Fourth of July in Onaway finishes with a bang

After the parades are done, and the fireworks fade, and as the carnival packs up and moves on to the next town, organizers of Onaway?s Fourth of July celebration take a deep breath, and immediately begin working on the next year?s festivities. Onaway Chamber of Commerce executive director Bev Brougham said this year?s ?Biggest Little Fourth in the North? was a complete success, and the chamber is looking forward to 2008.

?WE ARE already starting our plans for next year,? said Brougham. ?The theme will be the 1970s, so all the disco people should?get out the polyester leisure suits and get ready.?

Following the start of the celebration last Wednesday, festival attendees had many opportunities to participate in other events, including the 1960?s Street Dance.

?The dance was an absolute success,? said Brougham. ?Even through the band we were supposed to have canceled at the last minute, we were able to hire a band from Boyne City called Rawhide ? they didn?t play 60s music, but they did a great job. We had more than 200 people come out, and the Forest Waverly Fire Department did an awesome job bartending for us.?

Although the Street Dance was a big hit, Brougham was a bit disappointed with the attendance for the lumberjack show, even though the event packed quite a wallop of entertainment.

?The total attendance wasn?t much more than 100 people,? said Brougham. ?It was the first time for the lumberjack show. We had hoped to showcase a piece of our lumber history, and we really did appreciate the local loggers who participated and helped us out. It was very hot that day, so the heat may have had something to do with attendance.?

CHILDREN CAME out to compete in the annual Sugar & Spice competition, with Taylyn Peel winning queen, and Trapper Kenroy being honored as king. Several princesses included Eliana Prow, Jackie Nash, and Christina Hilliker. Brandon Hilliker was named prince.

Music was another big hit during the Fourth of July concerts, with numerous local acts taking the stage, starting with the band Night Fall. The Mike Peterman Group entertained with country and bluegrass tunes, while Anthony Wyatt, the grandson of former OHS band instructor Karan Pregitzer, entertained crowds with his saxophone playing.

Dave and Ellie McLellan performed as a country music duo, and Keith Brewer showcased his talents as a singer and songwriter. The Overtones of Traverse City provided the featured musical entertainment.

?The crowds for the co

ncerts were great,? said Brougham. ?They are free concerts, and the weather really cooperated with us ? it didn?t look like it was going to, but it did.? One of the many highlights of the week was the fireworks display, which provided many onlookers with numerous ?oohs and aahs.?

?It was a wonderful night for fireworks,? said Brougham. ?The streets were lined with people. Residents at Lynn Street Manor even had a cookout and watched the fireworks from their lawn. It was a really nice display this year, and we are thankful to Eric Rose and the Onaway Fire Department for running the show year after year.?

BROUGHAM SAID the Onaway Chamber was very happy with the Fourth of July celebration. ?All in all, it was a great Fourth of July,? said Brougham. ?We had a of tourists who came out and enjoyed all of the events, but we want to stress that the celebration is for the whole community to participate in. We are very flexible with what we offer, and we go with what we think the needs are. If there are ideas from the community, we welcome them. Come forward with ideas, contact the chamber office, leave a message, or come on down and visit us.?