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Fun for the Fourth: A complete guide

The Daily Inter Lake | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 10 years, 6 months AGO
by The Daily Inter Lake
| July 2, 2014 9:00 PM

Unfurl your flags and get ready to celebrate America’s birthday. From parades to fireworks, Northwest Montana has plenty of fun planned Friday for the Fourth of July.

 ARLEE

The 116th Arlee Fourth of July Powwow starts today and continues through Sunday on the Flathead Indian Reservation grounds 90 miles south of Kalispell.

American Indian arts, crafts, stick games and dance competitions and drumming are scheduled throughout the week; various ethnic foods will be available.

July 4 events include the traditional snake dance at 2 p.m. Grand entry and competition dancing begin at 7 p.m.

The powwow is open to the public with free admission. Visit www.arleepowwow.com for more details.

BIGFORK

 The fourth Annual Freedom 5K Run/Walk begins at 8:30 a.m. in Bigfork. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. The race course will start at Brookies Cookies on Mill Avenue, run along the Swan River Nature Trail and back to Brookies. To register in advance, visit www.gratefulnationmontana.com. There will be T-shirts for the first 100 registrants. 

 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Bigfork is serving a free pancake breakfast from 9 to 11 a.m. In addition to pancakes, the menu will feature sausage, eggs and orange juice. The church is located at 121 Crestview Drive.

 Bigfork’s annual Good Old Fashioned Parade begins at noon. This year’s theme is “Celebrating America’s Heroes.” 

Co-grand marshals will be Hal Curtiss and members of Bigfork High School’s state championship basketball team. Music will be provided by the Community Band, which will play in front of the Bigfork Inn starting at 11:30 a.m. Members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legion honor guard will present the colors in front of the Bigfork Inn and Robin Gough will sing “The Star Spangled Banner.” 

Judging of parade entries will take place during the parade; awards will be given at the Bigfork Fire Hall barbecue in the afternoon. For a registration form and a list of parade entry rules, visit www.bigfork.org. 

Actress Suzette Dussault will march in the parade portraying U.S. Congresswoman Jeannette Rankin. Women are encouraged to march with her in honor of the 100th anniversary of Montana giving women the right to vote. Dussault will also give a historical presentation at 1:30 p.m. at a potluck picnic at the Swan River Community Hall. The presentation is free and open to public. For more information, call JoLynne Yenne at 756-8992.

Later in the afternoon, the Ducks for Bucks race will take place on the Swan River’s Wild Mile.

KALISPELL

 Kalispell’s Fourth of July parade starts at 10 a.m. Spectators will line Main Street the watch the parade featuring color guards, veteran and youth groups, floats, horse clubs and music.

Stop by the Conrad Mansion immediately after the parade for a free ice cream social. Guided tours also are available throughout the day at the mansion’s regular tour rates.

 Celebrate the Fourth at Woodland Water Park’s Red, White and Blue Day. The Kalispell park will have an open swim from noon to 3 p.m. for $3 per person. Free hot dogs will be served while they last. Call 758-7812 for more information.

LAKESIDE

 Make your way to Lakeside Bay for the annual Fourth of July boat parade on Friday afternoon. Staging will begin at 1:30 p.m. directly out from the Lakeside public boat launch area. A 10-foot tall Statue of Liberty will grace the bow of a 26-foot Stan Craft that will lead the parade. The parade will launch at 2 p.m., heading north to the Somers public boat launch. Dress your boat and yourselves in red, white and blue. 

The annual Lakeside fireworks display begins at 11 p.m. The fireworks are set off from a barge on Flathead Lake. Parking is permitted at the Lakeside Elementary School and the post office. The fireworks are synchronized to music: Tune in to 107.3 FM while you watch the show.

POLEBRIDGE

 The little town up the North Fork kicks off its festivities by installing a new American flag at 10 a.m. Beginning at about 11 a.m. folks will give a public reading from the Declaration of Independence.

The annual parade starts at noon. 

Anyone and everyone is invited to join this organic, spontaneous event. The public is invited to bring lawn chairs and picnic along the parade route, but is reminded that while open alcohol containers are permitted at the saloon and on public property, they are not allowed on the mercantile premises.

Music follows the parade starting at 2 p.m. at the Northern Lights Saloon. The Little Smokies bluegrass band headlines and will start playing at 4 p.m. A pig roast will also be available at the saloon. 

The Polebridge Mercantile will be open 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.

POLSON

 Join the sixth annual 1776 Firecracker Run down Main Street. The 1-kilometer family fun run starts at St. Joseph Medical Center. Registration opens at 11:15 a.m. and the race starts at 11:45 a.m. Cost is a nonperishable food donation for the Polson Food Pantry. Come dressed in red, white and blue.

The annual Fourth of July Parade begins at noon on Main Street. The theme this year is “Parade of Stars.”

A free community concert begins at 4 p.m. at Sacajawea Park. The Off in the Woods and Mission Mountain Wood Bands will play starting at 8 p.m., culminating with a fireworks show. Bring lawn chairs or blankets. No coolers are permitted. Food and beverage vendors will be on site.

TROY

Troy’s Old Fashioned Fourth of July festival kicks off at Roosevelt Park with a breakfast served beginning at 9 a.m. A community worship service also takes place at 9 a.m. at the Babe Ruth ball field.

The Tender Lovin’ Quilters display their handiwork in the Morrison Elementary gym from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday.

Troy’s Fourth of July parade starts at 11 a.m. Live music starts at noon and continues until after midnight.

A car show is scheduled from noon to 3 p.m.

Children’s field games will be start at 2 p.m.

The fireworks show begins at 11 p.m.

Bus service will be available after the parade with stops at Morrison Elementary, Troy Activity Center and Roosevelt Park.

WHITEFISH

 The 35th annual Whitefish Arts Festival Friday through Sunday features artists from across the country downtown at Depot Park on the corner of Spokane Avenue and Railway Street with a wide array of high-quality arts and crafts, from metal sculpture and ceramics to photography, jewelry and Montana-style art. 

Food vendors will be on site and live entertainment is scheduled throughout the festival. Kids can also get their faces painted.

Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Admission is free.

 At dusk, fireworks will illuminate the sky above Whitefish Lake. Float your boat or pick a spot at City Beach to park your blanket and picnic basket and gather the whole family for one of the best pyrotechnics shows around.

The professional pyrotechnics crew is planning a “mid-finale” before the actual finale, according to Whitefish Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Kevin Gartland.

“The audience will think the show is over, then it keeps going,” Gartland explained. “That should be fun.”

Eagle Transit will run a free shuttle bus to City Beach starting at 6 p.m. to and from the O’Shaughnessy Cultural Arts Center. The bus will operate until after the fireworks,

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