Immanuel Baptist Church in Hoquiam hosted a free community carnival and concert Saturday afternoon. In addition to music by favorites Ben Fagerstedt and Ericka Corban, there were bounce houses, face painting and plenty of other activities.

The Hoquiam Fire Department brought a ladder truck and allowed kids to use the fire hose (with backup by the firefighters) to knock down wooden “flames.”

And Hope from Horses, a community group under the umbrella of 4-H Clubs, gave volunteer-led horseback rides around the field. Church members Sarah Protheroe and Jay Rosenbach are leaders of the Elma-based group, which provides horseback-riding opportunities for children with disabilities.

“We both attend this church, so we just took what we normally do and brought it here,” said Protheroe. “The kids always love it.”

Kat Bryant | Grays Harbor News Group Hoquiam firefighter Matt Schmitz backs up a young future firefighter as she douses “flames” during the carnival at Immanuel Baptist Church on Saturday.