Slice of Americana: 4th of July in Buena Vista
Articles - Life In BV

Buickby: Allison Abdelnour

Flashes of red, white and blue streak through the air as confetti of candy and smiles, clowns, characters, and cowboys grace the main street of our town with their joy, sense of community, and patriotism. It is hard to resist attending Buena Vista’s annual Fourth of July Celebration where throngs of people and children with their star spangled face paint and blue ribboned pony tails come out every year to line the sidewalks and watch the procession of everythingBVmainst from rodeo queens, to politicians, classic cars, carriages pulled by fancy horses, to our hometown girls softball team.

This year, as is the tradition, the day will begin with a pancake breakfast sponsored by the Optimists club at 7 am to be held in Columbine Park.UncleSam From there it is time to get ready for the parade either by saving a spot on the sidewalk with your favorite lawn chair or by meeting at 9:30 at the courthouse, parade attire in tow so that you can actually be in the parade. Kids are invited to decorate their bikes or pets and bring them along for the parade as well. The procession officially starts at 10 am. Hot Dogs and hamburgers will be sold by the Rotary Club and slices of pie by Young at Heart. After the parade, there will be kids’ games in the park.

Other additional activities that will be happening during the holiday are the arts and crafts show in McPhelemy Park and the opening day of the annual quilt show at the Community Center. The Buena Vista Heritage Museum will be open to the public for free for this day as well. ChoicesFourth1 for evening entertainment abound as there will be a street dance at 6pm on Main Street and a performance by Carin Mari & Pony Express at the Orpheum Theatre at 6:30pm.

To top the evening off, you can head up to the rodeo grounds at dusk for the fireworks display. For anyone who has not had the experience of watching giant bursts of color against the backdrop of the Collegiate peaks at twilight, this is a must see event.

With its multifaceted personality, Buena Vista is at times peaceful and sleepy and at other times vibrant with adventurers and festival attendees, but there is not much that compares to the Fourth of July celebration. On this particular day, community members and visitors alike from all walks of life and interests come together on Main Street to celebrate the birth of our country.


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