Fourth of July sparkles in northern communities

By Cherry Sokoloski
North Forty News

The Fourth of July is always a bang-up good time in the small towns and communities of northern Colorado. Patriotic celebrations are the tradition in Wellington and Red Feather Lakes. For folks who like bigger crowds, Fort Collins has plenty going on, too. Check out these activities for a sparkler of a Fourth.

Wellington

With July 4 on a Sunday, several Wellington churches have organized an All-Community Worship Service as part of the Independence Day celebration. Everyone is invited to attend the service, set for 8:15 a.m. at 3seven12 on Cleveland Avenue. Participating churches are River of Life, Wellington Community Church, Zion Lutheran and United Methodist.

Don't miss the annual pancake breakfast, served from 7 to 10 a.m. at The Filling Station at the corner of Fourth and Cleveland.

After breakfast, it's time for all parade participants to check in at the corner of Cleveland and Wellington Boulevard. Check-in is from 7 to 9:30 a.m. People may read the parade rules and register online at www.townofwellington.com under "Community Activities." There is no charge to register. This year's theme is "Patriotism." Prizes will be awarded in three categories: floats, autos and walking groups.

The Wellington Town Board will be riding high in the Radical Flyer, the 10-foot-tall wagon built by Wes Messick. It will be in town throughout the day.

Longtime Wellington resident Paul Ridnour will be grand marshal for the parade this year.

New this year is a Tractor and Truck Area, located one block north of Washington Avenue off County Road 7. Events will include a tractor show, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; a tractor pull from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.; and a truck pull at 1 p.m.

The Northern Plains Car & Truck Show is celebrating its 20th year with a big show at Centennial Park downtown, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. This annual favorite showcases all kinds of vehicles, from muscle cars to rat rods and custom jobs. There are also categories for trucks and teen-owned vehicles. For participants, the pre-entry fee is $15 and day-of-show fee is $20. Admission is free.

The Family Fun Fest goes from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Library Park, complete with music, food and games. Live music until 4:30 p.m. will be provided by the Barely Gettin' By band as well as folk musicians John Shaffer and Billy Varn.

For children, there's a Kids' Zone Inflatable Area, plus a cake/cookie walk and much more. The Wellington Town Board will host a free ice cream social from 2 to 3 p.m. At 2:30 and 4:30 p.m., the Suicidal Lifestyles Stunt Team will perform motorcycle tricks.

Free shuttle service will be available for transportation to Library Park, Centennial Park and the tractor area.

Of course, the grand finale of the patriotic celebration is the fireworks show, which begins at dusk near Library Park. The fireworks show is put on by the Wellington Volunteer Fire Department, while daytime activities are sponsored by the Community Activities Commission.

Red Feather Lakes

Red Feather Lakes has three days of fun and fishing planned for the Fourth of July weekend.

Jordan McNally will finish her reign as Red Feather Lakes Princess during the festivities. She is the daughter of Dennis and Cyndi McNally and granddaughter of Delbert and Janet McNally. A senior at Arvada High School, her interests include marching band and shooting sports.

Traditional Fourth of July activities will get underway on July 2 with a special bingo session at 7 p.m. in the POA building.

Saturday is filled with activities. The annual Arts and Crafts Fair takes place in the POA buildings and the fire barn from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Kids' Fishing Contest will lure children and youth to Ramona Lake. Registration for youngsters ages 4 through 8 is at 8:30 a.m., with fishing to follow. Youth from 9 to 14 will register at 10 a.m. Prizes will be awarded at 12:30 p.m. at the helipad behind the POA building.

For those who didn't catch fish for lunch, a free barbecue is planned for 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., served by Morning Star Church. Donations will be accepted. The annual parade follows at 2 p.m., and the fireworks display begins at dusk at Hiawatha Lake.

Also on Saturday, the Lions Club will add 15 new names to the Veterans Memorial at 3 p.m. at the Red Feather Lakes Community Park. Bring a lawn chair and enjoy patriotic music, a color guard and dedication of a park bench and stone picnic table.

On Sunday morning, the Red Feather Lakes Lions Club will host a pancake breakfast at the POA building from 7:30 to 10:30 a.m. The new Red Feather Lakes Princess will be crowned at the 3 p.m. meeting of the POA. The weekend will wrap up with an evening bingo session at 7 p.m. and a raffle drawing at 8 p.m.

Poudre Canyon

The annual Lower Poudre Canyon garage sale and cookout is set for July 2, 3 and 4 at the Poudre Park Community Center. It's located 10 miles up the Poudre Canyon Highway. Hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday.

The cookout will include hotdogs, hamburgers, brats and breakfast burritos, plus homemade pies and ice cream, soft drinks and coffee. This year, garage sale funds will be used to purchase new kitchen equipment for community use.

For more information or to make donations to the sale, call Jan Gueswel at 484-3844.

LaPorte

Visitors to LaPorte will have a chance to immerse themselves in local history on July 3. The 1882-1883 Fort Collins Water Works will be open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. for an open house, hosted by the Friends of the Water Works. The Poudre Landmarks Foundation owns the historic property. Info: 221-0533 or www.poudrelandmarks.com.

Livermore

Livermore Fire Protection District will hold its annual open house on July 3, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Livermore Fire Station, just west of the Forks Café on County Road 74E (Red Feather Lakes Road). Firefighters will serve hamburgers, hotdogs and other refreshments to friends, neighbors and anyone heading up to Red Feather Lakes for the fireworks show. They will also offer cold drinks on the road to those passing by.

Visitors are invited to check out the fire department's plans for expansion and see its firefighting equipment. There will also be a silent auction for works of art donated by local artists.

Also on July 3, Livermore Community Church hosts a free ice cream social and hymn sing starting at 6:30 p.m.

Fort Collins

Old Town Square will be the center of daytime activities for the Fourth of July in Fort Collins. The area will feature a beer garden as well as live entertainment from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Bands include Soul Proprietor, The Informants and The 3 Twins.

A free shuttle is available to City Park for the evening fireworks display. Buses will run from 5:30 until 10:30 p.m. and can be caught at the Downtown Transit Center and CSU Moby Arena. Fireworks over Sheldon Lake will begin at dusk, about 9:30 p.m.

The Avery House at 328 W. Mountain Ave. will celebrate the holiday in turn-of-the-century fashion. From 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., visitors will be able to play croquet and ring toss, tour the Avery House, try on vintage attire and enjoy other 1890s activities with period music. There will also be ice cream, hot dogs, lemonade and popcorn all day. Admission is free. Info: 221-0533 or www.poudrelandmarks.com.