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Preston Idaho's Official Site

In 1866, LDS pioneers arrived in the northern end of the Cache Valley, stretching across southeastern Idaho and northeastern Utah. They founded a community in that location and named it Worm Creek, but later changed it to Preston. Preston was named after Preston, England, the center of early LDS proselytizing in the UK.

Much of the 2004 film Napoleon Dynamite was shot in the city of Preston, including at Preston High School, located several blocks from U.S. Highway 91. Several area landmarks can be seen throughout the film. Preston is the home of the film's creators, Jared and Jerusha Hess, Preston being where Jared went to high school.

For several years, the city held a "Napoleon Dynamite Festival" in the summer. Many of the events that the festival featured related to movie-themed events; such as: Tetherball Tournament, Tater Tot Eating Contest, Moon Boot Dance, Impersonation, Look-A-Like Contest, FootballThrowing Contest, and more. In 2004, there was a single day event that drew an approximate 300 people. Although this was not a large crowd drawing event, it did help raise $1,500 for the Preston School District Education Foundation. In 2005, an estimated 6,000 people attended the event, but that number dropped to an estimated 400 in 2006. The 2007 and 2008 event was held along with the 'That Famous Preston Night Rodeo' in Preston, but there are no future plans for the event.

Each year Preston holds the "Idaho Festival of Lights", which starts the day after Thanksgiving and goes unto December 31. The festival was started by two local business men (Wayne Bell and Walter Ross) along with many other community organizations to help celebrate Christmas within the community. The festival consists of a lighted parade, fireworks, and displays in the city park. The merchants along the main street of Preston have their store fronts decorated with Christmas lights during the festival.

A key event of the festival is the International Bed Race, which is held on the Saturday following Thanksgiving on the main street of Preston. Additional events are a kid's parade and free movie.

Information provided by Wikipedia.org