July 4 festivities to feature road race, fireworks & more

By Jay Turner

The Canton Recreation Commission, in conjunction with the Canton Recreation Department, will once again be hosting its town-wide Independence Day celebration on Wednesday, July 4, on the grounds of the Galvin Middle School beginning at 5 p.m.

The Reminisants on stage at Canton's July 4th event in 2011.

A popular Canton tradition going back more than 30 years, the July 4^th celebration was resurrected last year following a two-year hiatus during which the town focused its planning and fundraising energies on the September downtown block party. Town officials had voted last spring to go with the more cost-effective July 4^th event in 2011, and the same decision was made for this year as well. Town officials have not yet made a determination on the status of the block party in future years.

Similar to last summer’s festivities, this year’s July 4^th celebration will offer an assortment of free games and activities for kids, including a baseball pitch, basketball toss, obstacle course, and a moon walk. There will also be a concession tent run by the Recreation Commission as well as a live performance by the popular oldies band The Reminisants. The gala fireworks display will kick off at 9 p.m., and residents are encouraged to bring blankets and lawn chairs to the celebration.

Parking will be available at the middle school as well as on one side of Pecunit Street and in back of St. Gerard’s Church. Parking at the Hansen school will be very limited due to the location of the fireworks, and no one will be allowed on the Hansen baseball field or the playground.

At last year’s event — which was the first to be held at the middle school — the fireworks display had to be temporarily halted due to concerns over falling debris at the Hansen baseball field, prompting many spectators to leave after assuming the show had ended. Police and fire officials attributed the confusion to a lack of communication with the crowd and have since taken steps to correct the issue.

In the event that the celebration has to be postponed due to weather conditions, the fireworks display — although not necessarily the amusements or the concert — would be held the following evening (July 5), according to Recreation Director Janet Maguire.

In addition to the celebration and fireworks display, residents are also invited to participate in another Canton tradition — the annual five-mile road race and two-mile fun run, which starts and finishes at the Canton Town Club on Bailey Street on the morning of July 4^th. Race registration begins at 8:30 a.m. and the race itself will kick off at 9:30. The cost to participate is $10 per runner or $5 for the fun run.

Maguire said runners can register for the road race in advance at the Recreation Department office, located at 92 Pleasant Street, or online at www.cantonrec.com. Each runner will receive a t-shirt on the day of the race, and trophies will be awarded to the winners in each age group.

Maguire would also like to encourage residents to visit the website for information on all of the department’s summer programs and activities, including day camps, sports programs, swimming lessons, performing arts workshops, and much more. The website also has information on the Rec. Department’s free summer concert series and its free summer playground program.

The playground program runs Monday through Friday (8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.) until August 17 at the Ponkapoag, Messinger, and Kennedy playgrounds. Open to all Canton children in eighth grade or below, the program is staffed by the Rec. Department’s playground leaders and offers a variety of “arts and crafts, sports, new games, and special events in an informal setting.”

Maguire said the playground program is one of the department’s best summer offerings — and she knows from firsthand experience.

“As a kid growing up in Canton, that’s what myself and my siblings did in the summer,” she said. “We went to the playgrounds and had a great time, and it’s something I would like other kids to experience as well.”

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