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| FORSYTH COUNTY NEWS | ForsythNews.com
- : L s Wheged T W o Wl
City celebrates with
fireworks, parade
sion will begin at 10 a.m.,
making its way down
Tribble Gap Road from
Forsyth Central High
School to the Cumming
Fairgrounds:
Cindy Hansard, one of
the parade’s organizers, is
the great-granddaughter of
“its founder, Glen Thomas,
who she said collected
steam engines and wanted
to honor the military on
Independence Day.
“[He] got up one Fourth
of July morning and
decided to ride around the
square in honor of all the
veterans and celebrate the
birthday of America,”
Hansard said.
More than a half centu
ry later, veterans are still
honored each year during
the parade.
While the mayor of
Cumming, H. Ford
Gravitt, and several mem
bers of the Cumming City
Council lead the proces
sion, veterans are the first
to march.
Other participants
include local politicians
and businesses, church
groups and nonprofits.
People riding aboard the
floats, steam engines and
cars in the parade will be
throwing candy to the
crowd as the procéssion
passes.
What makes the parade
unique, however, are the
steam engines. :
The machines are a trib
ute to Forsyth County’s
By Megan Reed
For the Forsyth County News
Cumming will be con
tinuing its traditional
Independence Day cele
brations this week, with
fireworks on Friday and a
parade on Saturday.
The fireworks will begin
about 9:30 p.m. Friday at
the Cumming Fairgrounds.
Dave Horton, director of
the fairgrounds, said about
20,000 to 25,000 people go
to the fairgrounds each
year for the show, although
the fireworks are visible
elsewhere.
Horton said people will
park and tailgate “any
where there’s asphalt,”
with some popular places
being the Lakeland Plaza
shopping center and along
Market Place Boulevard.
“There’s quite a number
on the outskirts that never
even come in [to the fair
grounds],” Horton said.
The gates to the fair
grounds will open at 6
p.m. Vendors with food
and activities will be set
up at that time. Admission
and parking are free.
The July Fourth fun will
continue the next morning
with the Thomas-
Mashburn Steam Engine
Parade.
The parade, a Forsyth
County July Fourth tradi
tion, will be .passing
through downtown
Cumming. -
The 58th annual proces
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A boy throws candy off a float during last year’s parade. Below, a steam
engine makes its way downTribble Gap Road.
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Dance contest follows
festive show on Friday
Participants can
let loose on stage
By Megan Reed
For the Forsyth County News
The fun at the Cumming Fairgrounds
doesn’t end after the fireworks Friday
night. ;
People of all ages can stick around to
participate in a dance contest at the fair
grounds, an annual post-fireworks tradi
tion.
The contest, which will start about 10
p.m. at the Sawmill Stage in the center
of the fairgrounds, is also a great way to
wait out the post-fireworks traffic.
About 20,000 to 25,000 people are
usually inside the fairgrounds to see the
fireworks each year, so the contest has
agrarian past, and the
parade provides coliectors
with the opportunity to
showcase their engines.
However, the neise can
be intimidating for some
spectators, said Forsyth
County Fire Division
Chief Jason Shivers. .
“It’s just a loud event,
and that’s part of the fun,”
he said. e Sty
According to Shivers,
the neise can be especially
frightening for children.
He encouraged parade
goers to bring along hear
ing protection, such as
earmuffs or earplugs.
“We've been fortunate
that in the last few years
the weather has been fair
ly mild,” he said. “But his
torically, the Fourth of
July during the parade is
quite hot and humid.
“Considering the heat
that we’ve had thus far
this year, I think that’s a
safe bet that everyone
should certainly prepare
for a hot and humid
parade. this Fourth of
July” °
Shivers recommended
that parade attendees stay
hydrated, wear a hat and
sunscreen, bring water and
eat a full meal beforehand.
Children and the elder
ly, he said, are especially
susceptible to heat-related
medical problems.
The fire department,
along with other emergen
cy services personnel, will
be available during the
become a popular event for people to
continue the celebration, said Dave
Horton, director of the fairgrounds.
Horton said about 150 to 200 dancers
take part in the competition, which is
sponsored by Thunder 104.3 radio sta
tion in Dahlonega.
A local band, Across the Wide, will be
playing both during the dance contest
and before the fireworks.
Judges from the radio station look
through the ¢rowd and find 10 dancers
to take the stage and perform. The win
ners are then chasen based on the audi
ence’s applause.
Horton said younger dancers usually
get the most excitement from the audi
ence.
“It helps to be a younger one,” he
said. “When the audience is judging, as
a rule, cute wins.”
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Everyrunnergels:
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