Side Lake for the 4th of July

Side Lake for the 4th of July is the place to be!  The annual Side Lake Parade is a family friendly event that starts at 10:00am on Friday July 4th.  Grab the kids and your pups and get a spot along McCarthy Beach Road.  You still have until July 1st to register to be in the parade!  Get your creative thoughts going and put a float/entry together and you could win some really great prizes!  Prizes awarded for the top 4 participating groups.  Get your registration forms at the Side Lake Post Office, CC Campground, Side Lake Store, or you can download the form sidelake.org/community/event-information & drop at participating locations or email to sidelakeevents@gmail.com.  Click here for inclement weather policy.  Participants line up at 9:00am on Sturgeon & Rudstrom Roads.

Saturday July 5th- Side Lake Firecracker 5K walk/run.  We will kick things off at the legendary Bimbos’s Octagon on 7626, Hwy 5, Side Lake then cruise through a neighborhood so pretty, it looks like it was filtered by nature itself – tall trees, fresh air, and the classic “Up North” vibe!  The deadline to guarantee a race t-shirt was  June 15th, but you still may be able to get if available.  $25 for ages 0-18 or $30 for over 18.  The no-shirt option is $15 less at registration.  Registration closes at 8:30am that morning, but we encourage you to pre-register and pick up your packets starting at 7:00am.  Sign up today by clicking here! or sidelake.org.

Side lake has had these traditions for as long as I can remember so grab your friends or family along with your suits and hit the lake.  You can expect to see a lot of activity on the channel of lakes along with pontoons anchored at the edge of McCarthy Beach, campers from CC Campground or McCarthy State Campground, people enjoying Riverside & Bimbo’s famous Bull Dogs and delicious food, and of course, the Parade and Firecracker 5K!

Fun Fourth of July Facts

  1. The Declaration Wasn’t Signed on July 4th

    • The Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, but most delegates didn’t sign it until August 2nd.

  2. John Adams Predicted July 2nd Would Be Celebrated

    • Adams thought July 2nd (when the vote for independence happened) would be the date Americans would celebrate. He was off by two days!

  3. Fireworks Have Been a Tradition Since 1777

    • The first Independence Day fireworks were in Philadelphia in 1777, just a year after the Declaration was adopted.

  4. Three Presidents Died on July 4th

    • Thomas Jefferson and John Adams died on July 4, 1826—on the 50th anniversary of the Declaration.

    • James Monroe died on July 4, 1831.

  5. One President Was Born on July 4th

    • Calvin Coolidge, the 30th U.S. President, was born on July 4, 1872.

  6. An Estimated 150 Million Hot Dogs Are Eaten

    • Every Fourth of July, Americans consume 150 million+ hot dogs, enough to stretch from D.C. to L.A. more than 5 times!

  7. Only Two Countries Celebrate July 4th as a Holiday

    • Besides the U.S., Denmark and the Philippines have July 4 celebrations related to American independence (though the Philippines now mainly celebrates independence on June 12).

  8. Liberty Bell Wasn’t Rung on July 4, 1776

    • The famous Liberty Bell didn’t ring on July 4, 1776. It’s believed it was rung on July 8 to mark the first public reading of the Declaration.

  9. The U.S. Flag Has Changed 27 Times

    • Since 1777, the American flag has been officially modified 27 times, reflecting the addition of new states.

  10. “Yankee Doodle” Was Originally a British Song to Mock Americans

    • It was meant to make fun of the American colonists, but they turned it into a patriotic anthem.

Doc “Moonlight” Graham Days ParadeJ & M Retrievers