The Village Green
Fireworks and patriotic merchandise have been creeping onto shelves the past few months, signifying it is once again time to blast off for the nation’s Independence Day. The Village Green is one such organization ready to rock the night away, although their celebrations take place Wednesday, July 3 from 6 to 10 p.m.
The Village Green’s Community Event and Volunteer Coordinator, Shelby Ward, said attendees to the free event can expect three different live performances leading up to the big bangs. Food, snacks, and refreshments will be served by Elevated Kitchen, Crossroads Custard, and Innovation Brewing out of Sylva. Attendees are welcome to bring their own lawn chairs, blankets, or picnic items, but Ward said that “due to the nature of fireworks, dogs are not allowed,” to minimize their potential stress.
This year’s festivities feature a jazzy and patriotic chorale performance at 6 by Cashiers Community Chorus, Caribbean Cowboys, a beachy dance band, from 6:30 to 8 and 8:30 to 9:30, and a line dance tutorial and congo line led by Cashiers School of the Arts during Caribbean Cowboys’ break. The fireworks are expected to launch after sunset, usually around 9 or 9:30.
During The Village Green’s festivities, a portion of Frank Allen Road will be closed from the Boys and Girls Club of the Plateau to The Village Green starting at 6. The road will reopen once given the all-clear, usually around 10 or 10:15. Parking will be limited along Frank Allen Road. Attendees cannot park at the Boys and Girls Club or the Cashiers Recreation Center.
Wetzel Pyrotechnics will facilitate the fireworks. The free event is sponsored by premiere sponsor Landmark Realty. Donations will be accepted, all of which go to the cost of operating this event.
Highlands
The Independence Day festivities in Highlands will kick off at 9 a.m. on Thursday, July 4 at the town baseball field on 4th Street when the Rotary Club of Highlands gets the annual water bottle rocket launch underway.
At 11 a.m. there will be field games for children of all ages – including a sack race, tug-o-war, and frozen shirt contest. The MAMA helicopter will arrive at noon and allow youngsters to get an inside look.
From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. the Rotary Club will be serving up free hot dogs and drinks, with donations accepted. All donations will go to Together We Can, a local nonprofit the supports foster families and foster children.
“The Fourth of July is the biggest Rotary event of the year and we are looking forward to partnering with Together We Can to support their excellent work,” Rotary President Dave O’Hara said. “We hope everyone will come out and enjoy the festivities and really get into the spirit of Independence Day.”
At 1 p.m. Highlands Fire Department will spray down the crowd with a blast from the ladder truck parked next to the ballfield. The party will move down 4th Street to Mill Creek at 2 p.m. for the annual Rotary Duck Derby.
Following a break for dinner, the Highlands Chamber of Commerce picks up the action and presents a free concert at Kelsey-Hutchinson Founders Park featuring the band The Business at 6 p.m. Fireworks will follow at dark, approximately 9 p.m.
Lake Glenville
For those wishing to celebrate on, or near, the water, Friends of Lake Glenville has just the thing. They will hold their third annual boat parade Friday, July 5 at 8:30 p.m., preceding their fireworks at 9:30 p.m.
Captains are encouraged to decorate their vessels accordingly. A group of judges will issue awards. Boats line up at Gunpoint Bay across from Tater Knob at 8 p.m. with the parade starting promptly at 8:30. The parade will loop the lake twice. It starts on the west side of Lake Glenville, passing The Point where fireworks are launched, Trillium’s lake club, Lil’ Switzerland, and the island before circling the east side along NC 107 and passing Signal Ridge Marina. Once the boats have docked, the sky will light up.
Chris Warren, president of Friends of Lake Glenville, said he expects this year “will be the best show we’ve had.”
Parking will be available at certain 107 turnouts, but spectators cannot block the road. Warren said the best view is, naturally, on the lake, but other spectators flock to Hamburg Baptist Church.
Sapphire Valley’s Yankee Doodle Dandy Day
The annual Yankee Doodle Dandy Day will be July 4 at Sapphire Valley Resort. The all day celebration kicks off at 10 and concludes at 3.
From pickleball to watermelon races, fish derbies, and a duck derby, the day is packed with events for all members of the family.
Yankee Doodle Dandy Day tends to follow a similar schedule each year. Deanna McCall, community center manager, said this year’s music is courtesy of the Johnny Webb Band, a blues, country, and southern rock band. Music is expected to play all day.
Hotdogs and burgers will be available courtesy of the Cashiers Rotary, but a barbecue truck will be on the scenes, too. Snacks will feature snowcones and popcorn.
“We wanted the day to feel like a huge backyard barbecue to celebrate the Fourth,” McCall said.
Perhaps one of the most unique features of Yankee Doodle Dandy Day, other than the name hailing from the old Yankee Doodle song, is the rubber duck race which concludes the day.
Rubber ducks are available at the Sapphire Valley Community Center for just a dollar per duck with no limitation on how many people can buy. Ducks float down the Horsepasture River at 3 p.m. The winning duck brings raffle awards.