By Mary Owen
There are several choices for fireworks fans this month.
In Stayton, viewers thrill to the annual 4th of July fireworks display from the grounds of Stayton Middle School.
“The theme for this year is ‘Our Flag Still Stands For Freedom,’” said Dinah Potter, one of the organizers of the Stayton events.
The day’s celebrations kick off with the Habitat for Humanity Breakfast and ends with a 45-minute fireworks display, sponsored by the Stayton Lions Club.
The Stayton Moose Lodge will serve its popular barbecue beef dinner, including potato salad and baked beans 6 – 8 p.m. The group has also taken over the concessions stand formerly run by the Manta Rays swim club.
A Stayton tradition, the Grand Parade lines up on Regis Street starting at 1:30 p.m., with judging at 3 p.m. and ribbons given to all winners before the parade begins at 4. Civic and service groups, businesses and individuals will parade through town from 4 to 6 p.m. with prizes for top participants. Organized by the Stayton Moose Lodge, the Grand Parade will have entry categories ranging from cars, floats and horses to marching bands, Potter said.
Always popular, the Stayton Road Runners’ 30th annual Runs and Walk for Hope will benefit the National Kidney Foundation again this year. Both the 10K and 3K runs and 3K walk will take place on asphalt surfaces. The miles are marked, and organizers say the courses are excellent for the competitive runner, fun runner and walker.
The event begins with registration at 8 a.m. at the Stayton Community Center, with the race starting an hour later. Cost to enter is $9 on the day of the race and runners under 18 will need a parent’s signature to participate. Ribbons will be awarded to the top three male and female finishers in five-year age groups from 14-and-under to 70-and-over in each race and the top six male and female finishers overall in the walk. Coupons for the local pancake breakfast will be awarded. Gallagher Fitness Resources drawings will be held. A limited number of T-shirts will also be available for an additional fee.
For more information, call Jonathan Clark at 503-930-9887.
Here are other new and returning activities:
7a.m.-11:30 a.m.: Habitat for Humanity will host its annual SLAMMS’ Chuck Wagon Breakfast at Stayton Elementary School. Cost is $7 for adults, $5 for children under 10 and seniors 65 and over. All proceeds go toward Habitat’s projects and donations will be accepted.
6-8 p.m.: Wanna-be singers can croon to tunes put on by Gary Baker Karaoke. Get there early for this popular event!
8-10 p.m.: JT and the Tourists perform music from the ‘50s to the ‘80s on stage.
Dusk: For more than three decades, the Stayton Lions Club has treated the community to a dazzling fireworks display, attracting thousands of viewers from throughout the Santiam Canyon and beyond. The display is funded by group and individual donations, collected at cans displayed at Rotary Fireworks booths. Donations can also be made at the registration desk for the parade, or mail to Stayton Lions Club, 4th of July, P.O. Box 98, Stayton, OR 97383. For information, call Jack Fiske at 503-769-6000.
No personal fireworks or alcohol will be allowed on the Stayton Middle School grounds. Viewers are encouraged to bring chairs and blankets to the event.
The patriotic celebration is sponsored by the Stayton Fourth of July Committee, which includes members of the Stayton Lions, Stayton Moose, Stayton Rotary, Stayton Road Runners, Stayton Printing, Stayton Cooperative Telephone Company, West Coast Bank, Canyon Advertiser and Community News, and many local volunteers. For contact information on any of the events or to get involved, call Potter at 503-769-8920 or visit www.staytonjuly4th.org.
MILL CITY
“Let Freedom Ring” is the theme of Mill City’s Old Fashioned Fourth of July celebration this year.
“It will be the place to be in the Canyon,” said Sheila Hoover, spokesperson for the event. “A horse shoe tournament, a pie baking contest and pie eating contest are all new events, and the parade route has changed. There is also a great music lineup at the fairgrounds at Kimmel Park each evening. And the coronation is back, this time with new categories for participants.”
Rumor has it that a medevac helicopter will land on the baseball field mid-afternoon on the Fourth of July, Hoover added.
“Folks are going to be able to take a peek inside it as well as watching the landing and take-off,” she said.
Hoover’s favorite event is the Grand Parade, she said.
