Thursday, March 28, 2024
 
Click HERE to sign up to receive Eye On Sun Valley's Daily News Email
 
Fourth of July Activities Aim to Keep You Busy From Dawn to Dusk
Loading
   
Monday, July 3, 2017
 

STORY AND PHOTOS BY KAREN BOSSICK

Tour a flood-ravaged preserve. Run in a tutu. And try your hand at bull riding during the Wood River Valley’s busy Fourth of July celebration.

The Wood River Valley may not have the population of Boise, Idaho Falls or Pocatello. But it always manages to come up with one of the busiest Fourth of July celebrations in the state. And this year is no different.

“From the pancake breakfast at 7:30 in the morning to fireworks at dusk there’s something going on all day long,” said Richard Stahl, president of The Chamber of the Wood River Valley. “I’ve been to a lot of small town Fourth of July celebrations and Hailey’s is certainly one of the coolest. Everyone turns out for the parade, and the rodeo and the RiverFest. It’s a big day in Hailey—come one, come all.”

Here’s a look at some of the major activities:

PANCAKES GALORE: Blaine County’s 4H Leadership Council is serving a breakfast of pancakes, eggs, bacon sausage and more from 7:30 to 10 a.m. Tuesday at the Grange Hall in Ketchum. Tickets are $5 per person or $15 for a family.

TUTUS AND TENNIS SHOES: Warm up for the Fourth with this new 5K fun run and walk supporting  Sun Valley Ballet. Even men get to wear tutus in this run, said Aimee Durand.

Pre-register at www.tutusandtennisshoes5k.com. Registration includes a free hot dog, beer and lemonade following the run, which begins at 9 a.m. at Meriwether Building on North First Avenue near Atkinsons' Market.

ANTIQUE FAIRS: Find that perfect one-of-a-kind something at the 4th of July Antique Market at Roberta McKercher Park. The fair runs 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. today and on the Fourth. Hailey’s Main Street Antique Art and Craft Market runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. today—Monday, July 3—at the north end of Hailey’s Main Street next to McDonald’s. And you can even catch an antique show in Ketchum next to Forest Service Park at First and Washington streets.

BLOODY MARY CHALLENGE: Five restaurants will host a Bloody Mary Challenge for bragging rights for the best of the so-called sunrise libation from 10 a.m. to noon. The five are Sun Valley Brewery, Red Shoe, Zou 75, Restaurant 103 and the Hailey Hotel.

“There’s no official judging so I guess everyone can claim to be a winner,” said Stahl. “I think the idea is primarily to encourage a party atmosphere.”

Food vendors will also set up for a pre-parade party in front of the Hailey Public Library on Croy and Main from 10 a.m. to noon.

PARADE: The Days of the Old West Parade starts at noon near Main and Myrtle streets and heads south on Main.

“It’s a good Fourth of July parade,” pronounced Omar Quinonez. “Lots of candy!”

Hundreds of people lined Hailey’s Main Street during last year’s parade, watching as grand marshal R.L. Rowsey banged away on an upright piano as his float of singers sang “Yankee Doodle Dandy.”

This year’s grand marshal is Hailey Fire Chief Craig Aberbach, who has been a force to be reckoned with since moving to the valley from Florida.

Aberbach  not only provided a 24/7 presence on the flood lines during the past two months but he started a program for high school students to learn the ropes of volunteer fire fighting. And he championed a program recognizing valley youth for good deeds.

ROAD APPLE ROULETTE: Cast your fate with the horse’s rump for a chance to win great prizes during the parade. Five bucks gets you a square on the street. If a horse drops  road apples on that square, you could win anything from $5,000 cash to a week in Mexico or Sun Valley to a 15-day ski pass from Sun Valley Company to an antique ski lift chair and a 42-inch HD TV.

Get your tickets online by going to www.roadappleroulette.com or purchase tickets at the parade site until noon July 4.

RIVERFEST: The flooding that has soaked the Draper Preserve has abated just in the nick of time to allow the Wood River Land Trust to hold its third annual RiverFest from 1 to 5 p.m. following the Days of the Old West Parade.

The free event, sponsored in part by Twin Falls Subaru, will be bigger than ever, with a new Kid’s Carnival put on by Spirit n’ Motion, a Trout Unlimited Kids’ Casting Clinic, Rock Painting hosted by the Friends of the Hailey Library and a chance to win a Stand Up Paddle Board package valued at more than $1,000.

