Area plans lots of July 4 fun

The Fourth of July celebration begins on Tuesday, July 4, with a Pop Walk at 8 a.m. at the Holbrook Public Library. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. for the 5K run or walk, and will include lots of treats such as “pop” corn, soda “pop,” “pop”sicles and a “poppin” good time. The cost is just $5, with the proceeds to benefit Holbrook Youth Basketball. To register, call city hall at 524-6225 or be at the library at 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday to register.

The annual Bike Parade will follow from 9 to 11 a.m. at Hunt Park. Kids are encouraged to decorate their bikes, trikes, wagons, strollers, skateboards and more for a parade around the park. The city pool will also be open from 1 to 4 p.m. free of charge.

The Fun in The Park event will also be held at that time. Join in the fun at Hunt Park with carnival games, a slip-n-slide, disc golf, a dunk tank and lots of other fun activities.

The annual Holbrook Volunteer Firemen’s Barbecue will be served beginning at noon at Station No. 3 on the mesa. The all-you-can-eat meal of slow roasted beef, beans, coleslaw and ice cold lemonade will be served for $10 for adults and $5 for children.

The firemen will also present a fireworks show at dusk at the Navajo County Complex in south Holbrook.

Joseph City

The annual Joseph City Fourth of July celebration will feature great hometown fun, including a patriotic parade that will head down Main Street beginning at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, traveling from McLaws Avenue and ending at Tanner Park. A flag raising ceremony will follow at Tanner Park.

From 9 to 11 a.m. there will be kids games at Tanner Park, followed at 11 a.m. by burgers and hot dogs on the grill served with chips, a cookie and a drink for $6 and $5 per plate.

At 1 p.m. you can work off some of that great food or at least enjoy watching the fun at a three-on-three basketball tournament at Joseph City High School.

Winslow

Winslow’s Freedom Festival will be held on Tuesday at the Hayden Walton Memorial Park, with vendors setting up at 8 a.m. followed by a meet and greet from 9 to 10 a.m. A kid’s parade will begin at 10 a.m., with awards for best patriotic dress and best decorated bike, trike, skateboard, stroller, etc. From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. there will be tons of games for toddlers up to 15-year-olds, including a hula-hoop competition, pool noodle battles, tug-of-war, water balloon toss, ring toss and more. There will even be games for the littlest ones with a sand box treasure hunt.

Other activities include face painting, a bouncy house and dunk-a-cop. There will also be raffles, drawings, door prizes and a 50/50 raffle at $1 per ticket.

Volunteers are still needed. Contact Kenn Evans at (928) 814-5824 for more information.

The fireworks show will begin at 8 p.m. on Tuesday at Vargas Stadium.

Taylor

The annual Taylor 4th of July Celebration

opens Friday night, June 30, with Cowboy Poetry & Country Music from 7 to 11 o’clock.

A Home Run Derby is slated at 8 o’clock Friday night at Centennial Fields. The three-round competition requires a $10 entry fee and you must provide your own pitcher. The winner will receive a bat bag with charging solar panel.

The firing of the anvil and serenade by the Jennings Band starts at 5 a.m. on Saturday, July 1, serving as a signal to residents and visitors alike that the fun has begun.

The Celebration Run, which features a 10K run or a two-mile run or walk, will begin at 6 a.m. at the Taylor City Ball Field at 710 E. Center St. The run is open to all ages and registration will be taken until the race starts. A fee of $20 will be charged to all participants who register for the run and a shirt. Please have correct change if registering at the run. Shirts have been pre-ordered, so register early to reserve your size. A fee of $15 will be charged to participants who register for the run alone. Shirts will not be reordered. Forms should be turned into the Snowflake/Taylor Recreation and Parks Department at Snowflake Town Hall, 81 W. First South. The first three winners in each age category will receive ribbons. The first three winners in each distance category will receive trophies.

The Snowflake/Taylor 4th of July Men’s Softball Tournament opens at 8 a.m. on Saturday at the towns’ softball fields and Centennial Fields, if necessary. The cost is $250 per team with a $100 non-refundable deposit. To register, call Aaron at 536-7366. Members of the first place team will receive custom jerseys by PHD Sports, while the second place team will receive custom hats, also by PHD Sports. The tourney MVP will receive a custom glove from Lock Down Custom Gloves. Tourney sponsors include Larson Waste, All Shade Tinting, Neff Exterminating, and the towns of Taylor and Snowflake.

The Patriotic Program at 10 a.m. at the Taylor Stake Center puts the focus on what the celebration is all about–the founding of our nation.

Country music will be offered at 11:30 a.m. at Rodeo Park.

July 4 always means lots of good food, so good old fashioned barbecue will be served at noon and 5 p.m.

The centerpiece of the celebration, the 63rd annual Taylor Night Rodeo, will be held on Saturday.

Barrel racing opens at 10 a.m., with entry fees of $50 for the Open Division and $25 for the Junior Division. Buckles will go to the winners of both divisions. The top 12 racers have the option of running that night in the rodeo.

Super Fresh Calf Roping is slated at 1 p.m. The event is limited to the first 26 paid entries.

The rodeo opens at 7 p.m., and will feature calf roping, saddle bronc, bareback riding, bull riding and team roping. The team roping entry fee is $200 per team. All other events carry a $50 fee. Scott McDaniels is the stock contractor. The buckles for all event winners were created by Loren Yellowhair. General admission to the rodeo is $10 per person, with children ages 7 and under admitted free of charge.

Fireworks will follow the rodeo, and a dance is planned from 9:30 p.m. to midnight on the pavilion.

From 5:30 to 7 p.m. on Monday, July 3, a hayride jamboree will take place at the Margaret McCleve Hancock Log Cabin, located at the corner of Main Street and Willow Lane in Taylor. There will be live country music at the cabin, as well as free chili beans and cornbread.

The Taylor Museum will be open to visitors from noon to 3 p.m. on Tuesday, July 4, and the Shumway Schoolhouse, Standiford Home and Hancock Log Cabin will be open from 1 to 3 p.m.