Anthem 4th of July celebration set for Saturday

STAFF REPORT ~6/29/2011

Thousands of people will come together on Saturday at the Anthem Community Park Ball Fields for Anthem’s Independence Day celebration. Sponsored this year by ValleyCrest Landscape Maintenance, the free event starts at 6 p.m., and a fireworks display is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. The Anthem Independence Day celebration is expected to draw between 15,000 to 18,000 people from all over the metro-Phoenix area.
Live entertainment will include a performance by Anthem’s second “Anthem Idol,” Dave Hatley, who will sing the National Anthem live and a cappella at about 9:15 p.m. with a presentation of the Luke Air Force Base Color Guard.
Along with Hatley musical entertainment will be provided by a DJ. There will be an emcee leading the crowd in various dances and travelling stilt walkers will entertain the crowd. Entertainment options also will include wet and dry bounce houses and slides on an unlimited basis with the purchase of a $10 bracelet that can be purchased at the event, or in advance at the Anthem Community Center. There also will be pony rides. Patriotic glow necklaces, temporary tattoos and American flags will be on sale.
Plenty of food will be available, from hamburgers and hot dogs to barbecue, kettle corn and fry bread. Most food vendors will have non-alcoholic beverages for sale, and the Anthem Rotary will host their Beer Garden. Dessert options will include sno-cones, ice cream and funnel cake among others.
The capper on the evening will be the fireworks show, which is set to start at approximately 9:30 p.m.
A variety of road restrictions in Anthem will be in effect beginning at 4 p.m. Saturday and continuing until midnight:
• Anthem Way between Gavilan Peak and Independence Way will be restricted to one lane both eastbound and westbound.
• The bike lane will be closed and cones will have the right vehicle lane blocked off. Cars are permitted to park on Anthem Way except where noted.
• Gavilan Peak between Anthem Way and Memorial Way will be restricted to one lane both northbound and southbound.
• The bike lane will be closed and cones will have the right vehicle lanes blocked off. Cars are permitted to park on Gavilan Peak during this time period, except where noted.
• Northbound Freedom Way and Independence way must turn right onto Anthem Way.
• Most traffic exiting the event to access I-17 will be re-routed to go eastbound on Anthem Way and southbound on Daisy Mountain to access the freeway from Daisy Mountain.
• The Community Center and the Community Center Parking Lot will close at 4 p.m. because it is the staging/fallout area for the fireworks display.
For information, including helpful tips for the event, contact Barb Evans at 623-742-4554 or bevans@anthemcouncil.com