Manteca celebrates our nation’s independence today.
The events include everything from a 10 a.m. parade down Main Street to aerial fireworks at dusk over the Big League Dreams sports complex.
Parade at 10 a.m.
The Sunrise Kiwanis are again staging the Independence Day parade that starts at 10 a. m. on North Main Street in front of the Golden West School and travels south to Center Street where it turns west and disbands at Library Park.
The reviewing stand this year is on the southeast corner of Alameda Street and North Main Street.
The decision to move the parade to a day earlier on Saturday, July 3, was influenced not by the city’s decision to have the community celebration and aerial fireworks at BLD that day to save money to salvage the event but due to previous practices.
In the past when the Fourth of July has fallen on a Sunday, parade participants and attendance would drop severely due to conflicts with church services. The remedy made a number of years ago was to switch the parade to the day before when July 4 was on a Sunday.
The forecast calls for a high of 92 degrees today. That will make the perennial parade favorite - the squirting of water from fire hoses hooked to hydrants along the route by members of the Manteca Firefighters Association - a sure hit with the young and young at heart who don’t mind getting wet with dozens of others who rush into the street.
The Manteca Kiwanis Club’s pancake breakfast goes from 7 to 11 a.m. at the former Dave and Sylvia’s Restaurant on North Main Street.
The menu consists of pancakes, scrambled eggs, a slab of ham, juice, milk and coffee. Cost for adults is $7 and children $4.
Assisting with the breakfast will be students from the Kiwanis-sponsored Kiwin Club and members of SAFE – Senior Aiding Fire Effort. Regular and reserve firefighters are also lending helping hands.
at BLD sports complex
The City of Manteca in partnership with Big League Dreams is hosting the annual Independence Day Celebration on Saturday at the BLD sports complex.
The family-style event is expected to draw between 8,000 and 12,000 people based on attendance in previous years.
Admission is $2 for adults, $1 for youth 13 through 17, while children 12 and under are free. No outside food or beverages, tailgating, soliciting, coolers or pets will be allowed.
The event goes from 4 to 10:30 p.m. It will feature live entertainment showcasing community talent, children’s activities, softball games, a homerun derby, as well as food and fun. The event culminates with a spectacular fireworks show over the ball park.
Independence Day celebration sponsors are the Manteca Bulletin, Urban Futures, Willdan Financial Services, Walmart, Piper Jaffray, and Richard, Watson & Gershon.
