run/Walk takes off beginning at 7 a.m. Saturday morning at the east side of Grand Coulee Dam.

The Seniors have their Cowboy Breakfast; it takes off at 7 a.m. Saturday at the Senior Center on Grand Coulee’s Main Street and goes until 10:30 a.m.

Colorama Buttons are on sale locally for $3 and drawings for almost $1,000 worth of prizes will be held at 12:45 p.m. Saturday at North Dam Park. The buttons are numbered and you have to be present to win. Among the prizes is a 32-inch flat screen tv.

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