Parade, fireworks highlight Fourth of July in Enumclaw

Enumclaw launches the three-day, Fourth of July holiday weekend with a busy slate of activities Friday.

Enumclaw launches the three-day, Fourth of July holiday weekend with a busy slate of activities Friday.

Things get started on a satisfying note, with a pancake breakfast offered by members of the Enumclaw Rotary. They will be serving the free meal from 8 to 11 a.m. at the Enumclaw Senior Center.

At approximately 10 a.m., entries will begin staging for the Stars and Stripes parade, which rolls at noon. Entries will cover the traditional route along Cole Street. Kids are invited to decorate their bicycles, tricycles and scooters and join the parade; kids should gather at the staging area at 11 a.m.

From 1 to 4 p.m., Rendezvous Wine and Brew will provide live entertainment on Myrtle Avenue between Cole and Railroad streets. The Kevin Jones Band will perform. It’s al all-ages event, as there will be seating outside an outdoor beer garden. The one-block stretch of Myrtle Avenue will be off-limits to automobiles for the afternoon.

There’s a break until the sun goes down and pyrotechnics fill the night sky. The annual fireworks show is back and will begin at approximately 9:45 at the field adjacent to Southwood Elementary School.

The cost of putting on the Stars and Stripes celebration is picked up by a handful of sponsors. Aside from the city of Enumclaw, the Rotary Club and Rendezvous, sponsors include The Courier-Herald, the Enumclaw Chamber of Commerce, Helac Corporation, Les Schwab Tires, Treat’s Heating and Cooling and Rainier View Construction and Roofing.

Enumclaw’s “special event” season kicks off Friday and there’s much more to come during the busy months of July and August.

• The King County Fair will take over the Enumclaw Expo Center grounds for a four-day show, July 17-20.

• The weekend of July 25-27 – that’s Friday through Sunday – features doubleheader action in town. The annual Enumclaw Rotary Street Fair will see Cole Street closed to traffic through the heart of downtown and, at the Expo Center, the Pacific Northwest Scottish Highland Games and Clan Gathering will fill the grounds. In addition, Saturday kicks off with a 5K run/walk.

• The popular Art in the Garden event is set for Aug. 2-3 at the Matson Family Farm.

• An automobile show featuring plenty of hot rods takes place Aug. 9 at the Expo Center.

• The Olympic Kennel Club Dog Show will bring thousands of canines and their handlers to the Expo Center Aug. 14-17.

• The Enumclaw Pro Rodeo adds three days of excitement to the Expo Center rodeo arena Aug. 21-23.