Busy Fourth planned for Sanders County

SANDERS COUNTY – Areas throughout Sanders County will be hosting celebratory events to mark the nation’s independence on the Fourth of July.

Traditional fireworks and parades will be featured as the region marks the annual summer festivities.

American Legion Post #129 in Paradise will be hosting its traditional celebration on the fourth at the greenway in town.

“Our goal is still to be a part of this community,” said Dave Koepplin of the Paradise American Legion.

The celebration will include activities throughout the day and competitions for children to take part in.

There will also be a parade that will go through Paradise and a firework display will be held shortly after dusk.

“We are trying to put ourselves out there and let the valley know we are alive and kicking,” Koepplin said.

The legion will host some raffles and there will a beer tent set up where the old American Legion building stood.

There will also be an event in Plains with fireworks scheduled for the evening of Independence Day.

The fireworks will take place at the Sanders County Fairgrounds and will begin once the sun goes down and the conditions are favorable for the visual display.

The Plains Lions Club will be selling fireworks outside of town with proceeds going to support Plains.

“Every dime the Lions Club makes selling fireworks goes back into the community,” Plains Mayor Greg Eitelberg said.

VFW Post #3596 in Plains will be holding a picnic at Fred Young Park starting at 11 a.m.

Eitelberg spoke of potentially expanding the town of Plains celebratory events in the years to come.  

“It would be nice to get the whole community involved for an event,” Eitelberg said.

In the county seat of Thompson Falls several events have been planned to celebrate the founding of the United States.

As part of the historic celebrations going on in Thompson Falls for David Thompson Days, there will be a historic reading of the Declaration of Independence at PPL park.

The 18th century styled public reading of the document, which birthed the nation, will feature authentically dressed re-enactors.

At the conclusion of the reading there will be a black powder salute complete with flintlock muskets.

The celebration will continue with patriotic sing alongs and a series of campfire stories about the nation’s struggle to gain its independence from the British Empire throughout the years of the American Revolution.

The Wild Goose Landing Boat Launch will host a family firework event at the Thompson Falls City Park, where attendees are welcome to launch their fireworks from the launch from 6 p.m. to midnight.

Due to wildfire threats, the city of Thompson Falls is only allowing fireworks to be lit in this specific location during the aforementioned time frame.

David Thompson Days will continue with events running through Saturday July 5.

The town of Noxon has a full slate of events for Independence Day.

There will be a fun run in the morning. Runners are encouraged to meet at the town park at 7:30 a.m. They will then be bussed to Triangle Pond, where they will start the event at 8 a.m.

The VFW in Noxon will be hosting a ham and pancake breakfast from 7:30 to 10:30 a.m.

The town parade will start from the Noxon school at noon and those participating in the parade are encouraged to line up at 11:30 a.m.

In the park there will also be kids games and turtle races throughout the course of the day.

There will also be kayak races and a round of chicken poop bingo as part of the town’s day-long Fourth of July celebration.

In the early evening there will be a ham dinner held at the downtown park.

The dinner is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.

Fireworks are also planned to celebrate Independence Day in Hot Springs, where the rock band Good Band and the Ugly will be in town to bring in the long weekend.