Panhandle-area residents preparing for the Fourth of July can expect plenty of local events, both new and old, this week in Canadian.    

Festivities—both before and after the Fourth on Friday—include fireworks displays, live music, rodeo, games, vendors, and the town’s annual turtle race and parade.

Planning for this year’s July 4th celebration has been primarily handled by the recently-appointed Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. The board was appointed in January and consists of four volunteers with no prior experience in planning the town’s annual celebration.

Although this year’s celebration is different from past events, Board of Directors Secretary Lacey Hanes said, it is anticipated to be one of the biggest in recent history.

Hanes said the biggest difference is the inclusion of a new vendor hub which will be located at Jones Pavilion, and will feature food trucks and other local sellers.

The inclusion of Jones Pavilion this year was spurred by a desire to make the celebration feel more expansive and exciting, Hanes said. “We really just wanted to create an atmosphere for people to come hang out and enjoy their time in town.”

Another primary focus, Hanes said, is attracting new people from out-of-town to visit and celebrate in Canadian. “If we can get people to town, they’ll spend money, and that money will go back into the community tenfold,” she said. “If we can get someone to come to Canadian, they will fall in love and they will come back.”

Hanes said she and her fellow board members plan to build on their first-year foundation to make future celebrations even better. “This year will be a great stepping stone for us to build from,” Hanes said. “I look forward to seeing how this year goes.”

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Go online to :

https://canadiantx.com

https://www.facebook.com/RiverValleyPioneerMuseum

https://www.thecitadelle.org

https://www.facebook.com/canadiancommunitycenter

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064532746411

https://www.facebook.com/canadianriverbeachclub