The annual Taylor 4th of July Celebration will open on 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.
