Volunteers with the Volcano Community Association and Cooper Center Council invite folks of all ages and locales to join in the village’s annual Fourth of July celebration.
Volunteers with the Volcano Community Association and Cooper Center Council invite folks of all ages and locales to join in the village’s annual Fourth of July celebration.
“In the true fashion of small towns, each year the celebration begins with a parade with music, marching groups and neighbors cheering along the roadside from the Volcano Post Office to the Cooper Center,” said spokeswoman Mililani Hughes. “Upon arrival at the Cooper Center and the Carlson Court on Wright Road, there will be live entertainment, food booths galore, kids’ games, a craft fair and a silent auction.”
The Independence Day agenda follows a recipe for success that’s been packing the town — rain or shine — for well over two decades.
The parade begins at 9 a.m. and festivities extend into the early afternoon each July 4, which falls on a Thursday this year. To enhance the event, residents from Volcano and beyond are invited to participate. If your group would like to join the parade, please contact Jim Mitchell at (253) 441-0863 or Sher Glass at 967-8553. If you would like to be a craft vendor or a food vendor, contact Barbara Toles at 769-3903 (weekdays, in the mornings) or Donna Stickel at 985-7140.
“This year, there will be a change for food vendors, as the booth fee will be a flat rate and scrip will not be used. Food vendors must have their state Department of Health permits and have their own change for their customers,” said Hughes.
The food booths are generally at the Cooper Center main building and along the sidewalks in the parking lot. The craft vendors will be housed in the Carlson Court.
If entertainment is your bag, and you are interested in being one of the groups to perform during the festivities, contact Kathy Baybayan at 982-7387.
Volunteers who would like to help with the keiki games should contact Mary Brewer at 985-9595.
Supporters of the Friends of the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park can assist in the fundraising effort by donating items for the annual silent auction. Call 985-7373 for more details.
In keeping with Cooper Center Council President Linda Ugalde’s favorite ‘olelo no‘eau, Volcano volunteers know that “‘A’ohe hana nui ke alu‘ia — No task is too big when done together by all.” — Pukui No. 142.