By Lorrie Ross
Staff Writer
The Fourth of July holiday always brings lots of celebrations to local small towns. Locally a parade, festival, fireworks and a rodeo will help create a fun-filled holiday.
Hayesville’s Independence Day kicks off with a Fourth of July parade and Freedom Festival. Starting at 9 a.m. Friday, July 4 there will be food, games and music on the historic Hayesville square. At 10 a.m. the parade will make its way around town. Parade award categories include most interactive, most patriotic and most original.
Forms for floats and vendors are available at the Clay Chamber of Commerce at 96 Sanderson Street in Hayesville; online: www.claychambernc.com or call: (828) 389-3704.
Later that evening, the skies will light up when Clay County government hosts fireworks for the community at 9:45 p.m. at the Clay County Recreation Park at Lake Chatuge, near the campgrounds. The crowd and the display continues to grow each year and there is no admission fee.
Also at 9:45 p.m., Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds will shoot their fireworks on the Georgia side of the lake from the ballfield. The festivities at GMF will begin at 3 p.m. on Friday, July 4 and go until 11 p.m. The press release said their parking lot is the best place to view the fireworks at the fairgrounds. This is also free admission. Visit: https://georgiamountainfairgrounds.com for details.
Meanwhile, a Red, White & Blairsville Fourth of July Fireworks Celebration will occur at Meeks Park, 11 Pool Lane in Blairsville. The whole family can enjoy old-fashioned fun with kickball, bounce houses, cornhole, food trucks and more. The party extends across the road to North Georgia Tech campus where several food trucks will have favorites like pork rinds, boiled peanuts, cotton candy, kettle corn and lemonade.
A raffle will be held to help support the fireworks show. Each $10 raffle ticket gives a chance of winning a package, "Where the Mountains and Memories Meet." Tickets may be purchased at: Blairsville-Union County Chamber of Commerce or by calling (706) 745-5789.
Brasstown Valley Resort has a free fireworks show after dark. Prior to the fireworks, the resort hosts its annual reservations-only Independence Day picnic and family fun event at the Sunset Pavilion from 6:30-9:30 p.m.
Just a short drive away, Murphy, has big plans for Independence Day with its Hometown Celebration and Fireworks. Starting at 9 a.m., Friday, July 4 enjoy family fun, food and fireworks at Konehete Veterans Park in Murphy. Activities include a fishing derby, peanut drop, horseshoe tournament, field events, arts and crafts vendors and food trucks, followed by fireworks at dark.
Art, crafts, food and fun will be from 5-8 p.m. at the Murphy Art Walk, located at12 Peachtree Street, in Murphy.
There are lots of other events for the weekend. Here are some you may like:
Hayesville’s own Bar W Rodeo Company will have rodeos at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 3 and Friday, July 4. These rodeos benefit agricultural scholarship funds. It is held at Cutworm’s Corral, 4637 Downings Creek Road in Hayesville. Gates open at 5 p.m. Tickets are $20 for adults, $10 for children five and over, while children four and under are free. Visit: www.barwrodeoco.com or like them on Facebook.
Hayesville Farmers’ Market will be held from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Thursday, July 3 on the Hayesville Square. Check out produce, plants and an assortment of other local goods.
Murphy Farmers’ Market is held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday July 5 and every Saturday through October. The market is at L&N Depot, 4 Railroad St, Murphy.
A Model Train Show will be at the L&N Depot Caboose in Murphy at 10 a.m. Saturday, July 5.
Music:
• The 100th Army Band comes to Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts for a free concert from 7-9 p.m. Tuesday, July 1. Popularly known as the “Band of the Century,” the band is a United State Army Reserve unit stationed at Fort Knox, Ky. and a unit of the 81st Readiness Division. It was reassigned from the 100th Infantry Division on Oct. 1, 2008 as part of the Army Reserve Transformation process. The 100th Army Band features eight musical performance teams who perform a wide range of repertoire. Despite being free, reserve tickets are suggested to assure space. Ticket vouchers for entry are available to the public from the theatre box office or by calling: (828) 524-1598. All seating is general admission. Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts is at 1028 Georgia Road in Franklin, N.C..
• Enchanted Music on the Hiawassee Town Square will be held from 6:30-8 p.m. Saturday, July 5 with Troy Underwood performing. Arrive at 6 p.m. for hot dogs being sold from the VFW Auxiliary Food Truck.
• An Appalachian Evening. Missy Raines and Allegheny will take the stage at Lynn S. Shields Auditorium, Stecoah Valley Center at 121 Schoolhouse Road in Robbinsville, N.C. The event will be held from 7:30-9:30 p.m. Saturday, July 5. Tickets are $20 plus tax for adults and $10 plus tax for students K-12. As a courtesy, if you cannot attend, organizers ask you call the Stecoah Gallery to release your seats/tickets as a donation in order for others to enjoy the performance. Visit: https://stecoahvalleycenter.com/calendar/missy-raines-and-allegheny/ or call (828) 479-3364 for details.