The festivities will begin at 4 pm at Municipal Park on Monday, July 4, with fireworks at 9:15 pm.
"We're planning for quite a celebration," said Mayor Jody McLeod. "After last year's disappointment, we're coming back in a big way."
Competitions will kick off the celebration at 4 pm, headlined by the Basketball Skills Competition and the Cornhole Competition. Family Field Events--sack races, relay races, water balloon toss, egg toss, egg & spoon race and 50-yard dash--will also get underway.
Children's games will begin at 5 pm and last until about 8:30 pm. In addition, local groups will be offering Kung fu, Zumba and Line Dancing demonstrations, and the Fire Department will be offering a "spray down" to fight the heat. Also at 5 pm, the crowd will be treated to free watermelon.
Bingo begins at 6 pm, with free ice cream at 7 pm.
The band "East Bound" will perform from 7 to 9 pm, with a raffle drawing just before the national anthem and fireworks at 9:15 pm.
Last year, town leaders had to take fireworks out of the Independence Day celebration due to the economic downturn that hit the town's budget hard. But, earlier this year they decided to shift enough money from a parks study to buy $18,000 worth of fireworks for this year's celebration. Town Manager Steve Biggs said the parks study can go forward next year.
Councilman Bob Satterfield summed up the feelings of the Town Council when he said the July 4 celebration is important as a "morale booster" for a community weary from several years of economic hardship. Last year's cancellation of fireworks was a huge disappointment to a large number of residents. Many said it painfully underscored the hardship they were already enduring.
Clayton has traditionally held the largest July 4 celebration in the area, attracting thousands of area residents with all sorts of events, traditional summer foods and the area's biggest fireworks display. Donations pay for part of the cost, but the town usually provides the fireworks.
Here's the schedule of activities:
4 pm• Family Field Events -sack races, relay races, 50 yd. dash, water balloon toss, egg toss, egg &
spoon race
• Basketball Skills Competition
• Cornhole Competition
5 pm• Free Watermelon
• Clayton Fire Department Spray Down
• Kung Fu, Zumba, and Line Dancing Demonstrations
• Children’s Games (5:00-8:30)
6 pm
• Bingo
7 pm• Free Ice Cream
7-9 pm• “East Bound” Performs (bring your blanket or lawn chair)
9 pm• Raffle Drawing
• Sponsor Recognition
• National Anthem
9:15 pm
• Area’s Best Fireworks Show
This year's sponsors are:
PatriotTown of Clayton
McDonald’s
Wake Heart & Vascular
RedKimley-Horn and Associates, Inc.
WhiteMonster Batting Cages
Four Oaks Bank & Trust
Withers & Ravenel
Caterpillar
Debra Zombek, D.D.S., P.A.
Farm Bureau
Wal-Mart
Lorie Paulk Photography
BlueInfinity Fire Protection
State Farm
Patriot State Bank
Hudson’s Hardware
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