Hilda is Fest mascot

Have you heard about Hilda? Hilda is the mascot of the Deutschesfest selected by a committee of the Odessa

Chamber of Commerce to visit various places and promote Odessa's 46th annual celebration of its German-Russian heritage. By visiting the Odessa's Deutschesfest page on Facebook, readers can see pictures of just where Hilda has been and what she has been doing.

And just who is Hilda? Why she is a rubber chicken, of course, the symbol of the beloved "Chicken Dance" that anyone who has ever visited Fest knows how to do (or at least recognizes). The steps are pretty simple and repetitive, but oh so popular.

So far this summer Hilda has been to various hotspots in Odessa, such as Odessa Golf & RV, Rocky Coulee Brewing Co., the community center for one of the recent Wednesday work nights, Quail Court and many other places. She has even ventured out of the area to sunny Arizona, where she worked on her tan in the swimming pool, to spots such as Las Vegas, the Snake River and Disneyland with the Sheldon family of Odessa and to Eureka, Mont. for a quilt show.

For those who do not follow Facebook postings, The Record will endeavor to keep up with Hilda's wanderings right up until Fest, and perhaps beyond.