2021 Annual 4th of July Day Parade to be held on July 3rd  

This year's Annual Fourth of July Parade will get underway on Saturday, July 3 at 10:00 a.m. The

Fallon Merchants Association (FMA), in conjunction with the City of Fallon and Churchill County, are this year's parade sponsors, with the theme being “Baseball, Apple Pie & 4th of July.” The parade starts from the corner of South Taylor Street and moves south past Virginia Street, crossing Williams, turn right (east) on West A in front of the Chamber of Commerce office, then rolling back downtown on South Maine Street, and will end near the Old High School.

Questions have been raised as to why the parade is running on Saturday, so Wende Hook, FMA Parade Organizer, explained it this way, “July 3 was chosen because the July 4 is a Sunday, and even though July 5 is the federal holiday, the consensus was that a lot of people will still be at work.”

Parade entries are invited from individuals, businesses, groups, and organizations. Awards will be given for Best Use of Theme, Best Youth Group, Best Civic/Non-Profit Group, Best Business Entry, Best Mounted Individual, Best Mounted Group, Best Farm Equipment, Best Agricultural, Best Automobile, Best Military, Most Patriotic, FMA Choice, and People’s Choice.

The 4^th of July parade is an annual family-friendly event where the streets along the parade route are closed and children are free to run about catching wrapped candy being tossed to them by the parade entrants that include all forms of decorated floats, farm and military equipment, classic cars, and horseback riders. There are numerous parade marchers, with some of them even being known to walk the route with super-soaker water guns, giving the kids a little splash with their goodies. Announcers are positioned at strategic locations along the route, describing each entry for the crowd as it passes by.  Attendees line the parade route with their chairs, coolers, and snacks, watching comfortably as the parade passes by. Seasoned attendees also know to get their “spot” on the route early, as the good spots get scooped up quick that morning.

The Green Goddess Farmers Market, held at the Arts Center, will open at 4:00 p.m., Saturday, July 3, and will remain open until 9:00 p.m. Lucy Carnahan, Executive Director of the Chamber of Commerce, will be announcing the Parade Winners at the start of the market, and presenting them with the awards. The Arts Center and Lariat Bar will be open during that time, and live music is scheduled to entertain the crowd. Carnahan said, “I am just happy and thrilled to be part of this 4th of July Committee and our great community.”

Rattlesnake Raceway has races scheduled for 6:00 p.m. Saturday, July 3, and at 4:00 p.m. Sunday, July 4. Fireworks will blaze the sky on both nights too, starting at the fall of darkness.  There’s something special about watching fireworks exploding against a dark sky filled with stars – and this year, it can be enjoyed two nights in a row. How special is that?