Celebrate Independence Day in Twisp

By Laurelle Walsh

Fourth of July in these parts revolves around Twisp — big stuff for a little community. This year, “the heart of the Methow Valley” has a day of festivities planned that will satisfy everyone in the family.

The fun starts Saturday morning (July 4) on Glover Street, where spectators will jockey for the best seats along the parade route that starts at TwispWorks and rolls north toward Twisp Avenue. Parking will not be permitted on Glover Street.

The parade starts at 11 a.m. from the TwispWorks’ parking lot, where fun floats, fire trucks, antique cars and stagecoaches begin staging at 10 a.m. No pre-registration is necessary, but town staff will direct participants where to line up, according to parade organizer Vicki Hallowell.

“We’ve already heard from a lot of groups who are coming to the parade,” including a special appearance by Smokey Bear, said Hallowell. “It’s always so much fun; the crowd always has a good time.”

Immediately after the parade, the Methow Arts Festival begins at the Twisp park — across from the swimming pool on Lincoln Street — and runs till 3 p.m. Tickets for entry are $8 for adults (ages 14 and up), and $5 for kids ages 5 to 13, which includes tickets to five activity booths. Kids under 5 get in free. Advance tickets are $25 for a group of four, available at Riverside Printing in Winthrop, the Methow Arts office, or at www.methowartsfest2015.brownpapertickets.com.

Free tickets are provided to clients of The Cove Food Bank, Room One and the Methow Valley Senior Center, at those locations. Festival volunteers get in free and receive a free T-shirt.

The theme of the 28th annual Arts Fest is “Take Flight,” with many of the hands-on art activities and performers exploring the concept of flight in different ways.

The festival’s headline performers are the Acrobaticalist Ninja Theatre group NANDA, with a 30-minute performance starting at 1 p.m. NANDA entertains through comedy, dance, juggling and acrobatics, and their performances are a mishmash of classic vaudeville, circus and pop culture.

Other entertainers on the park stage will be Olivia De La Cruz and Isaac Castillo, aerial arts with Sarah Prochnau, poi dancing with Christina Stout, and the local band Wild Mountain Nation. Interactive entertainment will include the pie-eating contest at 12:45 p.m., and hula hoop contest at 2 p.m. Sign up at the volunteer booth for both, and bring your own hula hoop.

A dozen hands-on art booths include the ever-popular wooden boat construction, copper arts, tie-dyed T-shirts, face painting and more. Festival goers can paint a ceramic bowl for Room One’s fundraising Soup Dinner, dress up at the costume booth, or make origami birds and airplanes.

A special letterpress printing class will be offered twice by Door No. 3: from noon–12:45 p.m., and from 2–2:45 p.m. Participants will create one-of-a-kind prints and cards using the print studio’s antique printing press. The classes are limited to 10 students. Sign up in advance by calling Methow Arts at 997-4004.

Food and drinks will be available from several local vendors, and new this year is a beer garden with ice-cold adult beverages.

For more information, go to www.methowarts.org.