A Roundup of Regional Offerings for Fourth of July

The Fourth of July is a time of revelry and rejoicing capped off by a large fireworks show. This year, due to wildfire concerns, only one place in the region is still offering a firework display — the City of Montrose. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t anything to do. See below for a roundup of all the Independence Day courtesy of Telluride Daily Planet. When the sun sets on the Telluride Valley July 4 this year, the commemoration of our nation’s birth will come to a quiet conclusion. Extreme drought and fire danger has meant there will be no fireworks display booming off the canyon walls and sending dogs into paroxysms of fear, but this year’s mid-week holiday is still packed with all the other traditions, new and old, that make Fourth of July in Telluride a cherished, small-town celebration. In Telluride’s mining heyday, the Fourth of July began with a bang — a very big bang — or two or three. Miners would herald the dawn by exploding dynamite for a “powder monkey’s breakfast,” rousing genteel townsfolk out from under the quilts with pounding hearts and interrupted dreams. While the mines are quiet these days, rumor has it the Tommyknockers (the mythical, Hobbit-like miners of Welsh folklore) are still up to their mischievous ways. You may not need an alarm clock to get out of bed July 4th morning. Runners of every age may already be awake for the 7th Annual Rundola, a recreational foot race that benefits the Telluride Foundation. With a 13 percent uphill grade and an elevation gain of 1,810 feet, this race is not kidding around. It starts at the base of the gondola at 8 a.m. and runners can either chug up the Telluride Trail, or bushwhack up the side of the mountain to the finish at the top of the ridge near the San Sophia gondola station. It’s crazy, and crazy fun. Register by going to telluride.com/festivals-and-events/7th-annual-rundola. The flyover of military jets means it’s almost parade time. They thunder overhead, seemingly on a collision course with the mountains at the east end of the valley, only to arch gracefully to the sky, winging to their next small-town flyover. In what is probably one of the day’s most beloved events, the Fourth of July parade at 11 a.m. can make even the most cynical of us feel patriotic and proud. Who better to lead the parade a than contingent of our local and visiting military veterans, who serve as the parade’s color guard and flag-bearers? The grateful applause they receive as they head down Main Street is deeply moving. From then on it’s wave after wave of motorcycles, kids (of all ages) on bikes, the summer scientists, dogs, the saucy Silver Belles, kids with super-soakers, babies in wagons, marching bands, rock ’n’ roll bands, hockey teams, actors, unicyclists, jugglers, pool parties, the belly-whistlers, lots of candy-throwing groups, fire-breathing Burning Man floats, the Grand Marshals and other luminaries perched in classic cars — anything or anyone you can think of, marches proudly down main street. Bringing up the rear of the parade, beautifully done up for the occasion by their proud owners, are the horses. The riders are a mix of horse-loving hobbyists, working wranglers and 4-H kids. Last year, in a lapse of common sense, beach balls were lobbed from a Main Street penthouse onto this part of the parade. Don’t do it. Skittering horses and kids running onto the street to fetch candy is a bad combo. Make sure the horses have passed safely by before lobbing anything onto the parade route. Fourth in July in Telluride smells amazing (with apologies to our vegetarian and vegan friends), as the aroma of 1,500 pounds of beef and 1,300 pounds of chicken roasting to tender perfection wafts from Town Park. The fireman’s barbeque in Town Park is summer on a compostable plate loaded with tender slices of beef or chicken, doused with barbeque sauce, and sides of baked beans, corn on the cob, and potato salad and a bright, sweet watermelon wedge for dessert. Telluride Volunteer Fire Department Chief David Wadley is in charge of this year’s festivities. He serves as El Jefe to literally his entire crew of volunteer firefighters — including many who come out of retirement to lend a hand — doing everything from collecting donations along the parade route, to selling beer, to serving the estimated 2,500-3,000 hungry souls who make their way to the park after the parade.

“It’s all hands on deck,” Wadley said. And by that, he means not only the men and women attending to the throngs of red white and blue-clad people, but also standby teams of firefighters ready to respond to any wild land or structure blazes.

Wadley never gets tired of this festive summertime gathering in Town Park. “It’s community I like best about this,” he said. “I like to wander and see everyone. Old-time locals and second homeowners … it’s one of the best community days of the year. Everyone has a smile on their face.” Be sure to drop a few extra dollars in the bucket if a friendly fire department volunteer comes by. The department is so much more than fireworks, Wadley said. The department not only offers scholarships to local students to the tune of $8,000 per year, but they are currently helping fund the restoration and installation of narrow gauge railroad tracks in Ridgway in a partnership with the Ridgway Railroad Museum. The Galloping Goose that rests in the little park next to the San Miguel County Courthouse is fully functional and hits the rails a few times year. The department is also undertaking the full restoration of the department’s original horse-drawn hose wagon, which was built in 1915. Next on the restoration list will be their 1913 water wagon. And Little Red, the 1940 Ford fire truck that is often in the parade and that sits in Town Park all day for kids to explore, is always in need of upkeep.

“We’re certainly disappointed about the fireworks,” Wadley said, “but everything that’s donated goes back to the community.”

The Placerville Volunteer Fire Department is in charge of the kid’s games, which include a sack race, balloon toss and the trout tank, where kids wade in to try to catch a trout using nothing but their bare hands. The games begin at 2 p.m. If you need to walk off that hearty meal and you have a sweet tooth, the Telluride Historical Museum at the top of Fir Street at 201 W. Gregory Ave. is offering free admission all day and root beer floats ($5 suggested donation). The museum’s hours are post-parade (12:30-ish) to 5 p.m. Being the photo-friendly day that the Fourth of July is, consider entering a picture or two taken on this day of days in the Telluride Hot Shot Photo Contest. Judges are looking for the most memorable image that captures the spirit of the day. Photos must be taken on July 4 and within San Miguel County. It’s free to enter and the top prize is $1,000. Check out the guidelines for submission at TellurideHotShotPhotoContest.com On July 3-4 the Telluride Mountain Village Owners Association presents the 2018 Red, White and Blues Celebration in Mountain Village featuring kids activities, carnival games, an ice cream social, face painting, a magic show, merchant discounts, and live music. Authorities would like to remind local and visitor alike that fire restrictions and water conservation rules are in effect until the monsoons finally arrive sometime later this summer. And, much as we all miss them, no fireworks of any kind, anywhere. The penalty for lighting fireworks is steep and the fire danger is extreme. Read Telluride Daily Planet's full article.