NORTH KITSAP— Kingston’s Fourth of July parade will march again this year and the Tiny Town children’s festival is scheduled as usual.
A Kingston fireworks display, however, is still up in the air.
Organizers of the Kingston Fourth of July Celebration say they are $9,000 short of their $17,000 fundraising goal for fireworks. The group will need to decide Monday whether to cancel the show, organizer Dale Rude said.
A number of fundraisers have been planned for the weekend to close the funding gap.
“I’m cautiously optimistic at this point,” Rude said. “The momentum is good.”
A cocktail party and raffle will be held 6-9 p.m. Friday at the Kingston Cove Yacht Club. On Saturday, bands Sweet Root, Guttersnake, Black Top Demon and Pushing Slinkies will play a fireworks benefit concert at Mike Wallace Park. The show starts at 3:30 p.m.
T-shirts, hats, buttons and raffle tickets are on sale at the Kingston Chamber of Commerce.
Third of July nears goal
Poulsbo will definitely light up the sky this third of July.
Third of July event organizer Ron Krell says the show will go on as planned, as the event organizer, Viking Fest Corporation , is only about $2,500 shy of its $19,500 fundraising goal.
“I’m not feeling a panic,” Krell said.
The bulk of funding is coming from the Suquamish Clearwater Casino , which is footing about two thirds of the bill, he said. Other businesses and some residents are pitching in for the annual fireworks show, Fireworks on the Fjord.
The festivities will begin at noon at the waterfront park in downtown Poulsbo. The entertainment venue for the afternoon is still being decided, but the intent is to have live entertainment from noon until 10 p.m.
Shuttle bus runs will begin at 4 p.m. Festival-goers can park in the parking lots at North Kitsap High , Poulsbo Middle and Poulsbo Elementary schools and ride the Agate Pass Transportation shuttle downtown for $2 round trip. Children 5 and younger ride for free.
Evening festivities will begin with the National Anthem at 7:30 p.m., and Poulsbo Mayor Becky Erickson will speak about the courage of the nation’s founding fathers. The Navy Band Northwest Passage will play from 8-10 p.m.
The fireworks will begin at about 10:15 p.m., and will be synchronized to music, which will play on KITZ 1400 AM, Krell said.
The best place to watch the show, Krell said, is along the downtown boardwalk. Some spectators also gather at the First Lutheran Church parking lot on Fourth Avenue.
After the fireworks show is complete, the shuttles will be lined up at the corner of King Harold Vei and Jensen Avenue to head back to the school parking lots.
This is the second year the Viking Fest Corporation has raised money for and planned the event. Fireworks on the Fjord has changed hands a few times on its way to becoming a community staple event. It was originally a Keyport event, then was managed by Community Events Production. Last year, the event faced cancellation as then-organizers Sandra Peterson and Mike McLaughlin were unable to raise the necessary funds. The Viking Fest Corporation then took the reins.
– Tad Sooter, Celeste Cornish
