Baseball Hall of Fame member Ted Williams once said, “Baseball is the only field of endeavor where a man can succeed three out of every 10 times and be considered great.”
Williams was of course referring to players with a .300 batting average being labeled as All-Stars.
When it comes to summer holiday experiences, Highlands is batting 1.000.
Each year when Independence Day comes around, and more people than ever flood the streets of town, the rumblings begin to surface regarding “if” Highlands can handle the influx of tourists.
And each year Highlands continues to knock Fourth of July out of the park – even when the weather is less than spectacular.
There are too many recognitions to possibly cover all the businesses, organizations and individuals that step up annually to put on Independence Day events, but it all starts with the Boy Scouts of America, who bring in enough materials to shoot off hundreds of water bottle rockets made by area children.
The Highlands Parks and Recreation staff not only do an incredible job getting all of the Fourth of July venues ready, but they are on hand to host some of the most well attended activities – the annual field games. The tug-o-war, sack races, water balloon toss, and other games are always a hit with children and parents.
The Rotary Club of Highlands keeps the crowds fueled up with free hot dogs and drinks. Firing up the grill and cooking a few thousand hot dogs is no small task. Any donations received support Rotary charities and the money stays in the local community.
A second act for the Rotary Club commences when hundreds of ducks are dumped into Mill Creek for the “Duck Derby.” As always, it was a standing room only event once again in 2023 with the first duck earning his owner a cool cash prize.
The Highlands Chamber of Commerce owns the night every July 4, with a free concert in Kelsey-Hutchinson Founders Park followed by a fireworks show. It’s the kind of All-American evening that folks have celebrated for generations.
Highlands as a whole should be proud of how well the town shows each Fourth of July. It takes a lot of effort, but it’s worth it every year.