Six days + great weather = Another fabulous July 4th celebration

(Above) Four-year-old Chayton Ridlon, of Rockwell, had a great time at the parade along with twins Maliyah and Larissa Vysocky.

The final numbers are still being tallied, but by all accounts Clear Lake’s July 4th celebration was again a rousing success.  Six days, combined with great weather and lots of families having fun together, was the perfect recipe for a possible— even likely, record-breaking stay for Evans United Shows.

“It’s always a great time when we are in Clear Lake and we think everything combined for a fantastic holiday,” said Nancy Evans.  “The park was full and we appreciate everyone’s patience when there were lines.  Hopefully everyone had fun.”

Early estimates of the number of people flocking to town for all or part of the long holiday weekend prove Clear Lake was the place to be.

“All in all, we felt that it was an incredible Fourth of July this year, especially considering it was on a Monday,” said Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Tim Coffey.  “I would estimate the carnival visits and the parade visits, coupled with those watching the fireworks were in the area of 60,000 to 75,000.  The true hero, like last year, was the weather.  We lucked out on that. I congratulate my staff on the tremendous work they did to make this year so successful.”

Three wristband days this year meant plenty of opportunity for kids of all ages to spend a day riding all they wanted for one price.  Sunday’s wristband day was a huge success, with lines of youngsters eager to ride.

“I waited all year for this,” said Maggie Markwalter, from Ankeny, Iowa.  The 10-year-old was in town to visit grandparents and carry on the tradition of enjoying the holiday in Clear Lake.  “My grandparents always get us kids wristbands as part of our Christmas gifts,” she said.

Pete Roth was experiencing his first July 4th celebration as Clear Lake Police Chief.  Last year, the Chief and his wife were introduced to the community as passengers in the department’s vintage police car which traveled the parade route.  This year, he and his family were again in the parade, and grateful to feel so much a part of the community, he explained.

From a police perspective, Roth said the holiday week was relatively uneventful.

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“Generally, people behaved.  There were few arrests and citations; other than some parking issues, we were pleased with peoples’ patience,” he said.  The chief added that personnel from the State Patrol, Sheriff’s Office, Department of Natural Resources and fire department all help to provide vital services during the event and complement the work of police officers.

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