New wrinkles for upcoming 4th festivities
Several new activities are slated for Beachfront Park on Wednesday, July 4: horse rides, a climbing wall, car show, dunk tank and a barbecue competition.
In the Palmer Westbrook Ranch BBQ Wars Battle at the Beach, locals will be grilling for a $250 cash prize. Judges will pick the best barbecued baby back ribs, chicken and tri-tip.
To enter, sign up at the Chamber of Commerce on Front Street by Thursday.
The chamber tries to update the storied Fourth of July celebration each year, but it’s difficult, said Executive Director Gina Zottola.
“It’s a challenge,” she said. “The most challenging thing is trying to find other entities, the manpower, to bring these new things.”
There are some new groups participating, such as the youth group at Cornerstone Church, Boy Scouts, Rotaract and the Crescent City Middle School basketball team. Soroptimist International asked the chamber to partner in Cow Chip Bingo, a local favorite, Zottola said.
This weekend brings the Firecracker Softball Tournament. The registration deadline is today at the Flynn Center, 981 H St., Suite 250.
The main festivities kick off each year on July 3 with the Deck Party on the Cultural Center lawn. Inside is the Crescent Harbor Art Gallery’s art show featuring local artists. The art show starts at 4 p.m. and the Deck Party at 5 p.m.
The Ferguson Brothers will be rocking the Deck Party and people can buy raffle tickets for big prizes like a 3-D flat screen TV, along with their drinks.
For the first time, people will be able to buy their “deed” to a plot of land in Beachfront Park for Cow Chip Bingo at the Deck Party. Cows will be released into the bingo field at 2 p.m. on the Fourth. There are cash prizes starting at $750 for wherever the cows’ dung falls.
Lighthouse Repertory Theatre will be performing a melodrama at the Methodist Church, 664 H St., at 6:30 p.m. July 3 and 3 p.m. July 4.
The Fourth opens with The Homemade Pie and Ice Cream Social at the Historical Society Museum, 577 H St., from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., and the parade at 10 a.m.
The Triplicate will have infused water from the Network for a Healthy California and cherry ice box cookies from Glen’s Bakery and will be giving out American Flags in front of its offices at 3rd and H streets.
The Fun Run also starts at 10 a.m. at the first turnout south of Washington Boulevard on Pebble Beach Drive.
At noon the parade ends and the festivities move over to Beachfront Park.
The Hogwild Band will be playing on the Beachfront Stage.
The Horseshoe Tournament is in the pits at the southwest corner of the park at 12:30 p.m.
The Firemen’s Waterball Competition is on Front Street at 1 p.m.
Cowchip Bingo and the BBQ Wars begin at 2 p.m.
The Marine Mammal Center will have a margarita booth and the Jaycees will be serving beer.
Food ranges from Indian tacos, elephant ears, kettle corn, Mexican, sandwiches, chicken wings and Taylor’s Sausage.
Vendors will close at 6 p.m. and Front Street will open to traffic at 8 p.m. Fireworks will begin sometime from 9 to 9:30 p.m., when it’s dark enough. Tune into KPOD, KCRE or AM 1240 for the soundtrack to the fireworks.
The $30,000 fireworks show is the biggest draw for outsiders, Zottola said.
“The fireworks bring thousands and thousands of people to Del Norte County to spend the Fourth of July with us,” Zottola said, “which in turn, is beneficial to our businesses, city and county and the community in general.”
Fewer towns have fireworks shows these days, she said, which is one reason why so many people come to Crescent City to see “what’s promised to be a great show.”
Reach Kelley Atherton at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
