Early arrivals looking to get a good seat for the Hailey Fourth of July parade had better beware—rumor has it there's going to be a shootout.
The Black Jack Ketchum Shootout Gang will be part of the opening festivities on Sunday, July 4, reenacting an Old West showdown at about 11:30 a.m. in front of The Mint on Main Street. The gang uses black-powder blanks in operational guns to give crowds a taste of the town's frontier history.
But if the little ones are frightened at the prospect of meeting an outlaw, the Blaine County Recreation District Children's Carnival is an alternative. Kids age 4 and up can bounce in the bouncy house, make giant bubbles, run a large obstacle course and participate in other traditional carnival games. Admission to the carnival is $5 per child or $10 for two or more children. The carnival will take place in the farmers' market lot on Main Street.
The carnival runs from 9 a.m. to noon, ending just in time for the big event—the parade down Main Street. Ron Fairfax, this year's grand marshal, will ride a Zamboni ice-smoothing machine at the head of the parade. Fairfax will be followed by numerous floats and organizations, including the Hailey High School classes of 1950 and 1960.
Heather Deckard, executive director of the Hailey Chamber of Commerce, said representatives from the Idaho National Guard will drive a red-white-and-blue Humvee down the parade route. The Blaine County Historical Museum 2010 Heritage Court—composed of four women who have contributed to the region's history—will ride in style in an Amish-made carriage pulled by a matched pair of Percheron horses.
Smokey the Bear will march alongside local personalities including state Senate candidates Michelle Stennett and Jim Donoval and state Rep. Donna Pence. Blaine County 4-H will display two floats this year, showcasing their various clubs.
The final list of parade participants was not available by press time, as participants may sign up until nearly the last minute.
"Anyone can sign up, right up to parade day—though we don't encourage that," Deckard said.
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The parade is expected to last about an hour. Afterward, people can head over to the Hailey location of the Sun Valley Center for the Arts, at 314 S. Second Ave. The Center will offer free root-beer floats until 3 p.m. Vanilla ice cream donated by Atkinsons' Markets will be paired with locally brewed BuckSnort Root Beer.
The center will be open for tours of its new exhibit, "Timber!" The exhibit features tree-themed art from more than 30 local artists. Jill Fitterer's "Dream Tree" and Nickolus Meisel's "Pound Wish Prescription" are interactive works that invite public participation. Visitors can record their dreams in the handmade books that Fitterer has hung on a conifer on The Center's grounds, or make a wish and tie a representative white string to the red ropes in Meisel's installation.
For those more athletically inclined, the Hailey Criterium Bike Race will take place after the parade for the third year running. Four groups of bikers, ranging in age and competition level, will speed around a four-corner course in downtown Hailey. Registration begins at 11:30 a.m., and the race starts around 1 p.m.
Music lovers may want to attend the Free Jazz in the Park concert at 6 p.m. The concert on the evening of the Fourth is part of a longer series that runs until Aug. 1 in Rotary Park in Ketchum. Attendees can bring a picnic basket. The concert is slated to end at 8 p.m., leaving plenty of time for a scramble back to Hailey to watch the fireworks. The fireworks will be shot off at dusk, about 9:30 p.m., behind Wood River High School. Recommended viewing spots include Foxmoor and Deerfield parks, on the east side of town.
Those looking to start celebrating early can start with a pancake breakfast at Wood River Grange in Hailey, hosted by Cub Scout Pack 87. Pancakes, eggs, sausage, fruit, juice and coffee will be available as part of the pack's 100th anniversary fundraiser. Admission is $7 for adults, $5 for children under 12, and $20 for families of four. Breakfast is served from 7 a.m. until 10:30 a.m.
But don't dawdle over breakfast—sounds like something might be going on down by The Mint. Don't be alarmed if gunshots ring out! The Shootout Gang uses real powder, but only shoots blanks.
Katherine Wutz: kwutz@mtexpress.com
The Fourth of July “bucking car”—always a crowd favorite—bounces its way down Main Street last year. Photo by Mountain Express
