Image from Heart by Heart website
It seems like it was just yesterday that we were all huddled under blankets, lamenting one of the coldest winters in recent memory. Summer seemed a long, long, long way away on the best day and on the worst winter night, we thought we’d never see another warm, sunny day.
But in the blink of an eye, here it is, July 2. And for those of us familiar with the southeast side of town, that can only mean one thing — it’s time for Greater Dundalk’s annual Independence Day celebration.
The festivities kick off tomorrow (Friday, July 3) at noon when the three-day Heritage Fair opens. Started in 1976, the Heritage Fair was created to celebrate the nation’s bicentennial. It was meant to be a one-time event, but public demand resulted in the fair becoming a yearly gathering.
The three-day festival, organized by the Dundalk Heritage Association, includes all the usual fair fare, including two stages of entertainment; a karaoke stage in the beer garden; food, beverage and dessert stands; carnival rides; and a crafters’ tent.
Image from Crack the Sky website
The three main musical acts this year are Heart by Heart (which includes two original members of the group Heart) on Friday night, America on Saturday night and Crack the Sky on Sunday night. The Mahoney Brothers, a tribute band known for its Beatles act (and fair favorite), will play Sunday fem 4:30 to 7 p.m.
Image from Heart by Heart website
Among crowd favorites are the pig races. And even with big name entertainment, I try hard not to miss the General John Stricker Middle School steel drum band. The students play on the Shipway stage from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday.
A complete entrainment schedule is available at the Heritage Association’s website.
Dundalk’s annual Independence Day parade kicks off Saturday morning at 8:15 a.m. It forms at the Logan Village Shopping Center on Dundalk Avenue, marches up Dundalk Avenue and winds through Old Dundalk before ending at the judge’s stand near Dundalk Elementary School.
Go early to get a prime parking space and then cheer on the runners in the Dundalk Heritage 6K road race. The race starts at CCBC Dundalk at 7 a.m, follows the parade route and ends at Dundalk Middle School on Dunmanway, according to the Dundalk Renaissance Corp. website.
Image from the Dundalk Renaissance Corp. website
And finally, the town’s fireworks display will begin around 9 or 9:15 p.m. on Saturday. The pyrotechnical display is shot off from the grounds of Grange Elementary/North Point Government Center. Folks can gather on the campus grounds, and the fireworks can be viewed from many local shopping center parking lots and the CCBC Dundalk campus.
Admission to the fair is $7 a day for adults (includes all entertainment); children under 12 are admitted free of charge.
A volunteer bucket brigade marches along the parade route to collect donations to help fund next year’s parade and fireworks display..
Unfortunately, many local weather forecasters are calling for a wet weekend; let’s hope this stalled weather system finds someplace else to go and soon!
Above photos by Marge Neal
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