July 4 Festivities Set
By HEATHER ZIEGLERArticle Photos
Fact Box
FIREWORKS DISPLAY TIMES AROUND THE VALLEY
- Barnesville - 10 p.m. Saturday at the City Park.
- Bethlehem - 10 p.m. Saturday at Community Park.
- Bloomingdale - 10 p.m., Saturday, Bloomingdale Volunteer Firehouse area.
- Brilliant - dusk Friday at Buckeye North Stadium.
- Cadiz - 10 p.m. Sunday, Sally Buffalo Park.
- Cameron - 10 p.m. Saturday.
- Martins Ferry, at the new Martins Ferry School Campus on the hill. Gates open at 5 p.m., with fireworks starting at approximately 9:30 p.m.
- Moundsville - 10 p.m. Saturday at the Marshall County Fairgrounds.
- Sistersville - 9:30 p.m. Saturday at the Sistersville Park.
- Steubenville/Weirton - 10 p.m. Saturday, from the Fort Steuben Bridge.
- Toronto - Dusk Saturday, Clarke Hinkle Stadium.
- Wellsburg - 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Betty Carr Recreation Site.
- Wheeling - 10 p.m. today at Patterson Ballfield in Elm Grove; 10 p.m. Friday at Oglebay Park; and 10 p.m. Saturday at Wheeling's Heritage Port.
- Wellsburg - 9:30 p.m. Saturday at Betty Carr Recreation Site.
- Woodsfield - dusk Sunday at the football field.
Some municipalities are delaying fireworks displays to coincide with community festivals.
The city of Follansbee will be having fireworks beginning at dusk July 12 during Community Days Festival. The city of New Martinsville will present fireworks July 18 as part of its Festival of Memories.
Fireworks have been canceled for this year in the Harrison County village of Scio.
A good, old-fashioned Fourth of July is in store for many Northern Panhandle communities, including fireworks displays, concerts and even a "Patriots Tea Party" that has little to do with tea.
On Saturday morning, the Dimmeydale neighborhood will again sponsor its annual celebration that kicks off with a festive red, white and blue parade. The parade is open to families across the community, not just Dimmeydale residents, according to organizers.
Lineup for the parade begins at 11:30 a.m. behind the First Baptist Church, and the parade begins at noon. The parade winds its way around the tree-line streets of Dimmeydale. With a patriotic theme, participants are encouraged to dress in red, white and blue and decorate their bicycles, tricycles, Big Wheels and strollers. There will be various prizes, food and fun for everyone.
Also on Saturday morning, the ever-popular Independence Day Extravaganza at St. Matthew's Episcopal Church, 1410 Chapline St., Wheeling, will be held. Starting at 11 a.m., there will be a patriotic musical program sure to get people on their feet. A reception, featuring birthday cake and lemonade, takes place in the parish hall after the concert. The event is free and open to the public.
Robert F. Troeger, organist and director of music at St. Matthew's, will fill the traditional role of host and will serve as organist for the Independence Day Extravaganza. Moundsville resident Sue Pettit, soprano soloist in St. Matthew's parish choir, will again be the featured artist and song leader for the event. Drummer Tim Birch of Wheeling will provide percussion accompaniment.
In the mood for an American tea party? A tea party rally that will focus on out-of-control government spending and the future of America will be held from 3:30-4:30 p.m. on the steps of WesBanco Arena at 14th and Waters streets in downtown Wheeling. Organizers say the rally is a great way to get in the patriotic mood.
Wheeling's Fourth of July celebration will include a parade in downtown Wheeling at 5 p.m. Saturday. It will be followed by events at Heritage Port including the Wheeling Symphony's free concert at 7:30 p.m. and fireworks at 9:30 p.m.
The Wellsburg Fourth of July Parade will happen at 7 p.m. Saturday. Former state Sen. John Chernenko of Wellsburg will serve as this year's grand marshal. The parade will line up on Charles Street between Second and Sixth streets and proceed north.
Moundsville will celebrate the Fourth with fireworks that can be viewed Saturday at dusk from the Marshall County Fairgrounds.
In Cameron, a parade will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, and the fireworks will begin at 10 p.m.
The St. Joseph Settlement's Fourth of July celebration at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Proctor will be held from noon to 6 p.m.
The Independence Day Festival - Arts in the Park Festival, Bruce Park, New Martinsville, will be held from 1-5 p.m. Saturday.
The town of Pine Grove will celebrate Independence Day Saturday in Bill Earley Park by the Byrd Center. The celebration will begin at 11 a.m. with a flag-raising ceremony. Then at 11:15 a.m., old United States flags will be given a proper retirement in a flag-burning ceremony.
The day will include entertainment, bingo, inflatables for the children, games of horsehoes, a dunking booth, a hot dog eating contest and much more. Fireworks will explode over the sky at 9:30 p.m.
In Hundred, the Fourth of July activities will start on Saturday with the parade lineup starting at 9:30 a.m. at Hundred High School.
The parade will start at 10 a.m. and end at the ball park. Right after the parade, children's games will start at the ball park.
There will be live entertainment with Kayla Kuhn Smith and the SI Connections at the ball park after the children's games. Fireworks will start at dusk. Rain date will be Sunday.
In Weirton, the sixth annual Weirton Renaissance Festival will be held throughout the day Saturday and the Gem City Days celebration in Toronto will be held on Saturday.
Steubenville will hold its final Fourth of July party at the city marina Saturday. The event has been billed as a farewell to the Fort Steuben Bridge, an 80-year-old Ohio River span that has served as the launch site for the past several years for the Steubenville-Weirton joint fireworks display.
There will be plenty of food for sale as well as free inflatable games for children from 3-7 p.m. Entertainment will include The Fossils from 2-4 p.m.; Catherine Losey, 4:15-5 p.m.; and the Mahajibee Blues, 7:15-9:30 p.m.
In Martins Ferry, the 19th annual Skyshow will be held Friday adjacent to the new school complex. Gates open at 5 p.m.; Pyrotechnics by Presutti will present the fireworks about 9:15 p.m.
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RockEReputation
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07-02-09 9:58 PM
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Neither man you chose to mention is curently an elected public official entrusted to the public. My referenced wayward souls are elected social conservatives who have fallen from moral high ground but feel compelled or beholden to continue "serving" their constituents. If you want to vaguely "drop" random names, I can easily continue in force.
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WVEXPAT
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07-02-09 6:28 PM
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With heads still bowed let's not forget to include "brothers in sin" Gov. Elliot Spitzer (prostitution patron) and Presidential candidate John Edwards (humiliate dying wife by having an affair) in your prayers!
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RockEReputation
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07-02-09 5:19 PM
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As the "American" tea party rally that will focus on the future of America transpires from 3:30-4:30 p.m. on the steps of WesBanco Arena, may all attendess momentarily stop, reflect on, and pray for the wayward souls of Gov. Mark Sanford who secretly went missing from his governorship and for Sen. John Ensign who coveted the wife of Doug Hampton, his administrative assistant. Amen.
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