Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
By P.J. GLISSON
The tri-county region will have no end of Independence Day activities before, during and after July 4 as a variety of communities take turns offering holiday fun for both residents and visitors.
Celebrations occur over days and times will allowing people of all ages to attend events in more than one community. Below is a list of some of the activities.
Gogebic County
Wakefield’s annual town picnic will begin in the main pavilion of Eddy Park on July 3 at noon. Live music, games and other fun will be available. That evening, the Gogebic Range Band will perform at 7 p.m. in the smaller park pavilion, followed by the “Lightning on the Lake” fireworks display over Sunday Lake at dusk. On July 4, the general parade will start at 1 p.m. on the corner of U.S. 2 and Putnam and will continue on to Sunday Lake Street (main street), where a children’s parade will run simultaneously from the Wakefield Fire Hall to the old City Hall. Earlier in the day, a Sunday Lake Walk-Run will start at 8 a.m.
Marenisco will kick off its July 4 activities with a music festival at the trailhead pavilion on Saturday from noon to 10 p.m. A town picnic will be held on July 2 from 2 to 4 p.m. at the pavilion. On July 3, the annual golf tourney will be at the Gateway Golf Club in Land O’Lakes, Wisconsin. In downtown Marenisco, a street dance with Foundry Men will run from 5 to 9 p.m. that night. July 4 will include an 11 a.m. parade, followed by food and games in the pavilion and a performance by Marty’s Goldenaires. Volleyball and cornhole will be played directly outside. A 5 p.m. turkey feed will precede fireworks at dusk on Kimberly Field.
Watersmeet’s Fourth of July parade is scheduled for 1 p.m. on July 3 on the main street of U.S. 45, with a kiddie and pet parade preceding it at 12:30 p.m. After the parades, a picnic will occur at the town pavilion, along with music, kids’ games and a bags tourney. Fireworks will take place the night before, on July 2, with viewing at the pavilion.
Ramsay will celebrate Independence Day on July 2, starting with a street dance behind the Bessemer Township Hall at 6 p.m. Providing music throughout the evening will be Slab Band. Marty’s Goldenaires Drum and Bugle Corps is also expected to perform between 8:15 and 8:30 p.m. Concessions, including fish fry and other fare, will be available inside and out of the fire hall. A fireworks show, known as “Rumble Over the River,” will occur at dusk.
Ontonagon County
All events in Ontonagon are at Eastern Standard Time.
Bruce Crossing will offer Fourth of July activities on Saturday with a downtown parade at 2 p.m. The theme will be “Red, White and Blues.” Before then, a variety of food will be available from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Stannard Township Park, which also will feature a party pavilion from noon to 10:30 p.m., including live music by the Peace Family and the Flat Broke Blues Band. Games will include bingo, wheelbarrow races and more. A volleyball tourney will start at 9 a.m., and a kickball tourney will start at 3 p.m. Fireworks will occur at dusk.
Greenland also will celebrate the holiday on Saturday, starting with a Run, Walk and Roll at 9:30 a.m. and all-day kickball and cornhole tourneys, as well as kids’ games from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The parade starts at noon on Plank Road, followed by a Musical Jamboree in the Park, featuring several musicians performing live. A street dance will take place in the evening with additional live bands. Fireworks are scheduled for dusk.
White Pine will celebrate Fourth of July later in the month, in conjunction with the 14th annual Warrior Weekend on July 28, 29 and 30. Details will be announced later.
Iron County
Mercer’s Independence Day theme this year will be “America Through the Decades.” The town will celebrate on July 4 with an 11 a.m. parade on U.S. 51, which is the main street. Starting at 2 p.m., Carow Park will feature music, food, fun and games, culminating in fireworks at dusk over Grand Portage Lake.
For full details on any particular celebration, refer to respective Facebook pages.
