Sertoma Club’s Fourth of July CelebrationSertoma Club’s Fourth of July Celebration The Sertoma Club of Greater Grand Forks is hosting a day of patriotic festivities on Thursday, July 4, at Sertoma Park, located at 11th Avenue and 34th Street South. Schedule of Events: * 11:00 AM: Kids Parade Lineup * 11:30 AM: Kids Parade, sponsored by the Grand Forks Park District * 12:15 PM: Flag-raising and Welcome Ceremony * 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM: City Band Performance * 1:30 PM – 4:00 PM: RC Flyers Display and interactive event * 2:30 PM – 5:00 PM: Fire Department’s ‘Fire Station’ demonstration * 3:00 PM: Free watermelon * 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM: Kenny and The Classics Band Performance * 10:30 PM: Fireworks Extravaganza Activities for Kids: * Face painting * Duck hunting * Orbit the Clown * Art activities * Mini golf * Magician Other Highlights: * 21 food trucks offering a wide variety of treats * Drawing with prizes including a 2024 Toyota Corolla and $1,000 cash * Firefighters and police officers on hand for demonstrations and interaction * Support from 61 community sponsors YMCA Fireworks Run/Walk The Altru Family YMCA will host the annual Firecracker 5K/10K Fun Run, Walk, and Kiddie Run at 8:00 AM on the Greenway. Registration fees vary based on age and registration date. Additional Information: * All events are free and open to the public. * The festival will close at 6:00 PM. * For more information, visit www.gfsertoma.org or the Sertoma Facebook page.
GRAND FORKS – The Sertoma Club of Greater Grand Forks is once again hosting a day of activities for everyone to celebrate the country’s Independence Day on Thursday, July 4.
Festivities begin at 11 a.m. with the Kids Parade Lineup. The parade, sponsored by the Grand Forks Park District, begins at 11:30 a.m. A flag-raising and welcome ceremony are scheduled for 12:15 p.m.
The event will be held in Sertoma Park, west of Altru Hospital, at 11th Avenue and 34th Street South. All activities are free. The festival will close at 6 p.m.
Earlier in the day, the Altru Family YMCA will host its annual Firecracker 5K/10K Fun Run, Walk and Kiddie Run at 8 a.m. on the Greenway, with the starting line adjacent to DeMers Avenue, across from Town Square. (See below for more information.)
Sertoma’s fireworks extravaganza, scheduled for 10:30 p.m., will be the largest — in terms of both the amount of fireworks and the financial investment — the club has presented in the show’s 66 years, according to Paul Waind, chairman of the event. Sertoma members plan to set off 1,800 shells at 20th Street and 47th Avenue South, near South Middle School.
The drawing includes a 2024 Toyota Corolla from Rydell Toyota of Grand Forks as first prize; $1,000 cash from Bell Insurance as second prize; $1,000 credit from Home of Economy as third prize; $1,000 toward airfare from Bon Voyage Travel as fourth prize; and other prizes from Simonson’s gas stations and Choice Health and Fitness. Ticket holders do not have to be present to win.
Raffle tickets, $20 each, can be purchased from Sertoma Club members, at all Grand Forks and East Grand Forks Hugo’s customer service desks, and at Eagles Crest Grill at Kings Walk Golf Course, McKenna and Associates, Networking Specialists, Northern Plains Financial, Northern Roots Boutique and Rydell Toyota. Tickets can also be purchased at the festival venue.
Proceeds from this raffle will be used to support the maintenance of Sertoma Park and charitable activities of the Sertoma Club of Greater Grand Forks.
The club’s Festival and Fireworks event Thursday will feature twice as much entertainment for kids, Waind said, and twice as many food trucks as last year. Twenty-one food trucks, open from noon to 6 p.m., are expected to offer a wide variety of treats and food choices, which should reduce the wait time for hungry customers.
The RC Flyers Display and interactive event runs from 11am to 4pm.
For the kids, the event will include face painting, duck hunting, Orbit the Clown, art activities, mini golf, a magician and more, Waind said. He noted that there will be many more games and crafts than in previous years, in addition to the array of entertainment activities, including free watermelon at 3 p.m.
The City Band plays from 12:00 to 13:00. Kenny and The Classics Band play from 15:00 to 18:00.
In this file photo, Ellie Klein, 6, rides in her motorized kid’s car during the Sertoma Fourth of July Kids Parade at South Middle School. (Photo by Sydney Mook/Grand Forks Herald)
The fire brigade is organizing a demonstration of the ‘fire station’ from 12:30 to 17:00
Firefighters and police officers from Grand Forks and Altru EMS will be on hand at the event.
The entire event is the result of full community support, including contributions from 61 sponsors and participation from the Park District and several city departments, including the streets and sanitation departments and the visitors bureau, Waind said.
For more information, visit www.gfsertoma.org or the Sertoma Facebook page.
YMCA Fireworks Run/Walk
This year’s annual Firecracker event kicks off at 8am and is a family-friendly tradition with refreshments, prizes for top finishers and a T-shirt for all 10K and 5K participants.
The top finishers in the women’s and men’s categories will receive a $50 Scheels gift card, a $35 See Dick Run gift card and a gold medal. The second and third place overall female and male finishers will receive a $35 See Dick Run gift card and a silver or bronze medal.
The overall female and male winners in age categories will receive a $10 See Dick Run gift card and a gold medal. Children who run the free Kiddie Run will receive a goodie bag and a medal or ribbon.
Through Tuesday, July 2, the fare is $35 for adults and $25 for youth 12 and under, after which the fare increases to $40 and $30, respectively.
Registration is available online at https://register.chronotrack.com/r/79083. A working email address is required for each registration. If the event must be canceled due to weather, health or safety concerns, no refunds will be issued.
For more information and a registration brochure, visit www.gfymca.org.
For more information, contact Patti McEnroe, YMCA Race Director, (701) 775-2586.
