There are many safer alternatives to shooting your own fireworks, leaving it to the professionals, including several Fourth of July celebrations that also have live music, parades and various other contests and festivities to enjoy before the nighttime spectacles begin. Hodgetown will host its Independence Day Celebration and fireworks shows as part of this weekend’s Sod Poodles game series, with the celebration set for Friday, July 4.
Here are a few of the major celebrations and annual traditions being held in the Amarillo and Canyon areas (weather permitting, and/or any unexpected changes to schedules).
Independence Day + 1
The City of Amarillo is hosting an Independence Day + 1 event in Amarillo with a beautiful display of fireworks and drones at John Stiff Memorial Park on Saturday, July 5. Festivities will include food, live music and a cornhole tournament.
Planned by the City of Amarillo’s Parks & Recreation Department in collaboration with Outdoor Amarillo, the event is free and begins at 3:30 p.m. and will continue through the evening, ending with fireworks and a summer themed drone production.
Parking will be available on-site with shuttles available from Amarillo High School or the Randall High School parking lot.
Closings and schedule adjustments: There will be adjusted hours for John Stiff Memorial Park and related city facilities for the Independence Day +1 Event. The Southwest Branch Library and Amarillo National Tennis Center will close at noon, and the Southwest Pool and the Warford Activity Center will be closed. Southwest 48th Street, between Bell Street and Parkside Drive, will close at 2 p.m. No street parking will be available on 48th Street on Saturday. The McDonald Lake parking lot and the area surrounding McDonald Lake, including the bike trails, as well as John Stiff Memorial Park, will close beginning at 10 p.m. on Friday, July 4 through midnight on Saturday, July 5.
4th of July Celebration in Canyon
The City of Canyon has one of the largest celebrations in the area with festivities starting early Saturday.
Held from 7 to 10 a.m., the Lions Club Pancake Breakfast begins the day at the Cole Community Center, where for $7, hungry patrons can get pancakes, sausage, coffee and juice to fuel their energy for the day ahead.
The 4th Avenue Firecracker Mile starts at 9:30 a.m. with the male race, followed by the female race starting at 9:45 a.m. Early registration is $25 per person, late registration is $35, and race day registration is $40.
The 4th of July Fair on the Square, one of the largest vendor events in the area, hosts more than 100 different booths, food trucks and fun activities for kids from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in downtown Canyon. The event brings in around 200,000 people to the town. With places to shop, eat, and repeat, the day will be one to remember.
Canyon’s Independence Day Parade begins at 10 a.m. at the east end of 4th Avenue at the First United Bank Center and heads west past the downtown square. “Peace, Love & Fireworks” is the theme for this year.
At dark, the fireworks show can be viewed at Paul Lindsey Park, sponsored by Canyon Economic Development Corporation.
Closings and schedule adjustments: All inner and outer parking around the square will close at 6 p.m. Friday. Beginning at 5 p.m., cars will start to be cleared, and any remaining cars may be towed. Alternative parking is available behind the Shops on Fifth Ave by Neblett Park or at the Canyon Police Department’s corner parking lot (4th Avenue and 15th Street).
For the parade, residential street intersections along 4th Avenue, from Russell Long Boulevard to 8th Street, will close starting at 8 a.m. Friday. These intersections will reopen around noon after the parade concludes. 4th Avenue will be closed to all through traffic starting at 8:00 a.m., and all cars should be removed from 4th Ave on the evening before. There will be controlled crossing points at Russell Long Boulevard, 23rd Street, and 11th Street. The street will reopen after the parade around noon, except between 15th and 17th Streets, which will remain closed until 3 p.m.
In the Paul Lindsey Park and the fireworks area, Ballpark Way/Pond Lane (surrounding the park) will close to through traffic starting at 3 p.m., and the baseball fields will also be closed. Residents and visitors should plan ahead for detours and parking.
Will Rogers Range Riders Rodeo
The 84th annual Will Rogers Range Riders Rodeo, which takes place each year over the Fourth of July weekend, is set for July 3-5 at the Will Rogers Range Riders Arena, located at 8829 FM Road 1541 in Amarillo.
