Red, White and Boom gets a head start on Independence Day
JOEL MARTIN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 8 months AGO
Fireworks burst in the sky over Moses Lake’s Centennial Amphitheater at a previous Red White and Boom celebration. This year’s event is Thursday.
FILE PHOTO
Attendees get ready to hear a concert at last year’s Red, White and Boom celebration.
Local rockers Dimestore Prophets will perform at Red, White and Boom Thursday.
Longtime Moses Lake musicians Lake City Blues will play free Thursday at Red, White and Boom.
Vendors offer something chilly to beat the heat at last year’s Red, White and Boom in Moses Lake.
Joel Martin has been with the Columbia Basin Herald for more than 25 years in a variety of roles and is the most-tenured employee in the building. Martin is a married father of eight and enjoys spending time with his children and his wife, Christina. He is passionate about the paper’s mission of informing the people of the Columbia Basin because he knows it is important to record the history of the communities the publication serves. | July 1, 2025 3:00 AM
MOSES LAKE — In some ways, Moses Lake is ahead of the curve. Independence Day celebrations are one of those.
Like last year, Moses Lake’s Red, White and Boom celebration will be held July 3. For several years before that, Independence Day festivities were held on the Saturday before July 4. The reason isn’t just because we love to be first out of the gate, said Moses Lake Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Director Doug Coutts.
“The fireworks company cannot come out for us on the Fourth of July,” Coutts said. “There’s only one that I’ve been able to find that provides the insurance and such that we need is at bigger cities doing larger events that pay more money.”
Holding the Independence Day festivities a little early makes for a more laid-back, after-work vibe, Coutts said. Besides the fireworks, there will be food vendors and two free concerts.
The concerts are part of the Moses Lake Creative District’s Summer Concert Series, and will showcase two well-established local bands: alt-rockers Dimestore Prophets and the traditional rhythm and blues band Lake City Blues.
“They’re really fun,” said Creative Programs Director Jenni Shelton, who arranges the summer concerts. “They’re upbeat and really, really entertaining.”
Going with local bands for the summer concert series rather than bringing in expensive big-name performers is a better use of the city’s money and gives locals a boost, Coutts said.
“We like to have the local guys,” he said. “(We’re) supporting the local groups that are out there that can play music. I think it's a great use of their talents, a great highlight for them and highlight for us to have them there … we've got a lot of great local talent here and as we continue down this road, I think we're going to get more and more groups showing up and wanting to be a part of this. So, I'm excited for it.”
Red, White and Boom
Moses Lake
McCosh Park
July 3
Dimestore Prophets 6:30 p.m.
Lake City Blues 8:30 p.m.
Fireworks show 10 p.m.
Attendees get ready to hear a concert at last year’s Red, White and Boom celebration.
Local rockers Dimestore Prophets will perform at Red, White and Boom Thursday.
Longtime Moses Lake musicians Lake City Blues will play free Thursday at Red, White and Boom.
Vendors offer something chilly to beat the heat at last year’s Red, White and Boom in Moses Lake.ARTICLES BY JOEL MARTIN
Space Burger booth open March 13-15
MOSES LAKE — Those who can’t wait for the Grant County Fair can get their Space Burger fix next weekend, according to an announcement from the Lioness Club of Moses Lake. The iconic Grant County sandwiches will be available at the Grant County Fairgrounds March 13-15, according to the announcement. There is no admission fee to get into the fairgrounds that weekend.
SENIOR EVENTS: March 2026
COLUMBIA BASIN — Plays, art shows, auctions and more await seniors in the Columbia Basin this month. Here are some opportunities to get out and about in March.
Valentine’s Day cards flood Brookdale Hearthstone with love
MOSES LAKE — Residents at Brookdale Hearthstone Assisted Living in Moses Lake got Valentine’s Day greetings from across the country last month. “I believe that the only states we have not received (cards from) yet are Vermont and Maine,” Lifestyle Director Imelda Broyles said Feb. 24. “We keep receiving new cards every single day. They have not stopped. My residents are in awe with every single one of the cards that we’ve been receiving.” The Hearts Across America project started as a way for children in school classrooms to exchange Valentine’s Day cards with classes in other states or even countries, but the idea has expanded to senior living facilities, according to the project’s social media.