Rebecca Scott and Up a Creek Band will provide live music. There’ll be a beer garden and food and craft vendors. The Land Trust will offer guided nature walks of the flood-ravaged preserve. And Toni’s Ice Cream will hand out free scoops while supplies last.

The Draper’s Preserve and Lion’s Park is located a few blocks from Main Street near the Big Wood River and Bullion Street. Attendees are encouraged to walk as a mountain of snow plowed from city streets still sits in the parking lot.

RiverFest is sponsored by The Chamber of the Wood River Valley, Rocky Mountain Hardware, Idaho Lumber , Twin Falls Subaru and the Wood River Land Trust.

JERSEY GIRL PATIO PARTY: DJs will spin tunes and Jersey Girl will provide yard games following the parade at 1:30 p.m. at the eatery on Croy Street.

DEWEY, PICKETTE & HOWE: The Wood River Valley’s longstanding blue grass band will provide free pickings from 2 to 5 p.m. on the afternoon of the Fourth in Sun Valley Village. There’ll be face painting, wagon rides, lawn games, a bouncy house, spider jump and photo booth from 2 to 6 p.m.

RODEO: Try your hand at wrangling lambs and bulls at the 70th annual Days of the Old West Rodeo  through Tuesday, July 4, at the Hailey Rodeo Arena.

The Sawtooth Rangers Riding Club puts on the rodeo, which is sanctioned by the Intermountain Pro Rodeo Association.

The rodeo begins at 7:30 each night, preceded at 6:30 p.m. by pre-rodeo events, such as freestyle reining and the queen competition.  Wannabe rodeo competitors can sign up for the Mutton Bustin’ contest, held during pre-rodeo events tonight—Monday, July 3. And aspiring bull riders are invited to take part in the Hometown Bull Riding Competition before the July 4 rodeo by contacting Jack Flolo at 208-721-1154.

Tickets purchased in advance at Atkinsons’ Markets in Ketchum, Hailey and Bellevue are $11 for adults and $6 for children 10 and under. The price increases to $15 and $10 for tickets at the gate.

ON ICE: Sun Valley on Ice kicks off another season with the sparkling pizzazz of 2017 U.S. Gold Medalist Karen Chen. She will be joined by the skating pairs team and 2017 U.S. Silver Medalists Madison Chock and Evan Bates. Fireworks over Dollar Mountain will conclude the show, which begins at dusk. For tickets go to www.sunvalley.com or visit Sun Valley’s Recreation Office in the Sun Valley Mall.

HAILEY FIREWORKS—The fireworks, paid in part from the  raffle of a motoped, will start at dusk in the fields on the east side of Hailey near Quigley Canyon and Wood River High School. Timed for the conclusion of the rodeo, they can be viewed from the rodeo grandstands and most other areas of Hailey.

~  Today's Topics ~


Lou Whittaker Leaves Behind a Legacy of Mountaineering and Storytelling

Free Range Poetry Society to Hold Second Gathering Tonight

Easter Bunny to Begin Hopping Friday
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Website problems? Contact:
Michael Hobbs
General Manager /Webmaster
Mike@EyeOnSunValley.com
 
Got a story? Contact:
Karen Bossick
Editor in Chief
(208) 578-2111
Karen@EyeOnSunValley.com
 
 
Advertising /Marketing /Public Relations
Leisa Hollister
Chief Marketing Officer
(208) 450-9993
leisahollister@gmail.com
 
Brandi Huizar
Account Executive
(208) 329-2050
brandi@eyeonsunvalley.com
 
 
ABOUT US
EyeOnSunValley.com is the largest online daily news media service in The Wood River Valley, publishing 7 days a week. Our website publication features current news articles, feature stories, local sports articles and video content articles. The Eye On Sun Valley Show is a weekly primetime television show focusing on highlighted news stories of the week airing Monday-Sunday, COX Channel 13. See our interactive Kiosks around town throughout the Wood River Valley!
 
info@eyeonsunvalley.com      Press Releases only
 
P: 208.720.8212
P.O. Box 1453 Ketchum, ID  83340
LOGIN

© Copyright 2023 Eye on Sun Valley