History of the Buttermilk Festival

In 2009 the Lewis County Historical Society initiated the Buttermilk Festival as a means of increasing awareness and interest in the Historical Society's local museum at Kamiah, Idaho. The Historical Society is entirely volunteer based and a non-profit organization. As a group of almost entirely elderly volunteers, they sought to attract volunteers and donations to keep the museum open year round. One of the members decided to use the idea of making butter, as it was accomplished in the old days with a butter churn, as the foundation for this festival. Thus the Buttermilk Festival was born.

With reduced numbers of volunteers, the Historical Society lacked the manpower to continue the festival in 2010. The Clearwater Progress newspaper and the Kamiah Kiwanis Club, a non-profit organization that aims to benefit children, decided to provide the necessary volunteer assistance to make this festival a reality.

Proceeds from the Buttermilk Festival will go toward the Kiwanis Children's Cancer Program. Initiated in 2010, KCCP aims to raise money and awareness to fight and find the cure for cancer.

The Buttermilk Festival continues to grow each year as new and fun activities are added to the mix.