4th Of July — This year’s celebration will be one to remember

In the hustle and bustle of our fast paced lifestyles, it seems nearly impossible to capture the Norman Rockwell moments of the past.  Fortunately there are still communities, like Oak Harbor, whose Old Fashioned Fourth of July is reminiscent of yester-year.

“This year’s celebration will be one to remember,” said Jill Johnson, Executive Director of the Oak Harbor Chamber of Commerce.

On Thursday, July 2, the Carnival arrives.  Discount pre-sale tickets are available through Wednesday at the Oak Harbor Chamber of Commerce.  The Carnival runs through Sunday July 5 and is open from approximately Noon- 9 pm each day.

The festivities start Saturday, July 4, at 11:00 am with the Whidbey Island Bank Grand Parade. The parade is organized by the Oak Harbor Rotary Club and roars to life with a thunderous Navy Flyover.  A highlight of this year’s parade is sure to be the Navy Band Northwest,

The Band is under the direction of Chief Musician Patrick Hawes and Drum Major Musician First Class Jon Beebee.

“This is the band you see at in the Seattle SEAFAIR parade,” said Johnson, “It is amazing to have them here, and we are grateful to the folks at NAS Whidbey and the Oak Harbor Rotary who worked so hard to make this happen.”

In addition to Navy Band Northwest, the parade will also feature the Vancouver Firefighters Band who will march through twice ensuring the 85-entry parade stays lively and patriotic.

Following the parade the activities shift to Windjammer Park where venders will line the sidewalks selling crafts, sunglasses and painting faces.

The highlight of this modified street fair is undeniably the food vendors, whose tempting flavors range from slow-cooked BBQ to authentic Lumpia.

This year music lovers will not be disappointed as the Vancouver Firefighters Band will play at 1:30 pm at the Gazebo in Windjammer Park.  Their rendition of the Star Spangled Banner will kick-off the games and activities scheduled for the day.

At 2:00 the family games begin with a community egg toss, followed by pie eating and jalapeño eating contests, a sack race and a hula-hoop competition.

“The games are always a highlight of the day.  It’s fun to see the kids competing and enjoying themselves,” shared Johnson.

Once again the games will be announced by local radio station KWDB.

The celebration continues into the evening with live music from the An-O-Chords Barbershop Chorus at 7 pm and the Vancouver Firefighters Band at 9 pm.

“Our hope is that the addition of the music will add to the Independence Day Celebration and be something that the crowds will enjoy,” Johnson said.

The explosive conclusion of the day is of course the Pioneer Tree Services Grand Fireworks Display which is scheduled for around 10:15 pm, or whenever local pyrotechnic Russ Mudder determines its dark enough.

This year’s display features $15,500 worth of fireworks which were paid for by donations from local businesses.

According to Johnson these local donations are the cornerstone of Oak Harbor’s Old Fashioned Fourth of July.

“We are thankful that we were able to continue this tradition this year.  Even in today’s economy, Oak Harbor has some of the most generous business leaders; proving that both the American and Oak Harbor spirit is alive and well.”