Fourth of July festivities scheduled throughout the Flathead
The Fourth of July falls on a Wednesday this year, right in the middle of the week, which could affect all those workers hoping for a three-day weekend. For those with only one day off, there’s still plenty to do:
• Staging for the Lakeside boat parade will be at 1:30 p.m. in the Lakeside Bay, directly in front of The Docks restaurant.
The parade will begin at 2 p.m. with the blowing of “Lucille” the Nordic Tug Boat’s horn.
Participants are encouraged to dress their boat in its patriotic finest. Judges will determine which boats in the flotilla are the most decorated and most patriotic.
To be judged, participants must have a hand-held sign on at least a 22x28-inch poster board naming their boat, crew or theme to show to the judging boat while sailing past.
The winning boats will be listed on a reader board in front of Joe Blogz in Lakeside, the Captains can collect their gift certificates at the desk inside.
For more information, call Holly Larson at 253-8088, Bob Lincoln at 253-5014, or Tip Clark at 249-2240.
• A big fireworks display is set off from a barge in Lakeside Bay on Flathead Lake beginning about 11 p.m.
• Bigfork’s annual downtown parade will start at noon, followed by a children’s carnival, and the Ducks for Bucks race for the Wild Mile starting at 4 p.m. For more information, call 837-5888. The second annual Freedom 5K Run/Walk will start at Brookies Cookies with registration at 7:30 a.m. and the race beginning at 8:30 a.m. For more information, call 240-9278.
• Kalispell’s annual downtown parade will start at 10 a.m. followed by a memorial ceremony at Depot Park, the annual Conrad Mansion ice cream social and a flyover by two F-15C jets from the 120th Fighter Wing in Great Falls. For more information, call 758-2800.
• The typically outrageous Polebridge parade up the North Fork will start at noon. The Northern Lights Saloon will have an outdoor barbecue, and the Spring Wagon String Band will play outside in the afternoon after the parade ends and again in the evening. The event draws 1,000 to 2,000 people. No fireworks are allowed. For more information, call 888-9963.
• In Whitefish, the Montana Band will bring their 25th anniversary tribute tour to the Great Northern Veterans Peace Park for a free concert with country, rock and bluegrass music. House of Quist will open the show at 5 p.m., with the Moonshine Mountain taking the stage at 6:45 p.m. and the Montana Band closing the show beginning at 8:30 p.m. The park is located behind the Whitefish Cemetery off Montana 93 west of town. The big fireworks display at City Beach will start at 10 p.m. For more information, call 862-3501.
• Fireworks are illegal inside the city limits of Columbia Falls.