Richmond, Utah — The 97th Black & White Days is underway in Richmond. The longest running Holstein cattle show west of the Mississippi is the nucleus of this annual celebration in northern Utah. Additional community events occur Friday evening and throughout the day on Saturday.

The cattle show began Wednesday with the judging contest. The Western Spring National Futurity and the Richmond Heritage Sale occur Thursday. The show ends Friday with the milking cow classes.

A Music and Movie Night at the Park is Friday’s fun. UPDATE: The Music & a Movie in the Park has been moved to the Richmond Theater at 6 West Main, Richmond, due to the weather. The musicians will start performing at 6:00 p.m. as originally scheduled and the movie will be shown at 8:00 p.m. Local bands will perform at the pavilion in Richmond’s City Park beginning at 6:00 p.m. At 8:45 p.m. a free family movie will be shown. This year’s offering is “The Adventures of Tintin”. The Youth Council will be grilling hamburgers and hotdogs to complement the entertainment.

Saturday’s events start at 7:00 a.m. with the delicious Chuckwagon Breakfast, cooked and served by the City Council. The Cow-a-Bunga Race is at 8:00 a.m. with a 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament at 9:00 a.m. The horse show halter classes begin at 9:00 in the Black & White Pavilion (15 South State Street). Activities for the entire family are held throughout the day on the fields just west of there.

The parade begins at 5:00 p.m. at 600 South State Street and finishes at 100 West Main. Grand marshals this year are Richmond’s previous mayors: Richard Bagley (1970-77); Marvin Traveller (1978-89); Derwin Merrill (1990-95); and Kip Panter (1995-2005).

The day ends with the popular Draft Horse Pulling Contest. Over twenty teams from around the nation and Canada come to compete in various weight classes. The grandstands and grounds fill quickly so come early to get your seat.

The very first Holstein show was held in 1912 when local dairymen drove their best cattle into the old LDS tithing yard to see whose were best. No show was held in 1913-14 due to a national emergency caused by an outbreak of hoof-and-mouth disease. When the outbreak was over, the shows resumed in 1915 and have continued with no interruptions.

For more information, visit our website at http://www.richmond-utah.com/bwdays.html or call (435) 232-8056.