By RHEA-FRANCES TETLEY – Staff writer

Mountain Top Days – Running Springs’ most popular annual event – is coming on Aug. 4 and 5. The family-friendly event includes a parade, dancing, an extended farmers market and community competitions like the bucket brigade.

After the fire agencies competed in the bucket brigade last year, the children got into the act.

The theme of this year’s event, sponsored by the Running Springs Area Chamber of Commerce, is “The Neighbor Factor” because, during the blizzard this last winter, so many neighbors pulled together to help each other, and it was that “neighbor factor” that helped everyone to survive.

The event will kick off with the parade on Friday evening, setting up on Old City Creek Road at 5:30 p.m. and stepping off at 6:15 p.m. As usual, there will be a wide variety of businesses, community groups, youth groups and local personalities in the parade. Expect Smokey Bear and other fire department float entries to be in the parade, which will travel along Hilltop Boulevard from west to east from the Highway 330 bridge overpass through downtown Running Springs to Holiday Lane, where the parade will disperse.

Already registered for the parade through the chamber of commerce are the Golden Oaks line dancers, a kids’ bicycle brigade, Scott Richardson on his high-wheeler bicycle all decorated for the event, floats by several local businesses and a couple of nonprofit groups.

It is always exciting to ride in the parade and anyone may enter; it’s only $20. Email the chamber to register your entry at [email protected], call the chamber at (909) 867-2411 or call parade coordinator Steve Peter at (909) 253-8375 or email him at [email protected]. Applications should also be available at the chamber booth at the farmers market each Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sponsorships are still available for the event; contact Mike Lee at (949) 859-3108.

After the parade, there will be a community street dance with a live band on Commercial Way, which is north and below Hilltop Boulevard. There will be a wine and beer garden and food vendors. It is always a lot of fun to get out and socialize with neighbors, especially this year after everyone being stuck inside by the deep snow that smothered the town last winter.

It’s now time to put on those dancing shoes, kick up your heels and dance into the darkness of the night, suggests Kevin Somes, president of the Running Springs Area Chamber of Commerce. Many businesses along Hilltop Boulevard will be open late and some will be offering specials for the Mountain Top Days revelers.

On Saturday morning, August 5, the farmers market and artisans faire, located on the lot between the county library and First Foundation Bank, will open early at 9 a.m.

The country fair type activities will last all day, including family-friendly games starting at 9:30 a.m. The bicycle event for adults is at noon and the egg toss is at 1 p.m., followed by the watermelon eating event beginning at 1:30 p.m., plus relay and bicycle races. All day long, there will be crafts for kids, plus other activities will be offered.

The highly anticipated bucket brigade competition begins at 1 p.m. The highly competitive event has the various local fire agencies competing for bragging rights and showing off their ability to pass a bucket of water, hand-to-hand, an old-style fire-fighting skill, to fill a large container to symbolize “dousing the fire.” This competition is subject to cancellation in case of a fire call.

The Running Springs Area Chamber of Commerce invites all mountain community members to come and enjoy this annual fun-filled weekend of events. The old-fashioned Mountain Top Days event concludes around 2 p.m. on Saturday.