Teton Valley brings its A-game for the holiday weekend
Don’t miss the Teton Valley Balloon Rally among so many other events this weekend. Pick up this week’s Valley Citizen to find a complete guide to all the holiday happenings in and around the valley.
The City of Victor is bringing its A-game to the Fourth of July this year, with a weekend packed with entertainment. Under a banner theme of “Old Values and New Ideals,” the non-stop events will be geared toward encouraging families to enjoy the outdoors, see their neighbors and make new friends, said City Clerk Valee Wells on Monday.
Festivities will kick off with a craft fair in Victor City Park on Thursday, July 3, during which a small village of craft vendors will set up shop. The fair will set the stage for the city park becoming an epicenter of fun throughout the weekend.
The annual pancake breakfast will take place Friday morning, whetting the taste buds of local residents with sticky syrup in anticipation of the Fourth of July parade.
Those interested in participating in Victor’s Main Street parade are welcome to sign up anytime up to the day of the event, and during the line-up that takes place at 9:30 Saturday morning. Floats, trucks, horses, trailers and every other participant will gear up for their march on Elm Street near Pioneer Park. The parade is open to anyone, and entries with floats are encouraged to approach the line-up via Baseline Road to Elm Street, said
Wells.
The parade will be just the beginning, as a full day of games are set to be hosted in Victor City Park. Most notable will be the dodgeball tournament, open to adults and four different age groups for kids. This will be the first year such an event is taking place, something City of Victor employees included in the programming “just because it’s fun,” said Wells.
Amateur rules will apply, with six individuals on the court. Adults will use the classic red dodgeball, while those under 18 will be equipped with a “gatorskin” ball, that “doesn’t leave an imprint,”laughed Wells. Three high school students will referee the tournament, divvying out trophies to the winning teams. Dressing up for the event is optional and encouraged. “Bring your game,” challenged Wells.
Other family oriented games will ensue within the boundaries of the city park, including a “hippity hoppity” race on bouncy balls, three-legged and potato sack races, hot dog and pie eating contests and an ostrich egg race. The festivities will be ongoing, culminating in an impressive schedule of live music in the park.
FRIDAY NIGHT MUSIC
Sweet Thursday will kick things off for Friday night’s musical programming, as a local Driggs family band play rock, blues, country and “a little of everything,” said Wells. They will open between 6:30 and 7 p.m., showing hundreds of local residents and visitors what kind of local music Teton Valley has to offer.
Wes Urbaniaks will take the stage at 8 p.m. A singer songwriter with an indie feel, Urbaniaks is known for building his own guitars, including a seven string which he will have on stage Friday night. Urbaniaks guitars will be featured for sale in the city park.
Close to 9 p.m., the much anticipated band VanLadyLove will perform. A coup by Teton Valley standards, VanLadyLove has been climbing musical charts over the last several weeks and months. Serendipitously, a member of the band has family connections in Victor, and the group enthusiastically signed on for the performance as a chance to visit the valley for the holiday weekend. According to city employees, the band turned down a Stadium of Fire performance with Carrie Underwood in Utah in order to have their own family vacation here in Teton Valley. “We’re excited that we have them right as they’re heading into this big adventure in their lives,” said Wells.
Fireworks will take place after VanLadyLove’s performance. “So everyone can come down, enjoy the concert, and stay right where they’re at,” said Wells.
SATURDAY MUD LAKE 5K AND COUNTRY MUSIC
The first ever Mud Lake 5k will take the popular trail by storm Saturday morning, as local runners hit the hill in a race to the top. Participants will line up at 8 a.m. at the city park and climb the steep trail for the finish at Mud Lake. “We want to show people what trails we have around Victor,” said Wells. City employees would like to incorporate the run into a yearly event, as the route offers a classic course that will test even the most hearty.
Proceeds from the run will benefit a nonprofit youth running club, as well as two families with cancer medical costs, said Wells. There will be three race categories; under 18, 18 to 39, and an over 40 group. Participants can sign up online, or register the morning of the race. Youth registration costs $20, and $25 for adults. Drinks and snacks will be offered at the finish line at the top of the hill.
The City of Victor won’t be stopping there, as it will host a night of country music Saturday evening. “We kept hearing that people wanted a country band,” said Wells. Vince and Mindy will open at 8 p.m., a western duo with a fun show that will include several instrumental components. Wells cautioned that “yodeling may occur.”
At 9 p.m. Brian Morris will perform. Morris is a Victor local who has recently signed in Nashville as an up-and-comer in the country music world. “Most of us never get to see him perform,” said Wells. Victor residents will be treated with an opportunity as events come to a close Saturday night.
With a blown-out schedule of constant programming, there will be “plenty in the park to keep families busy,” said Wells. In addition to the numerous vendors located within city park grounds, local businesses will be open and eager to feed hungry holiday revelers, celebrating the Fourth of July with the utmost small-town style.
This article appeared in the Valley Citizen on July 2, 2014.