Ready yourself for the great debate — it happens every year around this time.

In North Bend, it’s time for the ongoing annual discussion on every street corner — let’s see, that’s four at least — where we talk about the name for the North Bend summer festival, what I refer to as the “Party at the Park.”

This year is something special, because of our very monumental centennial, something that happens only once in a city’s history. Just think, this is probably the only 100th celebration of any kind you will ever take part in.

But here’s the fly in the barbeque sauce. If you Google “Alpine Days,” the first reference that you see talks about “The Festival at Mount Si.” If you try to find out how many years the festival was called Alpine Days, chances are you will be as stymied as I was.

There are many old timers who would like to hang on to the old name, while the “new” name was suggested and backed by transplants to the Valley from other states (California, perhaps?).

My wife even asked me, “What is the significance of Alpine Days? What does it mean?”

I only stumbled a little as I answered.

“It’s named after our Alpine wilderness area, you know the Alpine lakes and hiking trails and… other Alpine stuff.

“And besides,” I continued, “look at Snoqualmie — Railroad Days — and Fall City — Fall City Days.”

Right here I stopped. I had a shovel and was digging myself a hole I couldn’t get out of.

Up until I sat down to write this article I was a supporter of going back to the original Alpine Days name. But as the moving pen writes across the page, I am moving myself to change my point of view. I was going to suggest an alternative: “The Festival of Alpine Days at Mt. Si.” That way, everyone could be happy, maybe. (Point of fact: I was told, just last week, that when referring to Mount Si, the word Mount should always be spelled out. So to add further confusion to the mix the official title should be “The Festival at Mount Si.” Oops, what shall we do about this? Must we now, once again, change the name of our town festival?)

As any good writer should, I can offer an alternative name for our annual party time. How about something like, “North Bend — Home of More Chiropractors per Capita than Any Other Small Town in the State — Festival Daze?”

Who cares? Happy Centennial, North Bend.

• Bob Edwards is a member of the SnoValleyWrites writers’ group. He lives in North Bend. E-mail him at bobledwards@comcast.net.