“It’s the epitome of small town America, and I love the fact that Mill City takes the Fourth of July celebration so seriously, yet has such a great time celebrating!” Hoover said. “It’s also my Corgi Dillon’s favorite event because he gets to ride in the parade and be seen by all the spectators. I enjoy spending time in the park with the vendors and enjoying the food and beer garden while the music is happening, too. And I’m looking forward to the Mutt Show – a great chance for people to show off their dogs.”
At the Mutt Show will be adoptable dogs from the Albany and Salem humane societies. Hondo, a member of the Linn County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit, will also make an appearance.
And, of course, Hoover loves the fireworks.
“I’ve seen fireworks in many places around the country, including San Diego, Phoenix, Los Angeles and on the National Mall in Washington, DC, but the show that the Mill City Volunteer Fire Department puts on each year is right up there with the Washington, DC, show!”
Knowing her friends and neighbors are working hard to make the event successful is a bonus for Hoover.
“I’m a big-city girl who has come to call the Canyon home, and these are some of the reasons why I’m so happy living here,” she said.
The Coronation takes place at 3 p.m. on Saturday, June 29. Girls and boys ages 3-14 will compete for the titles of Sparkler, Firecracker, Liberty and Miss Fourth of July. The opening ceremony will take place during the event, followed by dessert hosted by the Mill City Women’s Club.
On Thursday July 4, festivities will kick off with the Lions Club Breakfast from 7 to 11 a.m., with eats and drinks available from The Wooden Nickel at Kimmel Park.
The Grand Parade begins at noon, and Vendors with food, crafts and other merchandise will display their wares all day. Music will be played by the Garage Band Blues, 7-10 p.m., prior to the fireworks display at 10 p.m., presented by the Mill City Volunteer Fire Department.
On Friday, July 5, Kimmel Park activities include the new horse shoe tourney, time to be arranged. The 37th annual Mutt Show will be held noon to 2 p.m. in the park followed by old-fashioned family games at 3 p.m. Silverton’s Ben Rue will perform from 7 to 1o p.m. to close out the day’s activities.
On Saturday, July 6, a softball tournament will be held all day at SJSHS field. Team space is limited. To sign up, call City Hall at 503-897-2302.
At Kimmel Park is the first annual pie baking and pie eating contests. Judging and contest is at 2 p.m. on stage. Beer gardens, food and music will continue, with Reckless Rockhounds performing at 7-10 p.m. Alcoholic beverages will be allowed only in the beer gardens.
For information, call 503-897-2302 or visit city hall at 228 SW Broadway St., Mill City.
DETROIT LAKE
On July 6, the night skies above the east end of Detroit Lake will light up with the latest in pyrotechnic technology, drawing more people to the lake than any other time.
“This year, the fireworks will be noticeably more spectacular,” said Bob Franz, a member of Detroit Lake Recreation Area Business Association, major sponsor for the annual event. “We’re going to have more fireworks than last year in the same amount or less time. It should be very awesome!”
Fireworks over the Lake first came to Detroit Lake a few years ago, and, according to Franz, is now an annual favorite, causing the tiny resort town of Detroit Lake to swell from a few hundred to thousands.
“People come from all over,” Franz said. “The hotels, motels and campgrounds fill, and the town is bustling with activity.”
The fireworks will shoot off at dusk (about 10 a.m.) just southeast of Kane Marina. South Shore and Cove Creek campgrounds as well as the state park are good areas to watch the hour-long display.
“Viewers who don’t own lakefront property can get a better view from the high school grounds or from some of the areas along Santiam Avenue,” Franz advised. “Viewers who used the day-use area at the end of Detroit Road South had their view blocked by trees and other obstacles. Viewing from a boat is still the optimal way to see the fireworks.”
Area campgrounds fill as early as January, and only the Oregon Department of Forestry camps, which are first-come, first-served, will offer last-minute opportunities for families interested in camping over the Fourth, organizers said.
Funds raised at Detroit’s annual Cruise In and Fishing Derby help to cover costs. Local residents, businesses (including all DLRABA members) and clubs also sponsor the popular show.
“Sponsorships are accepted directly for the fireworks as well,” Franz said.
Organizers encourage viewers to dress warmly and carry a high-power flashlight.
For more information, e-mail [email protected] or visit www.detroitlakeoregon.org.
