Festivus for the rest of us

By Ben Olson
Reader Staff

For the uninitiated, Festivus is a holiday invented for an episode of the sitcom Seinfeld called “The Strike,” which involves the airing of grievances; feats of strength; a celebratory dinner; and, of course, the famous aluminum pole, which character Frank Costanza praises for its “very high strength-to-weight ratio.” It’s just ridiculous enough to be a real holiday, and, ever since that episode, there have been fans keeping Festivus alive in their own unique ways.

Enter: Kaleb Keaton and friends.

For the past 20 years, these Sandpoint locals have celebrated Festivus and their shared love of Seinfeld. In 2022, they decided to bring an event to the Panida stage, hoping they wouldn’t screw up on stage and look like fools.

What happened was, locals turned out in droves and the Panida roared with the sound of laughter and applause.

“I was shocked how well it went,” Keaton told the Reader. “We set a high bar, so now we gotta jump even higher.”

The cast of Festivus prepare for the big show (yes, that’s “George Costanza” played by Lindsey Klein while breastfeeding). Photo by Britta Wehrle.

After taking a year off, Festivus is back on the menu, with the event taking place at 7 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 23 at the Panida Theater (300 N. First Ave., in downtown Sandpoint). Tickets are $10 in advance at panida.org or $15 at the door, with all proceeds donated to the Panida.

The event will feature an airing of grievances, Seinfeld trivia and feats of strength, along with a reenactment of the episode “The Strike,” by cast members Geoff and Lindsey Klein, Lonnie Williams and Leslie Spohn. 

Keaton said he was heartened by the invigorated interest in Festivus while touring the aluminum pole around town to help promote the show.

“I just dropped off the Festivus pole at Evans Brothers and several people came up to ask, ‘Is this still happening?’” Keaton said. “We used to take the Festivus pole around town in high school when we weren’t invited to. Sometimes you’d get a manager who enjoyed it, other times we got 86ed. We used to have a grievance box, but that was getting full so quick, so now we just do the pole.”

Classic Sandpoint.

Keaton also wanted to thank Kochava, the Festival at Sandpoint, Matchwood Brewing Co. and Evans Brothers Coffee Roasters for hosting the pole, which helped get the word out for the show.

“This is a passion project,” he said. “Most of us are people with families and jobs. It’s just a group that really likes to get together and make each other laugh. Plus, raising money for the Panida is a treat.”

Keaton said most of his group grew up being in plays or attending shows at the Panida, so it feels great to make Festivus a fundraiser for the historic theater.

This year, along with the reading of “The Strike,” feats of strength and an airing of grievances (which will be collected from the audience), Festivus will feature an Elaine Benes dance competition (if you know, you know). There are Seinfeld-themed prizes for all contests and, as always, the potential for mishaps are possible.

“That’s the beauty of Festivus,” Keaton said. “If things go awry, that’s just funny. It adds to the show more. … We’re not trained actors or actresses.”

Along with the cast, Keaton wanted to thank Maylie Spohn, Chase Lowther and his wife Britta Wehrle for helping make the event happen, as well as Garrett Strizich, “for his momentous contributions to the project.”

“I also want to thank the Reader for presenting it, the Panida Theater and KRFY for doing an interview,” Keaton said. “This is a Panida fundraiser and a lot of fun.”