4th of July in Caribou County

As it always does, the Rotary Club put together a spectacular Fourth of July week for Caribou County, with the help of a number of volunteers, organizations, groups, and others.  Throughout most of the week, activities were on hand to keep people busy, from the very youngest to the very oldest.

The centerpiece parade boasted a rumored seventy floats, and several times that many pounds of candy.  From 99 year old WWII veteran Thomas Phelps to the Jr. Rodeo Royalty, the parade showed off many aspects of the area.  The Grand Champion “float” (in quotes because there is no ocean on earth this would float in) was a string of mega-sized heavy equipment machines from Bayer, which towered over the streetside crowds.  Grand Marshal Linda Anderson rode along in much more refined style, but there was a wide variety of transportation choices on display.  Horses, tractors, bikes, scooters, skateboards, side by sides, trucks, vans, and good old fashioned foot power all played their part.  

Other sponsored events included the Culpepper and Merriweather Circus, which took place under the big top in Kelly Park.  Lions, Tigers, and high wire acts brought a touch of the amazing to town, delighting, as they say, children of all ages.  In addition to trapeze, big cat, and high wire acts, the circus came equipped with its own clowns, peanuts, and popcorn.  The large scale mechanical “Wheel of Destiny” on which the daredevil Perez Duo performed aerial stunts was truly a sight to behold.

More terrestrial entertainments also took place in the park, where early in the week a giant foam pool was sprayed in for a once a year chance to frolic in the strangeness that is such a thing.  During the 4th itself, the park was filled with vendors, crafts, a kids’ train, the Library Bake/Plant/Book sale, and a series of athletic tournaments.  Three on three basketball, volleyball, and cornhole all spanned the afternoon as friendly and fierce competitions winnowed their way to declaring victors.  Nikki Hansen, rec director for the city, brought in an impressive array of activities, and hopes to grow the event even larger for next year.

Fireworks, of course, took over the night sky at Kelly Park later in the evening, preceded by a concert featuring Irish soprano Alex Sharpe, famous for her tenure in the international touring group Celtic Woman.  Cherry Peak once again put on the park events, and knocked it out of the…well, park.  Sharpe sang a variety of songs from traditional Scots and Irish songs, to modern pop songs, to some of the best of the Fleetwood Mac catalog.  It was impressive to hear such a world class voice coming over the sound system as the sun set and the excitement grew.  The American Legion awarded the raffled Golden Boy Rifle to Colby Peck, and the winners of the Road Apple Bingo were also named and awarded.  The passing of Kirk Hansen, Joe Rice, and Blair Winward was observed by a moment of silence, and then the fireworks took over.

With a lot of activity and limited space, we will follow up on several of the events and stories listed above in coming weeks, but for now, enjoy a series of pictures from the week.