Live bands light up Fourth of July fun Posted by Kimberly Jacobson | Jun 27, 2012 | 823 views

With the addition of Rock the Dock, the city’s annual Fourth of July celebration will keep you entertained from morning to night.

After the town photo, parade and Patriotic Program you can enjoy musical acts, activities and vendors at Seafarers’ Memorial Park right up until the fireworks show.

Plan your Fourth of July activities:

• A town photo will be taken at 10 a.m. at Fifth Street and Commercial Avenue. Please gather in the square made by the white crosswalks — if you’re not inside the square you won’t be in the picture.

• Anacortes Women of Today invite you to participate in the Fourth of July parade, which starts at 11 a.m. Create a float, join a drill team, carry a banner, ride decorated bicycles, play an instrument, advertise your business or just walk in a festive costume. No pre-registration is necessary. With a few exceptions, lineup is first come, first served.

Children may line up on Third Street and Commercial Avenue. They will begin the Children’s Parade after the grand marshal’s car and the Anacortes Women of Today banner.

Line up in single file, leaving a traffic lane down the center of: Second Street, west of Commercial Avenue; on both sides of Commercial between Second and First streets (ambulances and fire trucks have priority); and on O Avenue. Choose a meeting place for your own group.

Your animals are your responsibility. Please clean up after them.

If you are handing out candy or other objects, please use a gentle underhand toss. Do not throw overhand.

• The Patriotic Program will begin in Causland Memorial Park immediately after the parade, about 12:30 or 1 p.m. It features children’s games and food booths sponsored by local nonprofit organizations. Bring a picnic or buy your lunch from the vendors.

• The new Rock the Dock will bridge the gap between events at Causland and the fireworks show. The event is 5-10 p.m. at Seafarers’ Memorial Park. Four musical acts will take the stage — The Geoffrey Castle Band, The Bad Apples, Sleepy Lagoon and Karl Blau. Shakespeare Northwest Theatrical Troupe will appear between musical acts. A free bounce house will entertain the kids. Vendors will have food, beverages and a beer garden.

Bring your lawn chairs and come join the fun. In case of bad weather the event will be moved to the Port of Anacortes Transit Shed Event Center.

Admission is free with a suggested donation of a nonperishable food item or donation for Anacortes School District music and arts programs.

The event is made possible through these local sponsors: Port of Anacortes, How it Works, Bob’s Chowder Bar & BBQ Salmon, Elks Lodge 1204, Rick Epting Foundation for the Arts, Soroptomist International of Anacortes, Cascadia Weekly and Puget Sound Productions.

For more information, call (360) 708-7770 or e-mail .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

• Western Display Fireworks will coordinate the John Curtis Memorial Fireworks Show at around 10:30 p.m. over Fidalgo Bay.

It will be set off near T Avenue and 30th Street on DNR land. Parking will not be allowed in the area for safety reasons. Parking will not be allowed at the Cap Sante viewpoint for safety reasons, but residents who want to watch from there can still walk up.

Free parking is available around the Cap Sante Boat Haven.

The Anacortes Parks Foundation is still accepting donations. Send checks to the Anacortes Parks Foundation, P.O. Box 1902, Anacortes, WA 98221. Or visit www.anacortesparksfoundation.org to make a donation using PayPal. For more information, call 293-1918.

The Anacortes Police Department reminds city residents that personal possession and discharge of fireworks are illegal in the city limits. It is legal in the county to discharge fireworks for the Fourth.

The Anacortes department has asked the county to provide boat patrols that day to make sure boats stay a safe distance from the fireworks.