Music, food, fireworks foundation for Maricopa’s Great American 4th of July

Jul 1, 2016

By Ethan McSweeney

Maricopa will ring in America’s 240th birthday this Fourth of July with many of the holiday’s mainstays – hotdogs, live music and, of course, fireworks.[quote_box_right]IF YOU GO
What: Great American 4th
When: July 4, 6 p.m.
Where: Copper Sky Regional Park
How Much: Free entry; $5 per child to Kids Water Zone[/quote_box_right]

This year’s Great American 4th Independence Day celebration at Copper Sky Regional Park will be similar to last year’s event, said Niesha Whitman, special events and marketing manager for the city of Maricopa – though look for something new in the Kids Water Zone.

The festivities begin at 6 p.m. Stage performances include Lelea and 3 Nations, ATA Karate and Alexandra Diaz. Music headliner Quantum, which plays old school, funk, R&B, rock, soul and pop, takes the stage at 7:30 p.m.

The water zone will be set up for kids featuring slides, bouncers and – new this year – a water gun fight. Admission wristbands for the Kids Water Zone are $5 per child over age 3. Wristbands can be pre-purchased at the Copper Sky Multigenerational Center lobby from 5 to 7 p.m. on July 1-2 for $4.

Vendors will be on hand to sell food, with Native Grill and Wings granted a special liquor license to sell beer at the event.

The formal celebration kicks off at 9 p.m. with an address from Mayor Christian Price and City Council members followed by presentation of the Colors by the Maricopa Police Honor Guard and a recognition of veterans. Miss City of Maricopa Aundria Littlejohn will lead in the Pledge of Allegiance, and the National Anthem will be performed by Quantum. The fireworks will start soon afterward.

The city will provide free shuttle service from 5:30 to 11 p.m. with pick-up locations at Santa Rosa Elementary School, Santa Cruz Elementary School, Maricopa Wells Middle School, Butterfield Elementary School, Saddleback Elementary School, Maricopa Elementary School and Ace Hardware, which will have ADA access.

Click here to see what Ak-Chin venues have going on for the Fourth of July.

FOURTH OF JULY BY THE NUMBERS
1: July Fourth’s ranking among American holidays for both buying beer and grilling outdoors
5: Parts of the Declaration of Independence
13: British colonies in North America in 1776
56: Signatures on the official engrossed copy of the Declaration of Independence
70: Age in 1776 of Benjamin Franklin, the oldest signer of the Declaration of Independence
1,337: Words in the Declaration of Independence, excluding signatures
25,000: Estimated American casualties in the Revolutionary War (1775-1783)
2.5 million: Estimated population of the United States in 1776 (It is more than 323 million today.)
700 million: Pounds of chicken purchased in the United States the week before July 4
74 billion: Dollars traded between former adversaries the United States and the United Kingdom last year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau