"I worked at Yard Birds in 1976. The place was hopping!! When Old bird burned down, it was like Burning Man in the desert ... Lewis County wept for a decade."

"I miss the smell of the fish depot there. I don't know why, it just had this smell to it."

"The restaurant had the BEST hamburgers! My grandma, mom and I used to go there every Saturday morning."

These are just a few comments from the Yard Birds Facebook page, a place for sharing memories, emotions, pictures and funny stories about the quirky, homey, everything-you-need-under-one-roof store/mall/shopping enigma that hatched in Chehalis in the 1940s. In Yard Birds' prime during the late '60s and early '70s, the brand expanded with stores in Olympia and Shelton, becoming a unique cultural and shopping experience for the surrounding communities and intrigued visitors from all over Western Washington.

More than anything, Yard Birds may be remembered for the larger-than-life Yard Bird mascot statues that flourished at the store's locations, including the massive 60-foot sculpture that sat at the entrance to the Chehalis store - it was so large that visitors could drive their cars between its legs. Though that Yard Bird statue burned to the ground in 1976, the Yard Bird that replaced it - which doubled as a helicopter hangar - still stands in Chehalis to this day, and is at the center of a jam-packed musical benefit and day of family fun Saturday.

The Yard Birds Facebook page - one of several dedicated to the war-surplus-store-turned-305,000-square-foot-shopping- attraction - is now maxed at 5,000 friends.

"It just blew up," says Jason Mattson, who started the Yard Birds page in July 2010 because a buddy urged him to. The Facebook page helped earn the Yard Bird "Best Northwest Roadside Attraction" recognition from Evening Magazine.

At some point the fan base grew so large that Mattson decided to harness the popularity and organize fundraisers to raise money for the repair of the Yard Bird statue that still stands near National Avenue in Chehalis. The structure has suffered through 40 years of exposure to the elements, severe flooding and neglect, and a giant hole has developed on the bird's back, exposing the hollow interior. So far Mattson has held six fundraisers at local businesses and has earned nearly $5,000 - money which will be used to return the bird to its former glory.

"I can't see the Yard Bird fall apart," says Mattson. "It's been here most our lives - it's unique, it's our Paul Bunyan, and it's a symbol. If it went away it would be a big loss."

Saturday's Birdfest 2011 is Mattson's largest Yard Bird fundraiser yet, and he hopes to raise the $10,000 needed to complete repairs.

A full day of all-ages activities in the Yard Birds parking lot, centered around Rock and Roll Hall of Fame artists Don Wilson and Nokie Edwards of the Ventures, along with Barry Curtis and Steven Peterson of the Kingsmen, with Lt. Gov. Brad Owen on sax, Birdfest 2011 will also have face-painting and bounce houses for the kiddies, and a beer garden for adults. Giveaways and raffles will play a prominent roll, including a chance at an autographed guitar from the Ventures.

"Yard Birds filled a void, and I think everyone wants to see the Yard Birds legend live on," says Kylee Layman, who helps promote and book the Yard Bird fundraiser shows.

Full of history, character, quirkiness and memories, the still-standing Yard Bird was, and still is, a mascot for the great Northwest.

Beginning in 1947, two friends, Rich Gillingham and Bill Jones, opened a war surplus store specializing in items like hospital beds, work clothing and logging equipment. According to lore and the documentary Skinny and Fatty: The Story of Yard Birds, the entrepreneurs bid on a lot of surplus, not knowing what the inventory would be, and ended up with tons of odds and ends that drew people from all walks of life. After moving location twice, and as supply and demand shifted, the business leaned toward discount retail and grocery, expanding to become the largest retailer in the area and peaking with some 30 departments - offering everything from sporting goods to automotive, pet shops (with alligators and raccoons) to toys. Yard Birds also opened an Olympia location that had all the amenities of the mother store, along with bumper boats and a dance floor.

With 305,000 square feet of space at the Chehalis location, a restaurant and a whole bevy of peculiar and humorous advertising and promotional events - like Santa arriving rooftop via helicopter, turkey shoot-outs and more - Yard Birds became a West Coast shopping destination purely because of its uniqueness. The store had just the right mix of useful and frivolous ("Most Unique" was the store's appropriate motto).

With creative owners, naturally, the Yard Bird mascots that emerged were a bit imaginative, too.

Variations of the Yard Birds mascot(s) started gracing advertisements for the store almost from the beginning. Today the iconic black birds remain etched in the memories of thousands. The first two goofy crows, from early advertisements (think Heckle and Jeckle,) evolved into the familiar and lovable crow and crow family mascots we recognize today. By the store's prime, Yard Bird fever swept the community, and dozens of 7-foot birds were placed along the highway from California to Canada, attracting shoppers from across the region.

In 1976, ownership changed hands when Pay 'n' Save purchased the operation. Soon, a Shelton location was added. After the 60-foot Yard Bird statue in Chehalis burned to the ground it was replaced by the squatting, 40-foot bird that remains today - the structure at the heart of Mattson's fundraising efforts.

Some say Yard Birds was never the same after the sale to Pay 'n' Save, and those people may be right. But ask anyone who grew up on the '80s and they will tell you that the stores were still a huge part of their upbringing. The memories of free puppies and popcorn are just as strong.

In 1987, employees bought Yard Birds from Pay 'n' Save. Within eight year the Olympia and Shelton locations were closed due to competition from Wal-Mart-type establishments. New owners bought the Chehalis location in 1998 and today it lives on as Shop'n Kart Yard Birds Mall.

Meanwhile, the Yard Bird image has vintage charm and a solid place in local pop culture history, inspiring (at the very least) local jewelry, art, clothing, music and a documentary.

Birdfest 2011 is just the event to showcase this inspiration. It bridges generations, breathes life into the bird and puts community spirit on full display.

"The Yard Bird buzz has created a new spark in a community that really needed it," says David Ostrand, whose business, Shankz Black Light Mini Golf, has sponsored the fundraisers. "It is so badass to see what has been happening since Mattson started last summer, and I'm proud to be a part of it."

For more information visit yardbirdshistory.com.

Birdfest 2011

Don Wilson and Nokie Edwards of the Ventures, Barry Curtis and Steven Peterson of the Kingsmen with Lt. Gov. Brad Owen on sax
Saturday, June 25, noon to 10 p.m.
$12 at the gate, $10 pre-sale at Shanks in Olympia or Shop'n Kart in Chehalis,
younger than 12 free, Yard Birds parking lot, 2100 N. National Ave., Chehalis