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DARBY - Cal Ruark of Darby Logger Days has carved out a non-profit called the South Valley Event Center, a place to host a variety of upcoming events, from "Chicks N Chaps" to a "Rock in the Root Concert".

He says that while the events may vary but they all have one thing in common, "we always try and make anything we do family compatible, that's the name of the game for the things we do in Darby and with the events we're associated with."

Not only will all these summer events bring a lot of fun to the community, they'll also bring in a lot of money for local businesses.

"I think it's a great thing what Cal is doing and what other people are doing for the community. We all try to bring people here and have events here that help us out, loggers day the bull riding event, everything that we do in town brings lots of people here and that's key to the survival of the town," commented Little Blue Joint Café Owner and Chef Michael Campbell.

A town that once survived on a very different industry, "we just hope since the timber industry has been lost in this community, that this is something that could fill this void, to some extent and bring people here and help this economy and also help the people of this community," Ruark said.

He added that the outdoor arena can host events now, but the non-profit has bigger plans for the future, "we'll have two full size gymnasiums on each end of it, office spaces in the middle and a full size arena on the other end."

As the Event Center begins to expand and draws more people to Darby, Cafe Owner Michael Campbell says it's the character of the town that attracts people in the first place.

"This is the last best place. People come here, they come to fly fish they come to hunt. Our season starts in May and doesn't end until Christmas...of tourist and travelers that we see...so something's always going to bring them here."