90 Years of Free Barbecue and Dancing Down the Grade Today
Ferdinand, ID · September 5, 2026
Labor Day weekend is settling over the prairie with quiet backroads and full plates, especially if you follow the scent of woodsmoke winding down the canyon today.
The Lead
Labor Day weekend on the Camas Prairie always carries the pull of the Clearwater River canyon, where the 90th Annual Kamiah BBQ Days hits its full stride today. What began in 1936 as a Depression-era thank-you dinner from downtown shopkeepers to struggling farm families has endured across nine decades into North Central Idaho's longest-running holiday ritual.
The morning kicks off at 11:00 AM with the grand parade rolling past the high school lawn down Idaho Street, but the true centerpiece arrives at five o'clock. Volunteer pitmasters who spent the night watching the pits will dish out tons of slow-roasted beef dinner at no charge to thousands of neighbors and travelers lined up along Fifth Street. The feast carries straight into the open-air street dance at eight, where regional favorites The Senders play under the stars until midnight.
Local Pulse
- Cottonwood Recycling Site Closed for Holiday The county recycling drop-off in Cottonwood is closed today, resuming normal drop-off hours next Saturday morning.
Today's Outlook
- High 68°F · Low 43°F — Overcast
- Cloud cover keeps the afternoon cool, so grab a reliable light jacket before heading out.
What's On Around Town
Cottonwood: Raspberry Patch Work Retreat Monastery of St. Gertrude (465 Keuterville Rd), 9:00 AM Prune and tuck in the historic berry canes for the upcoming autumn.
Kamiah: 90th BBQ Days Grand Parade Downtown Kamiah, 11:00 AM Community floats and marching bands roll through downtown for the holiday kickoff.
Kamiah: Street Dance Under the Stars Downtown Kamiah, 8:00 PM–Midnight Live classic rock from The Senders caps off the holiday celebration.
Spotlight & Story
- Holy Cross Chapel
- Built in 1911 by German homesteaders after fire took their second sanctuary, Keuterville's historic chapel still houses hand-carved altars shipped from Germany. Its creaking pews open only for a cherished warm-weather ritual: Sunday evening Mass, held exclusively between Memorial Day and Labor Day.
Ferdinand Daily Digest — compiled from local sources as of 6 AM. For breaking updates, follow your local newsrooms.
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