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Parade and live music on tap for town of Tusayan Fourth of July celebration

A red, white and blue float passes down Main Street in Tusayan for the Fourth of July parade. Photo/Yvonne Trujillo

A red, white and blue float passes down Main Street in Tusayan for the Fourth of July parade. Photo/Yvonne Trujillo

TUSAYAN, Ariz. - Hot dogs, hamburgers, popcorn, cotton candy, parade and live music by local musicians and America's Got Talent singer-songwriter Michael Grimm are just a few things the 38th annual July fourth celebrations in Tusayan will offer.

While the Grand Canyon Chamber does not have an exact count on how many booths and parade floats are expected, they do know the only participant not invited is the monsoon rain.

"Hopefully it won't rain this year, it rained so hard last year and that's why we moved the parade up to 2:30 p.m. this year," said Clarinda Vail, president of Grand Canyon Chamber and Visitor's Center.

The annual parade and party, hosted by Grand Canyon Chamber and Visitor's Bureau will kick off at 2:30 p.m. on July 4 with family friendly activities including a Kid's Zone and bicycle decorating contest.

The parade's theme will focus on the centennial celebration of the National Park Service.

The Kid's Zone, sponsored by Pink Jeep, will have games and races, while the bicycle-decorating contest will include prizes for the winner. Both events will take place at the parking lot between R.P.'s Stage Stop and the Imax Theater.

Immediately following the parade, local musicians will kick off the party, also taking place at the parking lot between R.P.'s Stage Stop and the Imax.

"Michael Grimm won America's Got Talent and now he plays in Las Vegas, so he'll be here and Exit 64 will be backing him up," Vail said.

In 2010, Grimm took home the $1 million prize and headlined the first-ever national America's Got Talent Tour. In 2011, Grimm debuted his first major label release, the self-titled 'Michael Grimm,' which featured some legendary talent, including Ann Wilson (Heart), Ian McLagan (Faces, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, John Mayer), Davey Faragher (Elvis Costello, Cracker) and Greg Leisz (Avenged Sevenfold, The Eagles), according to michaelgrimmmusic.com.

In addition to fun, games and live music, there will be a variety of food vendors and booths set up.

"So far we have beer and wine booths, chili, cotton candy, snow cones, hamburger, hot dogs, popcorn and we know we are going to have other people coming in as more booths and foods," Vail said. "Those are just the commitments we have received thus far."

The Grand Canyon Chamber is accepting parade entries as well as food booths and vendors.

"Any entity that has its own health permit can do a booth or they can get the stuff sponsored by an entity," Vail said.

The chamber requires a 50-50 split for all booths participating at the event.

"We ask for any entity to do a 50-50 split with us," Vail said. "So if an entity wants to donate the full amount that is lovely as well, but they can make money for their own entity too if they would like to do a 50-50 split."

The Grand Canyon and Tusayan communities have celebrated the July 4 parade for over 38 years. It is sponsored by the Grand Canyon Chamber and Visitor's Bureau.

"It's a fun, little town parade that I think just about everyone in the park (Grand Canyon National Park) and Tusayan look forward to," Vail said. "It's fun for our visitors to see a little town parade and have a party and go see a live auctions and those kind of things too."

Vail said the parade and the party is free of charge and invites everyone to participate and enjoy a day of food, fun and events.

"Sure! Absolutely," she said. "(It is) open to anybody and it's no charge to get in."

More information about the celebration or to submit parade or booth entries can be emailed to Clarinda Vail at cjvail@msn.com or dropped off at the Grand Canyon Chamber and Visitor's Bureau in Tusayan.


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