4th on Broadway promises food, fun, fireworks & more

Now a month away, 4th on Broadway details are coming together, including a later start for the parade.

Floats. Vendors. Parking plans. Volunteers. Catfish and cobbler. Music and fireworks.

These are just a handful of the elements it takes to pull off a successful 4th on Broadway each year. This year’s theme is “United We Sing.” ant Picnic in the Park offers a full day of events and music.

BMW of Lubbock hosts four music stages, including the BMW of Lubbock East and West stages, the Fiesta stage and the West Texas Roots stage.

In addition to the all-day music, the Reliant Picnic in the Park hosts The Caprock Cardiovascular Center Kids Area, Cabela’s permitfree Youth Fishing Tournament and the River Smith’s Eating Contests.

For updates and to learn more about the 4th of July events at Mackenzie Park, or to sign up to participate in the various events, visit www. broadwayfestivals.com or call 806-749-2929.

One important change is a later start for the Bolton Oil parade, stepping off at 9:45 a.m., beginning at Avenue M and Broadway, heading east and turning north into Mackenzie Park on Canyon Lakes Drive.

Parade-goers can see the parade live on Broadway and in Mackenzie Park. The parade will also be broadcast on KLBK-TV.

Parade applications are still open; the final deadline to enter is June 16. Cash prizes go to the best floats in both commercial and noncommercial categories.

After the parade, the Reli- online.

The Gorilla Law Firm Evening Concert, starting at 7:30 p.m., features a large array of music from Tejano to classic rock and country, and wraps up with teen trio sensation Blackwater Draw and a return engagement by 90’s musical icon Vanilla Ice.

The Caprock Cardiovascular Center Kids Area will be open at 10:30 a.m. and available throughout the day featuring free activities such as water slides, a mechanical bull, an obstacle course, a spider climber, a petting zoo and much more.

Cabela’s Youth Fishing Tournament starts at 11 a.m., with a weigh-in at 4 p.m. The lake will be stocked with catfish of all sizes. Entry is free in three different age groups (13-18, 8-12, and 7 and under.) Prizes will be awarded in each age group for largest fish, smallest fish and most fish. Pre-register online.

The River Smith’s eating contests start at 5 p.m. in the following categories: Adult Catfish, Adult Cobbler, Kid’s Catfish and Kid’s Cobbler. Prizes will be awarded, and entry is free; pre-register

Capping off this year’s Independence Day celebration is the spectacular United Supermarkets Fireworks Extravaganza, beginning at 10 p.m., synchronized to classic and contemporary patriotic music.

Hundreds of volunteers are needed to help the event run smoothly. Areas requiring volunteers include parking lot attendants, photographers, information booths and data collection. They are also needed to work many other areas throughout the event.

Perks include T-shirts, food and parking. Community service organizations, church groups, employee units, families and all others are encouraged to sign up online.

For more than three decades, 4th on Broadway at Mackenzie Park has been an event that Lubbock and the entire region look forward to year after year. Since its humble beginnings by a committee of downtown churches in 1991, the event has become a go-to summer celebration for thousands of West Texans.