MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The City of Morgantown is ready to host July Fourth festivities with a celebration of local heritage while bringing back annual holiday traditions.
Morgantown Arts and Culture Director Vincent Kitch said on WAJR’s Morgantown Weekend that festivities get started Saturday at 11 a.m. at the Easton Roller Mill, the return of the traditional 4th of July parade down High Street, and music, food, trucks and fireworks at Hazel Ruby McQuain Park the end the celebration.
“The city is supporting the Fourth of July parade, which is at four o’clock, and then down at the Ruby Amphitheater, of course, we will have a concert from 7 p.m. to about 10 p.m.,” said Kitch. “We’ll also have all the face painting and we’ll have all the food trucks, and all of that going on.”
According to Kitch, hundreds of Morgantown and Monongalia County community members are expected to participate in the parade.
It will be led by a community cyclists showcase that will be followed by the traditional veteran color guard made of members from VFW Posts 548 and 9916. The parade route will travel down the length of High Street before turning off down Kirk Street at the corner of the Monongalia County Justice Center before ending towards the Hazel Ruby McQuain Amphitheater, where family-friendly activities will be hosted along with live music starting at 5 p.m.
“We got Bites and Sip, we got smash burgers and hot dogs, and Puerto Rico on Wheels and funnel cakes,” said Kitch on some of the offerings that will be hosted at the amphitheater on Saturday. “You know, we’re going to have the big free inflatable, a kind of fun zone for kids and face painting, so it’ll be a good time.”
The open house at the renovated Easton Roller Mill, a building the represents more than 200-years of community history will be open until 3 p.m. This showcase will include authentic pieces of equipment that were used when the building was an active mill back in the 1800s, with the city working to renovate the historic landmark over the past year. The open house will be hosted up to an hour before the start of the parade.
Kitch said the fireworks by the waterfront will go off rain or shine at around 9:30. The fireworks are supported with the help of Moses Toyota, with the festivities hosted throughout the day supported through the City of Morgantown and the Monongalia County Commission. With activities hosted throughout the day, Kitch encourages Morgantown residents to visit downtown and enjoy the 4th of July.
“It will likely rain, and you know the thing is that with these things, we are rain or shine unless there’s something dangerous going on,” he said. “Fireworks can be shot off in the rain, so they will be going off on the 4th of July, and it gets dark, whether it’s pouring down rain or not.”