McCleary Museum (Out of Many, One display)

Bear Festival Display

The Bear Festival was started in McCleary in 1959 as a way to draw people to McCleary so that it didn’t become a Ghost Town and has been a part of our community ever since. Its original name was Second Growth Festival, a nod to the reforestation efforts and hope for new city growth, too. A few years in, they added Bear Festival because of the famous Bear Stew served every year. Eventually, it was shortened to just Bear Festival.

The festival brings many visitors to our small community the second weekend of July every year. The festival has changed some of its events over the years, but a baseball tournament, a parade, and a community feed of bear stew have been a part of the event from the beginning. McCleary drew criticism and protesters carrying signs reading Save Our Bears… to which the locals retorted with Save Our Trees. Over the years, the amount of bear meat used has changed, but the tradition is still one of the cheapest meals you can buy costing only the purchase of a bear festival pin, which for many years could be purchased for only $2. The Display includes a case of items from over the years and a wall display behind it about its history. The most important item on display is a complete collection of Bear Festival Buttons—one from every year, including at least two that are very hard to find. Bear Festival has been an important part of the local American Experience since 1959 and we hope it continues into the future for many years to come.

How it represents the community’s American experience:

The Bear Festival represents our community’s American Experience because it not only draws our community together every year, but it draws people from many other communities to visit us. Many great memories are made each year, and like many things in American history, it grows and changes with the times. Freedom to gather, connect with others, and enjoy life is exemplified in this important yearly event.

On display at the McCleary Museum, Saturdays & Sundays, 12–4 p.m., or by appointment.