Officially a centenarian, Kirkland still knows how to party.
For the sixth straight year, our 100-year-old city is hosting a Fourth of July celebration and parade, and is packed with two parades, a huge picnic and, of course, a grand fireworks display.
The festivities kick off at 9 a.m. with a kid-decorating activity (tattoos, flags, pinwheels, feathers) to stoke the celebratory mood. The children's parade starts at 11:30, followed by a military flyover, main parade, community picnic and fireworks display. All festivities are, obviously, on Tuesday, July 4.
Schedule
9 a.m. Decorate to celebrate
The Kirkland Arts Center and Celebrate Kirkland! host a "decorate to celebrate" event at the Marina Park Pavilion. Tattoos, flags, pinwheels, streamers are provided for the kiddies. Note: This year the children's parade will stage at the Marina Park Pavilion instead of the tennis courts.
10 a.m. Parade staging
(and probably earlier) Staging for the parade will begin along Waverly and into the West of Market neighborhood. Parking will be limited so participants are encouraged to ride-share, take the bus, bike or walk.
* 11:30 a.m. Kids parade
Children's walking parade begins at Market and Central (park entrance). Note: New staging area at Marina Park - you will need to come all the way down the hill. This is a shorter route and again without hills for the little ones.
Parade route: begins at Market and Central, proceeds east on Central to 3rd Street, then south on 3rd Street to Park Lane, and east into Peter Kirk Park so that the children can join the crowd for the grand parade.
* 12 p.m. The biggie
The grand downtown parade is preceded by a military flyover. The parade will follow along the children's route and proceed past the entrance to the park along 3rd Street to Kirkland Avenue. It will turn west on Kirkland Avenue and flow into Marina Park.
* 1 p.m. Picnic
Immediately following the parade is the Kirkland Rotary's olde fashioned community picnic at Juanita Beach. Live music, games, food, booths; appropriate for the whole family. There will be a hoola hoop contest, cake walk, wheelbarrow race, egg toss, three-legged race, target shoot, balloon stomp and the perennial favorite -duck dash. At 3 p.m. kids can sign up for a tug-of-war. Specific sign-up information: volleyball tournament (4-person), contact dwozeniak@positiveplace.org, 827-0132 or heath.orr@aegisliving.com. For the tug-of-war, call Kristin Hale, 814-6303. For the pie baking contest, contact rknight@wwdb.org
* 6 pm. Honor guard
At Juanita Beach the VFW Honor Guard will be performing a flag retirement ceremony, symbolic of a military funeral, complete with bagpipes, a 21-gun salute, the playing of taps and a bonfire on the beach to burn the old flags in retirement. The first flag will be folded into the traditional 13 folds with an explanation given of the meaning of each fold. The Boy and Girl Scouts will be assisting.
* 10 p.m. Fireworks!
Fireworks display at Marina Park off Kirkland's Waverly Park. No personal fireworks are allowed in Kirkland.
Notes
The boat launch area will be closed during the parade from approximately 10:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. but will remain open until midnight after the fireworks.
There will be a significant police and fire presence during the events.
Traffic will be heavy and parking is going to be tight in the downtown area all day. Think about sharing a ride, taking a bus, riding a bike or walking.
No candy is to be thrown for liability and safety concerns. Walkers may pass out candy on the parade sidelines.
For more information, call 822-0284 or e-mail Penny Sweet at sweet.p@ghc.org. For information regarding the parade, contact Kellie Jordan at kajordan@isomedia.com. For information regarding the children's parade, contact Elkegrimm@comcast.net. For volunteer information, e-mail Volunteers@CelebrateKirkland.org or go to www.celebratekirkland.org.
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