|
Jacob Dew, 5, of Fredericksburg, waves a flag during the Heritage Festival Five-Mile Run while waiting for his mother, Laurie Dew, to pass by.
Participants in the Rappahannock River Raft Race paddle hard at the starting line.
The sun shines down on the Ferry Farm visitors center in Stafford.
Participants in the Heritage Day Parade make their way down Caroline Street in Fredericksburg to start the festivities yesterday morning.
ABOVE: Watercraft of all types float down the Rappahannock River during the raft race. |
Thousands took advantage of sunny skies yesterday to celebrate Independence Day in ways large and small in the Fredericksburg area.
Numerous events were held in Fredericksburg itself, but Culpeper, Quantico, King George, Colonial Beach, Port Royal and other venues also held events.
Fireworks were not included in some celebrations because of the economy, but as the skies darkened they could be seen going off in Stafford, Quantico and Culpeper.
Here's a look at some of the happenings:
PARADE FEATURED PLENTY OF RED,
Caroline Street was a sea of red, white and blue at 9:30 a.m. yesterday.
Couples wore matching flag shirts, little girls secured their pigtails with red and blue ribbons, boys climbed over their already exhausted fathers, and dogs sported huge, patriotically colored ribbons.
The sights on the side
It was all part of the Fredericksburg Jaycees' eighth annual Heritage Day Parade.
"We had more kids on bikes and families this year than last," Heather Eustace, membership vice president of the Jaycees, said.
Two blocks' worth of children, parents, local political figures and clowns paraded down Caroline and Princess Anne streets. The Chik-fil-A cow also made an appearance.
The parade was a first for Vancouver, British Columbia, native Sherrill Weeks, 66, and her granddaughters Lauren, 6, and Gabrielle, 2.
"I'm not an early bird, but if I'm excited about something I am, and I was excited about this," said Lauren, a first-grader at Smith Station Elementary in Spotsylvania County.
The Fredericksburg Rescue Squad kicked off the parade with barrel cars filled with kids. Then a myriad of bikes, trikes and scooters filled the street, as nervous parents tried to keep up.
"It allows the community to participate in a small-town way. It also allows the kids to walk through the streets and increase their self-esteem, because the whole community comes out for them," said Valerie Harte, president of the Fredericksburg Jaycees.
--Jennifer Neff
RE-ENACTORS GIVE GLIMPSE OF COLONIAL FERRY FARM
While most people were celebrating America's 233rd birthday yesterday, those at Ferry Farm were celebrating the country's "recent" inception.
More than 85 re-enactors portraying frontiersmen, American Indians, Colonial families and political figures took visitors at George Washington's boyhood home back to 1776.
"It's good to show the kids how they celebrated the Fourth of July in Colonial times," said Monika Ingram, who was there with her husband and six children. "This seemed like a lot more fun than driving up the coast to a muggy and dirty beach."
The Ingram children got a chance to card wool, grind corn meal, do the laundry, string green beans and spin thread.
Judy Klehm, a member of the Fredericksburg Spinners and Weavers Guild, patiently showed children how to start with a ball of wool and end with a spool of sturdy thread.
While some kids spun, others played cricket, ambled in and out of American Indian tepees and frontiersmen's lean-tos, and helped with the laundry.
Frank Adams lounged on the grass with his toddler son while two of his other children participated in the re-enactment.
Another son, a three-year veteran of the Fourth of July celebration, played a drummer boy named William Pritchett. Like most of the re-enactors, he refused to break character.
"I stand next to commanders. They give commands and I beat it out on the drum," the 14-year-old explained.
The family of seven goes to Ferry Farm each year for the Fourth.
"And we learn something new every year," Adams said.
--Megan Williams
WATERCRAFT OF ALL TYPES RACE DOWN THE RIVER
Skippers Rick Henderson, 57, and Ken Swickard, 55, adjusted their life preservers, kissed their women goodbye at the water's edge and boarded their ship.
Such a moment would have been touching if not for the beachcomber hats, complete with tinfoil horns and antlers, that the two men wore and the fact that their boat was made mostly of beer and soda cans.
The vessel, the S.S. Cirrhosis of the River, was one of 24 rafts in the 32nd annual Rappahannock River Raft Race yesterday.
"It's like a parade down the river," Heather Howe, the director, said.
Paddle boats, canoes carved out of pine wood, and plastic inner tubes were among the entries.
Rafters started their race down the river at 11:30 a.m. at Historic Port of Falmouth park and concluded at Fredericksburg City Dock.
Seven trophies were awarded.
First Raft to Finish: Nick Jordan, David Jordan and Virginia Powell; Winning Time in Inflatable Hulls: Chad Dempee; Speed: Katherine Beegle; Huck Finn: Thomas Barnes; and Commercial Huck Finn: McQ Inc.
The Most Patriotic Raft trophy was awarded to Zack Staples, and the "We Didn't Think It Would Make It, But " trophy went to Henderson and Swickard.
"It took a couple of weeks to convince everyone we were serious," Henderson said, as he adjusted his tinfoil-ram-horn hat.
--Jennifer Neff
THOUSANDS PARTICIPATE
Despite the sizzling heat and the muggy humidity, crowds in the thousands came out to the annual Heritage Day Festival yesterday.
Food vendors, hundreds of craft and business vendors, beer trucks and entertainment crowded onto Sophia Street in downtown Fredericksburg and families meandered in and out.
Vendors selling everything from jewelry, furniture, purses and sports paraphernalia to decoys, CDs and antiques traveled across the country to sell their wares in Fredericksburg.
A new food court was added this year in the old Wings on the Water parking lot and grassy area. The close proximity to the music stage, which kept up a continuous flow of classic-rock covers, made it a good spot for people to relax with a beer and hot dog.
People were permitted to cruise the festival area with a beer in hand this year, rather than having to remain in a enclosed area.
Pony rides, an inflatable slide and a misting tent kept children entertained. A dunking tank, which was occupied by local celebrities including Mayor Tom Tomzak, Spotsylvania County Supervisor Hap Connors and Sheriff Howard Smith, and Stafford County Sheriff Charles Jett, provided entertainment each time one was sent into the water.
Even though it was a hot day, the weather held off once again for the festival. Event organizer Roberta Gold said that it was just plain lucky. It hasn't rained in the 10 years that she has been in charge.
--Megan Williams
FAMILIES SPREAD OUT
The smell of barbecued chicken filled the air at Stafford County's Pratt Park. Families spread out blankets, almost completely covering the grassy hilltop and setting up camp for several hours of live music and fireworks last night during the July Fourth Spectacular.
Included in the night's events was live music provided by the University of Mary Washington-Community Symphony Orchestra.
"We're very happy to be a part of it and bring this to Fredericksburg. I hope they enjoy live symphonic music," Kevin Bartram, orchestra director, said.
The 50-member ensemble, composed of University of Mary Washington students and community musicians, played American favorites including "Stars and Stripes Forever" and "The Chicken Dance."
Baritone Darryl Ott sang songs from the musicals "Les Miserables" and "Oklahoma."
Once the band finished its hour-long concert, it played medleys as fireworks were shot into the air.
--Jennifer Neff
