Colusa County is set to explode with excitement on Independence Day, especially for those who arent leaving for a three-day holiday.
For people planning a Fourth of July staycation, there will be plenty to do – from breakfast in Grimes to free live music and the Watermelon Festival in Colusa. And back after five years, the annual Colusa Fireworks display will be held on the Sacramento River and not at the fairgrounds.
Both local traditions and some new festivities around Colusa County are planned to help people celebrate the national holiday.
On Sunday, July 4, Americas birthday will begin with a breakfast and a Vendor Fair at the Grand Island Fire Station, located at 359 Main St., in Grimes.
The Grand Island Firefighters will cook your choice of bacon, sausage links, or sausage patties, served with ham, chorizo, tortillas, scrambled eggs, pancakes, country style potatoes, fruit salad, and their famous biscuits and gravy. Donations are greatly appreciated for the annual meal, with the proceeds going to station improvements and a scholarship fund.
At 2 PM, the launch of the fourth annual Jim Davison Memorial Rubber Duckie Race will get underway in Colusa. More than 1,000 rubber ducks are set to race down the Sacramento River on Sunday. The event is hosted by the Colusa Lions Club each Independence Day as a fundraiser to send Egling Middle School sixth graders to Shady Creek Outdoor School.
” Tickets will be sold until 5 PM on Saturday,” said Jim Pingrey, chairman. ” So, there is still time to get tickets at Messick Ace Hardware or Davison Drug.
The community can buy into the beloved fundraiser, founded in the 1980s by Jim Davison, for just $5. Each ticket will have a corresponding rubber duck that will be dropped into the river near the Colusa Boat Launch and will race (float) to the Colusa Bridge.
The holder of the first place duck will receive $500; second place will receive $300; and third place will receive $200.
Pingrey said boaters are needed to assist the Lions Club in retrieving the ducks from the water after the race.
The City of Colusa will also host its first blowout Watermelon Festival on Sunday, with fun watermelon-themed activities, food, and two free music concerts.
If you missed Buck Ford at County in Colusa, you will have a chance to see him again at no cost on Sunday, along with fireworks.
The Colusa Watermelon Festival will get underway at 6 PM on Main Street and the Colusa Boat Launch, which can be accessed via 10th Street.
Guests joining Colusa for the free family festival will find food trucks with unique and surprising watermelon menus. Watermelon grilled cheese, watermelon slushies, watermelon salads, watermelon on tacos, and more can be found throughout the venue.
On Main Street, the ˜Watermelon Crush activity will give visitors a fun opportunity for a squishy sensory experience, city officials said.
Keeping the crowd entertained will be a selection of bands, split between two stages: the Country Stage on Main Street and the Groove Stage on the Boat Launch.
The Country Stage will feature two local favorites: Township and Buck Ford. The Groove Stage boasts the City of Trees Brass Band and the Decades Band, playing favorites throughout the decades. City of Trees will perform a Louisiana-style brass band parade.
For kids attending the event (or those just young at heart), the Whymcycles company will bring a collection of wild and crazy pedal-powered bicycles for visitors to zoom around on before the fireworks. This station can be found on the Colusa Boat Launch.
As the sun goes down, the lead guitarist from the Decades Band will play the National Anthem directly from the boat dock, just before the fireworks begin.
The public is invited to view the fireworks from the levee and the boat launch round-about. Both viewing sites can be accessed via Main Street in Downtown Colusa with the best seating between 5th and 10th streets.
The event is scheduled to run until 10 PM.
Colusa Mayor Josh Hill said nothing is better than watermelon on a hot day.
” I hope everyone comes downtown for the watermelon and fireworks,” he said in a news release. ” It will be lots of fun.
Anyone looking to launch their boat from the Colusa Boat Launch on July 4 must do so before 5 PM. The launch will then be closed to vehicles, officials said.
Boats must also stay near the city-side shore and not cross past the mid-line of the river. Buoys will be in place and enforced by the Colusa County Sheriff’s boat patrol. Additionally, any vehicles parked in the State Park prior to 5 PM must remain there until after pedestrians have exited the boat launch premises at the end of the festival. Colusa Tourism Director Kristy Levings said the City of Colusa has worked hard to upgrade its levee and boat launch facility by trimming trees, installing lighting, and structuring safe access points for walking pedestrians. Local law enforcement, fire departments, and private security forces will be on hand Sunday to assist guests. Streets will be strategically closed to prevent vehicle access where crowds may gather.
Levings said bringing your own food and beverages will be allowed, with the exception of glass containers. No glass containers will be allowed in the venue. Street parking will be available throughout downtown, except where streets are closed.
Maps and additional information can be found on Page 12, or online at DiscoverColusa.com.–