Mark your calendars and put big red, white and blue stars and stripes on it. Spur will be celebrating the 4th of July with an expanded holiday tradition, “Fourth on Burlington,” on Friday, July 4, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Festivities get underway with a patriotic parade along Burlington Avenue, a continuation of an Independence Day event in recent years that has honored local veterans and featured classic cars and other vehicles. The parade will assemble by 9:30 a.m. at the Spur Coop Gin yard on Loop 21 south of town and travel north on Burlington, turning left on East 1st Street and coming back south along Willard Avene.
Afterward, visitors can enjoy a menu of midday activities in the newly landscaped Rickels Park at 3rd and Burlington—and envision the mural by local artist Vicki Glass Diggs soon to begin on the newly repaired Spur Ex-Student Association building abutting the park.
Following the parade, at approximately 10:45 a.m., there will be a flagraising ceremony at the newlyrefurbishedmemorial flagpole to honor all area veterans for their service. According to Marcella Bilberry, whose family helped repaint the pole, local textiles expert Becky Jones repaired the U.S. flag that belongs to the City of Spur, for the purpose.
Afterwards, the Spur Area Chamber of Commerce will fire up the grills and offer a picnic meal with either a hamburger or hot dog, chips, cookie and drink for only $5.
Plus, there’ll be lawn games for the kiddos and the young at heart, and a special Cornhole Raffle game, where one lucky winner, gets to take home the Cornhole game.
One of the most fun events on tap for Fourth on Burlington will be the Homemade Ice Cream making contest. Many locals remember recent 4th of July festivities that featured a hotly contested competition for bragging rights for the best creation of the cool treat, and this year’s showdown should generate a lot of yummy entries as well.
Ice cream contest entries should be brought to the park bandstand area at noon, and samples will be served for $1 a scoop while they last.
Lawrence Brothers IGA of Spur has donated the prizes for the ice cream contest, $100 gift card for first place, $75 for second place and $50 for third place.
Fourth on Burlington should wrap up in plenty of time for families to enjoy an afternoon at the Swenson Park Pool, the Spur golf course, the Dickens Spring, or local shopping and dining.
If locals are looking for fireworks Friday evening, they don’t have too far to go. White River Marina will once again provide a fireworks display over the lake at dusk, and Kent County Nursing Home is making preparations for fireworks in Jayton.
