Jeb Bladine: July 4 tradition renewed
Kudos to Evergreen Museum and the McMinnville Area Chamber of Commerce for stepping into the void to produce a community celebration of the Fourth of July. If all goes well and organizers realize the value, it could become a popular annual event with many positive outcomes.
For one, an annual July 4 at Evergreen could be the important annual reminder of the growing connectivity between the community and the world-class museum. Access to Evergreen facilities is an obvious plus for this event, and there is room for expansion into a community picnic, pops concert or other activities.
Who knows? Maybe a Fourth of July parade downtown could be in McMinnville’s future.
Photos reprinted on this page remind us of the spirit enjoyed at McMinnville’s epic Independence Day Bicentennial celebration in 1976. Beginning in the 1980s, there were many years of a much-appreciated Fourth of July outing on the lawns at Patton Middle School, but more recently that tradition left McMinnville for a three-year run in Amity.
If this year’s fireworks display at Evergreen becomes an annual affair — and if things blossom into an array of activities — it might be worth considering a few possibilities:
n A solid fleet of free mass transit for the day, circulating between the museum and McMinnville park-and-ride locations, could avoid possible late-night problems on Highway 18.
n It’s not necessary to show the largest, most expensive fireworks display around. Fireworks are a great tradition and fun to watch, but viewing a few dozen bursts can be just as enjoyable as watching a few hundred, especially if it’s part of pleasant afternoon and evening activities.
But speculation is for later. For now, here’s wishing all a safe and enjoyable Fourth of July, with special thanks to the Evergreen-Chamber partnership for putting together this year’s holiday celebration.
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