Thanks to the many efforts of the Greater Artesia Chamber of Commerce and various participating organizations, this Fourth of July is going to be as eventful and family-friendly as ever.

“There’s plenty to do in Artesia on the Fourth of July, so we hope people will stay in town,” Chamber Director Hayley Klein said. “And we hope we will get some visitors as well who want to play outside and enjoy the parade and see the unveiling of ‘The Rustler’ and just have a good time.”

One of the major differences this year, however, is the change of venue for many of the events. “Because there are so many different organizations doing their own thing this year, we wanted them to have their own autonomy to do their things,” Klein said. “They all decided to have their portion where they felt was best.”

“The committee in charge of the volleyball tournament is really excited about having their tournament at the MLK Complex, and it will be exciting to have the Firefighters Olympics downtown at Central Park this year,” Klein said.
In addition, she said they are thrilled with the timing of the events hosted by Artesia MainStreet and Hotel Artesia. “We are excited to have the unveiling downtown and the open house for Hotel Artesia on the Fourth as well,” she said.

In keeping with tradition, the day’s events all culminate with the fireworks display by the Sons of Thunder Pyro Team. “Mike (Deans) guarantees the show will be awesome,” she said, “with 27 minutes of choreographed music and fireworks. He said it’s going to be very patriotic.”
“But,” she cautions, “people need to make sure and get close because he said the low show is going to be just as good as the other fireworks and you won’t be able to see them if you aren’t at the park.”

The one thing she doesn’t want people to worry about, she said, is parking or exiting the parking lot after the show. “The police department has a really good system of getting cars out of the park after the show and they get them out pretty fast,” she said. “So hopefully that won’t be an issue for people who are thinking about coming.”

While the Sons of Thunder spend countless hours preparing for and putting on the show, Klein said funding for the display comes from donations. “We are still fundraising for the fireworks and I want to stress to everyone it is the businesses that makes the fireworks happen,” she said. “Mike Deans and the Sons of Thunder spend hundreds of hours to make the show happen and put it on, but we pay for the materials. We as in ‘the community’ and we rely on those donations.”

With so many activities for the public to participate in and enjoy, Klein said it would be extremely difficult for the Chamber to do it alone. “We can’t thank these organizations enough for putting these individual activities together,” she said.

The following is a list of activities planned for July 4:
- Two-mile Fun Walk & Five-mile Fun Run: both events begin at 6:45 a.m. at Roberts Park and entry is $15 per person.
For more information, contact Luis at 746-9009.

- Trailblazers’ Firecracker Golf Scramble: the Artesia Trailblazers will host the annual golf scramble at Artesia Country Club beginning at 8 a.m. Registration is $30; however, carts and green fees are extra.
For more information, contact Joe at the Pro Shop, 746-6732.

- Celebration of our country’s birth of liberty: celebration begins at 8 a.m., right before the parade, at the corner of Sixth and Main streets next to the Derrick Floor.

- Co-ed volleyball tournament: tournament will begin at 1 p.m. at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Recreational Complex (MLK). Entry fee is $60 per team.
For more information contact Staci at 746-7097.

- Mixed doubles tennis tournament: tournament begins at 8 a.m. at the Mack Chase Sports Complex. Team entry fee is $20. For more information contact Sheri at 760-415-9213.

- Fourth of July parade: The theme for this year’s parade is “Let Freedom Ring.” The parade begins at 9 a.m. and will move from Bulldog Boulevard up Main Street, to Second Street. There is no fee to enter.
For more information contact Glenda or Desirae at 365-4255 or 365-8636.

- Unveiling of the Rustler: Join Artesia MainStreet as they celebrate the unveiling of the third and final bronze sculpture in the Cattle Drive series – the Rustler – at the roundabout, located at Second Street and Texas Avenue. After a dedication ceremony, the artist for the piece, Robert Summers, will meet with the public.
The ceremony will begin at 10 a.m.

- Firefighters’ Olympics: the 11th Annual Firefighters’ Olympics will begin at 10 a.m. at Central Park, rather than Jaycee Park as in years past.
Watch as local firefighters compete in timed events, such as water polo, three-man hose relay, the bucket brigade and the mystery event. In addition, they will also serve free barbecue.
For more information, call 703-4442 or 365-5015.

- Open house for Hotel Artesia: the open house will begin immediately following the unveiling of The Rustler.
n Sons of Thunder fireworks display: the show will begin at 9:15 p.m. at Jaycee Park. The public is encouraged to get close in order to see the “low show.”
In addition, KSVP will broadcast the music by which the fireworks are choreographed live on the air.

Jaycee Park will be closed to vehicular traffic; however, the parking lot on the south side will be open for parking.
Gasoline grills will be permitted, however, all charcoal and open flame grills will be prohibited.

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