Not just any Friday, though. It's the Fourth of July. And in Seward, that means everyone and their cousin comes to town. With the weather looking pretty much picture perfect for tomorrow, and the fact that Friday starts a three-day weekend, I'm anticipating a big crowd. Woo hoo!
So what will my day look like? Well, I'm planning on starting things with the anvil firing and the community prayer service. That's the best way to start the Fourth of July - with a bang. No, it's more like a BOOOOM that rattles windows and teeth. Watching the Boy Scouts raise the flag and hearing the people who come to the morning service sing patriotic songs is a great way to start. Then I'll probably walk through the displays at the civic center. This year's theme is "There's No Place Like Home," so there will be a display of memorabilia from "The Wizard of Oz" movie, which celebrates its 75th anniversary this year.
I'll come back to the bandshell area for the pet parade, the cloggers (who blow my mind every year with their skill and enthusiasm), the apple pie eating contest and the band concert. I'll swing over to the pole vault competition and the water fights, which feel awesome on a really hot day. I'll have to stop by one of the food stands for lunch, and I'll probably take that to the office to sit out of the sun and rest for a few minutes.
I'll be checking in on the nine students who will be out and about helping us cover the day. They've been assigned stories and photos to get throughout the celebration.
Then there's the parade which starts at 4 p.m. It's kind of the culmination of the day's events and the final hurrah for the downtown activities. Then everyone migrates to the baseball fields for the fireworks, which don't start until it's dark. But people take frisbies and other things to play with, and there's a band concert in the park to help pass the time, as well. I probably won't get up to the fireworks this year. Instead I'll come home and watch the Capitol Fourth on TV. Fewer bugs.
It's a full day, that's for sure. But it's a good day. I won't make it to every event, but I'll get to as many as I can. Even if I just stop in for a few minutes at a concert, and there are a couple I'd like to hear a bit of, I can check that off the list.
On a semi-related note, I learned that today is actually the 200th anniversary of the Star Spangled Banner. Two hundred years ago, Francis Scott Key watched the bombardment of Fort McHenry and wrote a poem celebrating the flag's survival. Cool.
Have an awesome Fourth of July, everyone. Be safe.
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