Napoleon Dynamite Festival Draws Crowd to Preston

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Story Published: Jul 28, 2007 at 8:21 PM MST

Story Updated: Nov 7, 2008 at 12:09 PM MST

By Jeff Robinson

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A "sweet" festival brought out quite an interesting crowd in Preston as hundreds came to celebrate the film that helped put them on the map... Napoleon Dynamite.

"We drove 17 hours up here," said Bryan Demke, who came all the way from Dallas.

This is Demke's third year making the trip all the way from Dallas for this festival.

Demke: "Gosh!"

The first year he won the look alike contest, the second year he emceed, and this year, he won yet again. He's got the look at the sound down pat.

Demke: "I already told you, I was with my uncle hunting wolverines in Alaska!"

"Did you shoot any?"

"Yeah, like 50 of 'em. They kept trying to attack my cousins. What the heck would you do in a situation like that?"

But he wasn't the only one in town just for this. He was joined by other impersonators...

Lorne Demke: "Bow to your sensei!"

...male and female, ready to show off their sweet moves.

"I like dancing a lot, show off my sweets skills, so all the girls will like me."

"Can I have some of your tots?"

"No! Go get your own!"

The event draws quite a crowd, many who would never make it to Preston otherwise.

"First time in Preston. It's fun to be up here, it really is," said Jake Despain, who came from Salt Lake City. "I actually had a buddy who was up here for a family reunion. He's seen me do the dance a few times, and he said, you've gotta get your butt up here to show off."

"I have gotten second place in the moon boot dance competition every year. So we're just trying to get first this time, hopefully," said Brittany Peterson, who came from Logan, Utah.

And these are some of the most die-hard fans of the film, so anyone who's not a fan clearly must be...

Demke: "Such a freakin' idiot!"

This year's festival was held the same weekend as the night rodeo to bring in a bigger crowd.

The film itself was such a hit in Idaho that the state legislature commended the filmmakers.

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