Mt. Pleasant, Gunnison, Manti and Moroni ready for Independence Day festivities
SANPETE COUNTY—Aside from the dedication of the North Sanpete Veterans Memorial, the Fourth of July will include traditional celebrations in Mt. Pleasant, Gunnison, Manti and Moroni.
The four celebrations have some common features. There will be lots of pickleball, 5K runs, and American Legion breakfasts in all four towns.
All of the communities will have parades and activities running from a half day to a full day in their city parks. All four towns will have fireworks shows.
There will be some novel events, too. Mt. Pleasant will have a cannon at its city park on Saturday, July Fourth, shooting out foam. “The kids run in front of it” and get covered with foam. “It cools them off. They have so much fun,” James, the city events coordinator, says.
Moroni planned to revive an event in which a light plane flew above Main Street just before the town’s parade that dropped thousands of pingpong balls. Each ball retrieved could be turned in for a prize. The flyover has been missing for several years.
At the last minute, the city’s liability insurance carrier put a kibosh on the airplane drop. So, the mayor and city council will walk the parade route rolling out 2,000 pingpong balls.
Hub City Days
Mt. Pleasant’s annual community celebration is known as Hub City Days. It usually runs for about two weeks, culminating on the July Fourth holiday.
This year, it started on June 1. The city has already sponsored a “Community Paints Freedom” event, during which people, especially families, gathered at the park. Small canvases were handed out and participants invited to paint what freedom meant to them. The paintings will be collected into an exhibit at the Hub City Gallery in the old city hall.
Last Sunday, a patriotic program was held at the city park, featuring the Heart of Deseret Choir, a local group. The city sponsored a patriotic essay contest, and winners in three age categories read their essays.
The traditional children’s parade travels down State Street Saturday at 11 a.m., followed by the “Mammoth Parade” at 11:30 a.m.
The annual Hub City Rodeo runs Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights at 8 p.m. The Saturday performance concludes with fireworks.
James was asked if the increased number of events spread out over more days had dampened attendance. She said, “no.” There were 60 people at the opening “Community Paints Freedom” event, and attendance at a street dance on Monday of this week was double the same event last year.
Gunnison
Gunnison will follow its traditional Fourth of July schedule. Its celebration begins Friday at 4 p.m. with food and games in the city park.
At 6 p.m., the city will stage its annual auction, during which hundreds of dollars’ worth of donated merchandise will be auctioned off to benefit city projects.
Gunnison typically caps its opening evening with a concert featuring guest performers. This year’s concert features “Legends of New Country: Wallen & Wilson,” a tribute concert consisting of the music of country stars Morgan Wallen and Lainey Wilson.
The Wallen side of the show centers on Wallen songs, including “Whiskey Glasses,” “Last Night,” “Sand in My Boots,” and “You Proof.”
The Wilson side presents music of Lainey Wilson, with her Southern rock edge. She is known for songs such as “Heart Like a Truck,” “Things a Man Oughta Know” and “Watermelon Moonshine.”
At dusk, the city will put on fireworks, traditionally one of the most dramatic displays in the county.
The Gunnison parade will be July 4 at 10 a.m., followed by a Lions Club lunch and games at the city park throughout the morning.
Moroni
Moroni kicked off its America 250 and July Fourth observance Sunday with a patriotic program at its opera house.
The program, spearheaded by Leonard Blackham, a former state senator, consisted of about a dozen performers singing and acting out events surrounding the Declaration of Independence.
The auditorium “was completely full,” says Ashley Grundy, a city staff member who helps coordinate city events.
Many Friday and Saturday events will be at the Moroni Recreation Center, the baseball field and pavilion behind North Sanpete Middle School.
That’s where the traditional barbecued turkey dinner will be held Friday from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
The pingpong ball rollout will be Saturday at 9:45 a.m., followed by a July Fourth parade. Activities ranging from relay races to train rides to face painting run through the afternoon at the recreation center.
At 6 p.m., residents are invited to gather at a different location, the Center Street Park, for music and a watermelon bust. The Moroni Fire Department will present a fireworks show, visible from the park, beginning at 10 p.m.
Manti
Manti will kick off its annual celebration Friday at 7 p.m. with a “chalk throw” for youth in seventh through 12th grades.
On Saturday, July Fourth, grand marshals Doug and Marianne Barton will speak at a patriotic program at 10 a.m. at the Manti City Park main stage. The program will include a flag ceremony.
For the rest of the day, the park will be the center of old-fashioned competitions ranging from a three-legged race to tug-of-war, with a different game starting every 30 minutes.
A Fourth of July parade rolls down Main Street at 6 p.m., followed by entertainment at the sports complex beginning at 7 p.m. and fireworks about 10 p.m.