Loading...
Newspaper Clipping - Newspaper Clipping Scan - Excellent Weather for Eagan's Three-Day 4th of July Celebration - 7/4/1976Excellent Weather For Eagan's Three -Day '4th' By CAROL BRAUN Staff Writer (See photos elsewhere) EAGAN — The sun smiled warmly on all three days of the Eagan July Fourth Bicentennial celebration last weekend. The traditional parade and fireworks was expanded by the July Fourth Association to in- clude a carnival at Cedar Pond, junior olympics for children and a street dance Saturday evening. The carnival, which was set up by Harlan Shows but included booths sponsored by community organizations, ran Thursday and Friday evening and all day Sat- urday and Sunday. Saturday, the day of the par - ade, began with an 8:30 a.m. 1 flag ceremony at Cedar Pond, in 1 which the Eagan Lions present- ed their gift of a permanent 40 -foot flag pole and 50 -star flag to the Charles J. Riebel VFW Post on behalf of the city. Don Klober of the Lions and Harold Thies of VFW Post 047 raised the flag as it was saluted by the audience. The community itself was the focus of the Eagan parade as a multitude of churches, civic organizations and neighbor- hood groups got in the act. Ed White of the Minnesota Vikings was the Grand Marshal for the parade and visiting queens were on hand from Rob - binsdale, Apple Valley and Rose- mount. Other visitors included Osman Shriner clowns and the St. Paul Scout Drum and Bugle Corps. Participants from the summer park and rec tumbling and dance pro ams marched in red white an ue out its. Orvilla Home had a float, a decorated cabin cruiser pulled on a boat trailer carrying waving, life- jacketed children and the slogan, "Let's keep afloat another 200 years." Neighborhood floats and units played an important part in the parade. A large Flint, La. unit included a trio of boys imitating the famous painting "The Spirit of '76" and a float with a girl dressed as the Statue of Liberty. Sandstone Dr. pulled an enor- mous talking Uncle Sam that wished America a happy birth- day. There were a number of an- tique cars in the parade. Several 4 -H groups had units and the Happy Bluebird group rode a float decorated with 1,000 hand- made paper flowers. The Rose- mount High School Band was part of the festivities and the Diamond T ranch had a large showing of horses and wagons, including Paul Revere. The Junior Olympics, which ran all afternoon Saturday and Sunday, were a cooperative ven- ture of the Fourth of July Asso- ciation, the city park and ' rec department and the CAA. Chil- dren from grades one through nine spent two afternoons com- peting in athletic events such as races, and non - athletic games like kick the shoe and the sore toe race. The weekend celebration end- ed July 4 with a fireworks dis- play over Cedar Pond.