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Independence ready for explosive 4th |
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Monday, 02 July 2007 |
 Stripped down for action, a group of short hooligans tosses water balloons at the Independence Volunteer Fire Department?s ?float? in last year?s Independence Day parade. The 10 a.m. parade (which is still accepting entries) is part of a day?s worth of events, ranging from kids games to frog-jumping contests to plenty of food, on the Fourth of July in Independence. Photo by Jon Klusmire Full day of events, from Lions breakfast to parade to arts fair & fireworks, all part of festivities
in county seat
By Jon Klusmire
Register Staff
The most-relaxed parade to ever saunter down a county street, the only contest in the county for the best jumping frog and the best-dressed frog, watching kids get stuffed in gunny sacks and jump around, a big round of homemade pies delivered directly from authentic church ladies and a deep pit barbecue.
All that fun will occur in Independence before it even gets dark for the traditional Fourth of July fireworks.
The exploding rockets’ red glare merely tops off a day of Independence Day festivities in Independence, which goes to great lengths to live up to its name on its big day.
The events are geared to be easily accessible to all, and the parade leads the way.
Entering the Independence parade, the only marching, rolling, strutting event in the valley on the Fourth, is as easy as falling off a log. Really.
There is no charge to enter any sort of float or other entry in the parade. Just sign up, slap an American flag on something that can roll, walk, be pushed, ridden or dragged down the parade route and get ready to wave to the adoring parade-lovers. More specifically, any sort of float will work, as will a “marching unit” or band, costumed walkers, animals and pets, horses and even “farm/work equipment,” generally called a tractor or a truck, to name just a few categories. Parade entry forms are available by calling Carolyn Joncas at (760) 878-2424 or 915-0022.
Heck, there are even prizes for entries in various categories, from pets to kids, to “performers/clowns,” which should not be confused with the “government” category, although it’s a fine line.
The parade theme and traditional, commemorative Fourth of July T-shirt are linked, thanks to the foresight of the Fourth of July Central Committee (which sounds a bit like something from old Soviet Union, but probably isn’t, right?)
Anyway, the parade theme is “Independence: The Little Town That Could.” (No word, yet, on just what Independence “could” do, but there is probably a committee being formed to discuss options).
The theme recalls the “little engine that could,” and in this case the engine is Number 18 from the old Carson and Colorado Railroad, a narrow-gauge line that went originally from Nevada to Keeler, then ran from Laws to Keeler until the 1960s (it was a rail line that “started nowhere, went nowhere and took its time doing it,” as the saying goes).
Artist Mike Kotowski provided the art for the T-shirt, which shows Engine 18 chugging through the Owens Valley, with the snowcapped Sierra and Mt. Whitney in the background.
But we’re getting a bit ahead of schedule, here, something that rarely happened with the C&C.
The festivities actually swing into action on Tuesday, July 3, with a band providing dancing music in Dehy Park from 8 p.m.-midnight.
The Fourth gets off to a running start with a 4K run/walk (get it?), starting at 7 a.m. Again, participants can just show up and sign up and run away. Show up at East Inyo Street and U.S. 395, pay a $5 fee ($20 includes a T-shirt) and take off.
Those who want to start the day eating can get up earlier and chow down at the Lion’s Club Pancake Breakfast, from 6:30-8 a.m. in the park ($5 for adults, $3 for kids).
On an early, patriotic note, there will be a flag raising ceremony and dedication of a veterans’ memorial in the park at 6:15 a.m.
The Arts and Crafts Show opens its booths on the courthouse lawn at 9 a.m. and continues throughout the day.
Finally, the big moment arrives, with the parade starting at 10 a.m. The paraders will move down U.S. 395 northbound for several blocks, flip a U-turn and head back up the street southbound, so parade- watchers won’t miss a thing in “the parade so nice, we have to run it twice.”
Then it’s onward to the park for more eating, this time of the sweet variety. The Pie & Ice Cream Social, hosted by the United Methodist Church Women, starts at 1 p.m., featuring delicious homemade pies.
The kids’ games then commence in the park, and include wheelbarrow races, three-legged races, gunny sack races and a balloon toss. Prizes and ribbons are awarded.
Frogs take center stage after the kids are done.
Residents scour local creeks for bull frogs or other jumping amphibians and enter them in the frog-jumping contest (hint: the bigger the frog, the longer it will jump).
Less competitive frogs can be entered in contests to name the Most Beautiful Frog, the Ugliest Frog and the Best Dressed Frog (yes, people really do put clothes on frogs for this event).
New this year is a male Best (Frog) Legs Contest and Best Frog Joke.
The Deep Pit Barbecue dinner is served at Dehy Park starting at 4 p.m. ($8 for adults, $5 for kids), and includes barbecue, beans, bread and drinks.
Then there is plenty of time for a nap to recover from too much parading, game-playing and eating.
The fireworks, which are blasted off from the Independence Airport, cap off the day’s events and roar into the air shortly after dusk.
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Last Updated ( Monday, 10 September 2007 )
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