This year, America turns 226 years old.
The Fourth of July is celebrated nationwide as Independence Day because it was on this day in 1776 that members of the Second Continental Congress adopted the final draft of the Declaration of Independence and gained freedom from England.
While the event may lose historical meaning, the concept of freedom never does. Year after year, no matter how difficult the times, a patriotic feeling fills the air.
From barbecues to fireworks, the summer air says it all — freedom is something to be savored.
It is time of family and friends, a gathering of young and old, a day when peace exists among neighbors because America, despite all its differences, can celebrate one common bond — itself.
Americans have grown to value it intrinsically, but recent events in the world have shown how devastating it can be when freedom is taken away.
So this year, whether you plan to spend the day having a picnic with your family or attending a firework show, remember what the Fourth of July means to you and celebrate it.
The following outlines a few local events:
ARVADA
The 2004 Independence Day celebration, Celebrate Arvada, Then and Now, hosted by the city of Arvada, KOOL 105 Radio and the Arvada Festivals Commission, will begin at 3 p.m. Sunday, July 4, at the Lutz/Stenger Sports Complex, West 58th Avenue and Oak Street. This year, there will be more activities than ever before as the community celebrates Arvada’s 100th anniversary, as well as the national holiday.
On July 4, the entertainment will begin at 3 p.m. with two ball fields teeming with events for all ages. On the entertainment field (Field 8), live bands, provided by KOOL 105, will be performing all day. GT and the Sidewinders take the stage at 3:15 p.m., with good old American music with a modern twist. At 5 p.m., the 17th Avenue Allstars contribute their wide variety of styles, from the 1940s to the 1990s. The KOOL house band, the KOOL Cats, will close the entertainment with a performance from 7 to 9 p.m.
The Centennial Kids Park, presented by the North Jeffco Park and Recreation District and the Arvada Centennial Committee, is a new addition to the festivities this year. There will be a ribbon cutting with Mayor Ken Fellman at 3 p.m., followed by all-day face painting, sports, games, bounce houses and gymnastics demonstrations.
The Arvada Police Department will have its DARE booth and special cars on site, and the Arvada Fire Protection District will have vintage and contemporary fire trucks on display. The Arvada Citizen’s Police Academy will offer child identification fingerprinting, as well.
KOOL 105 will have a sneak preview of its annual car show, Hot Times, KOOL Cars, on site.
Community information and display booths also will be on hand, along with food and drinks for sale from booths and roaming vendors provided by the Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities banquet facilities.
The fireworks display will begin at 9 p.m., and KOOL will simulcast music with the display.
Parking for the free event is available by the Stenger soccer fields on the north side, in the Lutz complex off Oak Street and in the Red Rocks Community College Arvada campus lot. Handicapped parking is only in the lower Lutz complex lot, but must be entered from Oak Street. Lots open at 2 p.m. No parking is allowed on Kipling Street. Oak Street and West 58th Avenue will close at 6 p.m.
Fireworks, alcohol, charcoal grills and pets are not allowed in the Lutz/Stenger Sports Complex.
For information, call 720-898-7400 or visit www.arvadafestivals.com.
GOLDEN
The Golden Lions Club will host a day in Lions Park. The 33rd annual Golden Lions Club Fourth of July Festival will be held in Lions Park, 10th and Maple streets in Golden, Colorado. This daylong event will feature food, entertainment, live bands and will culminate with a fireworks show at 9:30 p.m.
Children can enjoy free paddleboat rides in the lake, a climbing wall and a trackless train. The Fourth of July Raffle, starting at 1 p.m., will feature a $1,000 grand prize. More than 100 prizes will be drawn and include items such as televisions, radios, patio furniture, camera equipment and camping.
Raffle tickets may be purchased from any Lions Club member for $1 each, or a book of 10 for $5. Winners are not required to be present during the raffle.
The Fourth of July Festival Raffle is a major fund-raiser for the Golden Lions and all proceeds from this family event go toward the club’s Community Betterment Fund. This fund has been used in the past to finance numerous construction projects around Golden.
The concession building at Ulysses Park, the restrooms at 12th and Arapahoe streets, the gazebos in Lion’s Park and picnic tables and benches at parks all around Golden have all been funded by the Community Betterment Fund. For more information, visit www.goldenlionsclub.org.
OTHER HOT SPOTS
July 3
Canyon Frontier Day will begin with a pancake breakfast at 7 a.m., a 5K run, parade, lunch, music, etc. in Coal Creek Canyon Community Center, 31528 State Highway 72.
July 4
The Indian Hills Volunteer Fire Department will host a day of activities, from a pancake breakfast to a parade, followed in the evening with fireworks over Mount Falcon and Pence Park. The activities will be at the Indian Hills Fire Station, three miles up Parmalee Gulch Road off Highway 285.
For more information, call 303-697-4568.