Sandpoint’s Fourth to fall on the third

A Sunday Fourth of July will bring an extended holiday this year, with three-day weekends for federal and many other workers, and a few early Independence Day celebrations.

In Sandpoint, Independence Day events were shifted to July 3 in response to low turnouts in previous years when the holiday landed on Sunday. The circumstance brought small crowds and caused conflicts with Sunday church services, said Art Long, publicity chairman for the Sandpoint Lions Club.

“We just felt we could best honor the holiday correctly by doing it all on Saturday,” he said.

The parade route runs in front of several churches, and the string of about 100 entries would block several parking lots. Moving the event to Monday, the federal holiday, wouldn’t work because many would be headed home from vacation, he said.

Long said reactions were varied, with some people incensed at not having the celebration on the Fourth.

Bayview holds an annual Fourth of July “Bayview Daze” event on the weekend closest to the holiday.

“We always do it so we don’t conflict with other people’s fireworks,” said Liz Justice, an organizer for the three-day event with routine Saturday fireworks.

In Coeur d’Alene, the parade was bumped to noon Sunday to avoid church conflicts, said Brenda Young, events manager at the Coeur d’Alene Area Chamber of Commerce.

Fourth of July events around the area are listed below:

Coeur d’Alene

Events begin Friday with the 53rd annual Coeur d’Alene Kids’ Parade at 10 a.m. The parade will include about 500 kids, and will run from 10th and Sherman to Independence Point.

On Sunday, food and craft vendors will be out at 9 a.m. in City Park until a pre-parade fund-raiser at 11 a.m. along Sherman Avenue.

The “American Heroes Parade” will begin at noon with a KC-135 fly-over from Fairchild Air Force Base.

A boat parade at the City Beach and Boardwalk will start at 2 p.m. Live music will ring out from the City Park Bandshell between 1:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.

The Boys and Girls Club of Kootenai County will hold a Massage-A-Thon with free massages from 3 to 9 p.m. Local businesses are pledging 10 cents a minute to raise money for a new swimming pool facility.

Fireworks begin at dusk.

Street closures for the Fourth of July parade start at 6 a.m. and last until 1:30 p.m. from 20th and Sherman to Garden and Northwest Boulevard.

Sandpoint

The Lions Club Independence Day events, themed “Helping Hands That Make Our Community Better,” will be held Saturday.

A kids’ parade will kick off events at 9:30 a.m., traveling east along Church Street, north on First Avenue, west on Cedar and south on Third Avenue. No registration is necessary, but participants are needed by 8:15 a.m. in the city parking lot across from Merwins for judging and organization. All entrants will get candy and top entries will get cash prizes.

At 10:30 a.m., Carolyn Gleason, founder of the “Lost in the 50s” car show, will lead the Grand Parade as grand marshal. The parade will head east on Church from Fifth Avenue to First Avenue, north on First to Cedar Street, then west on Cedar to Fifth Avenue. Participants are needed by 8 a.m. at Fifth Avenue and Church for registration and staging. Late registration will be $25. Participants will be eligible for several trophies and a grand prize.

Following parades, a variety show will be held from 11:30 a.m. to dusk and will include music from heavy metal to funk and bluegrass. Face painting for children under age 13 will be available from 2 to 4 p.m. and ice cream cones will be given out during the event.

Events will wrap up late Saturday with a $15,000 fireworks program at the City Beach launch area.

Saint Maries

Independence Day celebrations begin Friday with a campfire program including patriotic bingo and family games starting at 8 p.m. at the Benewah Campground.

On Saturday, Junior Rangers will lead patriotic craft time at 11 a.m. in the Hawley’s Landing Amphitheater. A nature hike will be led from the amphitheater at 2:30 p.m. Themed steamboat cruises on the St. Joe River will be available by reservation and a “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?” show will be staged at the amphitheater at 8 p.m. Call (208) 686-4030 for reservations.

Fourth of July games begin at the amphitheater at 11 a.m. Sunday.

Spirit Lake

A Sunday parade will begin at 11 a.m. along Main Street. Any type of float, vehicle or other parade participant can sign up at 10:30 a.m. with Joy Porter at the Spirit Lake Elementary School on Main Street. Events at City Park, including games, live music and arts and crafts, are scheduled until 4 p.m. A 20-minute fireworks show begins at 10 p.m.

Bayview

Bayview Daze events begin Friday with arts and crafts from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. along Main Street.

On Saturday, Main Street opens up at 9 a.m. with a bazaar that lasts until 5:30 p.m. A clown, games and face painting will be available from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and the parade begins at 11 a.m. Bingo will be held from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Community Center. At dusk, a lighted boat parade will be followed by a $14,000 fireworks show.

Arts and crafts will continue at 9 a.m. Sunday, with games, face painting and the clown shows continuing 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Lighted boat parade awards will be given out at noon at the Captain’s Wheel.