July 4 celebration rivals best ever

(Above) Betty Sherman, former owner of the Lake Theatre, was honored as the parade Grand Marshal.  Riding with her were sons Tom and John.

Estimated 100,000 enjoy another fantastic Fourth in Clear Lake

Clear Lake’s 2017 Fourth of July celebration was one of the best ever, according to the Clear Lake Area Chamber of Commerce and Evans United Shows.

Chamber Executive Director Tim Coffey reported final totals from the six-day festival were within a few hundred dollars of the record-setting 2016 figures.

“We couldn’t be happier right now.  Considering the day of the week that the holiday fell on, we thought it went really well,” said Coffey.

This year’s celebration may have topped the 2016 mark if the opening night hadn’t been cut a little short by rain.  After that, the weather was spectacular and the schedule went on without a hitch.  Crowds were typically four to five deep along the parade route Tuesday and fireworks that evening featured new pyrotechnic innovations.  An estimated 75,000 to 100,000 people enjoyed the day.

The city’s ban on fireworks resulted in seven citations being written by local police between June 30 and July 4.  One citation was issued in Ventura during the time frame.