19th annual Big Truck Day rolls into Conestoga Aug. 5

Big Truck Day, one of the Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation District’s most popular annual events, is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 5, at Conestoga Recreation & Aquatic Center.

About 30 large vehicles – including cranes and triple trailer rigs as well as Oregon Department of Transportation trucks, tractors, dump trucks, police and fire vehicles and at least one bus – will be on display from 10 am to 2 pm in the Conestoga parking lot. Families are welcome to climb inside the vehicles for a close-up look and honk the horn.

There is no set entry fee, but $1 per person is suggested to help defray costs.

Local companies and agencies provide the big rigs for the day. Scheduled participants include the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, Beaverton School District, Reser’s Fine Foods, Pacific Tractor & Implement, Ness & Campbell Crane Inc. and many more. THPRD will showcase three of its own vehicles.

Last year, nearly 10,000 guests visited the event. This year, Ted Dum, program coordinator at Conestoga who is coordinating Big Truck Day, hopes to top that number. Why is this event so popular?

“People always see these vehicles driving down the road but never get a chance to interact with them,” Dum said. “This is a rare opportunity to get an up-close, hands-on experience with a big truck.”

Food vendors will be on hand for the day, and T-shirts and earplugs – yes, those big truck horns can be pretty loud – will be available for purchase. The American Red Cross Bloodmobile will take blood donations from 9:30 am to 2:30 pm. Donors can preregister at redcrossblood.org with the sponsor code Big Truck Day.

There will also be a children’s indoor play area, movie room, and a large sand pit outside with toy trucks. Conestoga’s outdoor splash pad will be free to use throughout the event. The indoor pool will hold open swim from 1-5 for a drop-in fee.

For more information about Big Truck Day, call Conestoga at 503-629-6313.

About THPRD
Formed in 1955, THPRD is the largest special park district in Oregon, spanning 50 square miles and serving about 240,000 residents in the greater Beaverton area. The district provides year-round recreational opportunities for people of all ages and abilities. Offerings include thousands of widely diverse classes, 95 park sites with active recreational amenities, nearly 70 miles of trails, eight swim centers, six recreation centers, and about 1,500 acres of natural areas. For more information, visit www.thprd.org or call 503-645-6433.