POCATELLO — The 2013 POW*MIA Awareness Rally will be held July 26-28 at the Bannock County Fairgrounds.
This year’s events will include a fun run, bike rodeo, bike drag races, show n’ shine competitions, loudest pipe competitions, mug drag races, tattoo and arm wrestling contests. There will also be food and beverages, merchandise vendors, kids activities including a kid’s bike rodeo, a scavenger hunt, bouncy houses, and face painting and a chance to ride on “Thumper” the Monster Truck and displays and ceremonies honoring veterans. This year’s guest of honor is Colonel Gray, who is a former Vietnam Prisoner of War. Gray was imprisioned for more than six years. There will be a tribute ceremony with Gray at noon on Saturday, July 27. There will also be live music on Friday and Saturday, including performances by Hillbilly Delux, Tall Tales of Truth, Savin Seymor and The Hellfire Club on July 26 and local classic rock and roll and blues band Snake Bones will open for rock band and headliner American Hitmen on July 27. Three of the four members of American Hitmen are former Marines who met and started making music together in 2005 in Fallujah, Iraq when they were stationed there during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Admission for the entire weekend of events is $10, and veterans and children (under age 18) get in free. For more information on the upcoming rally, including events, music and speakers, go to http://powmiarodeo.org