Performances begin nightly at 7 p.m. Along with all the rodeo action, the event also includes mutton bustin’, live music, and the new Bob Matney Boot Race for Bikes. The concert band lineup includes Katie Beth Mihm, Jack Cryver and Bad Decisions and Cameron James Smith.
The Will Rogers Range Riders was formed in the late 1930s just as the Panhandle was pulling out of seven years of drought, dust storms and depression, according to the group’s website, and was the first riding club organized in Amarillo. The group’s name was a nod to American cowboy and humorist Will Rogers, who was also a trick roper, actor, author and philosopher. The organization was chartered on May 19, 1941 and incorporated on May 19, 1946.
Today, the organization has more than 150 members and operates an indoor arena, outdoor arena and horse boarding facilities. They host a variety of events including ropings, mounted shootings and trail rides. The rodeo is the largest of their events. Already sanctioned as a UPRA Rodeo, the Will Rogers Range Riders Rodeo was also sanctioned recently as a WRCA event.
Proceeds benefit the Will Rogers Range Riders Foundation and the WRCA Foundation, which help fellow cowboys in times of crisis and also provide scholarships for children of members.
For more information about the rodeo and a link to purchase tickets, visit their website https://wrrangeriders.com/ .
Fourth of July festivities at Lake Meredith and Fritch
The 4th annual Independence Day Celebration, held at various spots in Fritch, Lake Meredith, and Fritch Fortress Amphitheater, begins at 9 a.m. Saturday and features a full day of festivities. These include two parades, vendor booths, fish fry, and live music. Contests include a golf cart/ATV show, the annual Fritch box turtle race, chicken poo bingo and more.
The street parade starts at 9:30 a.m. from the Fritch City Park and heads to Broadway / Hwy. 136 and then ends at Hoyne Avenue. A boat parade will begin on the lake at 2 p.m., with various categories to win prizes including Best Theme, Most Original Decorations, and Most Enthusiastic Crew.
The fish fry will have fish, beans, cornbread and slaw, available for $10 per plate, at 101 N. Robey Ave. in Fritch, starting at noon until sold out.
The day is capped off by the big fireworks show lighting up the night sky, followed by a movie showing at the lake of “National Treasure.”
Events are hosted by hosted by the City of Fritch, Friends of Lake Meredith and Alibates, and the Lake Meredith Aquatic & Wildlife Museum.
And more
For the kiddos, families and and science lovers of all ages, the Don Harrington Discovery Center will have a spark-filled day of science fun called What a Blast! as they explore the science of combustion on Saturday, July 5. The day starts with a bottle rocket build and launch at 10:30 a.m. Attendees can see high-energy demos at noon and 2 p.m. and get a closer look at how fireworks really work with fiery experiments and explosive reactions in a Summer Science Spectacular. Then at 1 and 3 p.m., step back in time and explore fire-related artifacts from the experts at the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum. All special programming is included with general admission.
For a quieter reflection, at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, July 5, the Texas Panhandle War Memorial and the Randall County Master Gardeners will be hosting “Breakfast in the Garden” as part of the ongoing lecture/seminar series, “Reflections on the Military.” Enjoy a peace filled morning in the beautiful Veterans Garden with breakfast food rrucks, coffee, and a special garden treat; a guided garden tour and information booth; and a special presentation by Barbara Harrington, sharing the story of how the Red, White and Blue Garden was created. The event is free and open to the public at the center, located at 4111 S. Georgia. For more, follow them on Facebook and visit their website texaspanhandlewarmemorial.com
The 10th annual Fourth of July celebration by the City of Cactus will feature a parade, food trucks, cornhole and volleyball tournaments, live music, games, fireworks and more on Friday, July 4 in Marquez Park. All events are free and open to the public, with cash prizes for tournament winners. For more information, see the City of Cactus page on Facebook.
Among the many other celebrations happening throughout the Texas Panhandle region are Canadian’s 137th annual Fourth of July Celebration and Clarendon’s Saints’ Roost Celebration, both taking place Thursday through Saturday; and the Pampa Fourth of July festivities on Friday.
Globe-News Managing Editor Kristina Wood contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Fireworks shows, Fourth of July events for Amarillo, Canyon area and more
Reporting by Nell Williams, Amarillo Globe-News / Amarillo Globe-News
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