What started out as a July 4 party at the Pier Restaurant & Grill at the Marina has grown into two separate days of festivities on July 1 and 4 celebrating Canada Day and Independence Day.

“Everybody’s getting really excited,” Pier Restaurant manager Tamra Hansen said. “This has just exploded. The community has really come together.”

Starting with substantial donations for fireworks from marina owners Steve and Megan MacKay and David Gellatly from Cando Recycling and Disposal, Hansen said they had raised more than $5,000 to pay for two nights of huge fireworks displays. “The donations keep on coming in. People really want this event back,” she said, referring to the days when Kiniski’s Reef Tavern put on July 4 fireworks display.

Tourism and marketing program interns took on the task of organizing and running children’s activities, Hansen said. “We’ll be having all the traditional games for kids on both days,” she said, including three-legged races, sack races, hoop toss and an egg race. There will also be booths for sandcastle building, face-painting and a dunk tank.

The Pier will operate a beer garden on the grass opposite the restaurant.

On July 1 the festivities will start at 4 p.m. Music will be provided by veteran rocker Jim Basnight and local bands. The restaurant will be open all day. At dusk the fireworks display will begin with live musical accompaniment.

The July 4 parade, sponsored by the chamber of commerce, starts at noon at the Breakers parking lot and runs down Gulf Road and Tyee Drive, ending at the marina overflow parking lot.

The July 4 party gets underway immediately after the parade. There will be a chicken and steak barbecue and a beer garden, along with music by dynamo crooner Tony Barton. On July 1, the garden will be open from 4 to 9:30 p.m. and from 2 p.m. until 9:30 or 10 p.m. on July 4. Children’s activities will run all day, and the evening will end with fireworks at dusk.

 

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