By Kathy Cook Hunter
Celebrating Independence Day, is an American tradition, and for many folks that means picnics, parades, concerts and, in the case of Silverton and Mt. Angel, two evenings of fireworks. The towns observe in the spirit of neighborly closeness and fun with a succession of events.
Silverton
In Silverton the celebration begins on Thursday, July 3, at The Oregon Garden. Admission to the Garden, which opens at 10 a.m., is free all day for Silverton residents; non-residents will be admitted free beginning at 6 p.m. Parking at The Garden will cost $5 per vehicle.
For concert ticket holders Teufel Amphitheater gates open at 5 p.m. at which time Wooden Nickel Catering will make food available. The menu includes vegetable yakisoba with ginger chicken, Santa Fe chicken wrap, Philly cheese steak sandwich, homemade sausage and bun, nachos and curly fries. Dessert is multi-berry shortcake.
The concert begins at 7 p.m. with Alexis and her Bump in the Road Band opening for the John Cowan Band. Tickets are $10 for Silverton residents and $15 for non-residents. Garden members can buy theirs at the Garden gift shop to receive a 10 percent discount. Tickets also can be purchased at Mac’s Place in Silverton, Wooden Nickel in Silverton or Sublimity or TicketsWest in the Lancaster Road Safeway in Salem; at Wooden Nickel online or TicketsWest online; or by calling TicketsWest, 800-992-8499.
Beginning as the sky darkens after sunset is a spectacular fireworks display.
On Friday, July 4, downtown Silverton showcases Old Stuff on Main Street, An American Antiques Fair from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Main Street between Water and First streets will be lined with vendors displaying their antiques and collectibles. Silverton’s First Friday, when galleries and merchants host festivities, falls on the 4th this month, so some businesses plan to move events into the afternoon, while others will be open the usual 7-9 p.m. for evening strollers.
Mt. Angel
Plenty of fun, food and fireworks are out there for holiday celebrants in Mt. Angel, too. The Fourth of July dawns with Boy Scouts serving breakfast, 7 to 9 a.m. at Mt. Angel Middle School, 460 E Marquam, Adults $5, children and seniors $4.
The parade gets under way at 11:10 a.m. in downtown Mt. Angel following the 11 a.m. glockenspiel performance and the playing of the national anthem. Floats will proceed from Garfield and Church streets on Church Street, east on Taylor Street to Birch Street, then take Marquam Street to John F. Kennedy High School.
A barbecued chicken or ribs lunch, $9, will be available after the parade at the middle school. Then it’s time to watch the shenanigans of fire department volunteers in a 1 p.m. water fight.
At about the same time the Radio Control Flyers, a remote-control small-airplane club, perform antics in the air with their planes. This event also begins at 1 p.m. at the field behind the middle school and may continue for some time, according to Shawna Pier of the Mt. Angel Chamber of Commerce committee organizing events.
At 7 p.m. dinner begins at JFK High School’s sports plaza as the Knights of Columbus organization serves Oktoberfest sausages and strawberries and ice cream, each for $2.50.
The Boy Scouts are planning a flag retirement ceremony at 8 p.m. in the stadium area. The ceremony is held to formally retire tattered American flags.
The Marion County Citizens Band performs 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the high school stadium, just before the fireworks show begins at dusk. Donations to help defray expenses of the fireworks display are welcome, said Joe Borschowa of the chamber organizing committee. Make checks payable to the Mt. Angel Chamber of Commerce/Fireworks Donation, P.O. Box 221, Mt. Angel, OR 97362.
