Andrews – With a pared down schedule of vendors and live music, and a slightly slimmer number of attendees this year, the town’s annual Fourth of July Celebration picked up during the day.
Crowds headed for the highly anticipated P-Nut Drop at noon, which also was running a bit behind this year after making a run to Konahete Veterans Park in Murphy.
With the yearly frenzy of the outfield growing as the plane neared, crowds ran to the drop site heartily shoving peanuts into their respective bags and buckets, but this year there was a better pay out as those red, white and blue peanut guaranteed winners.
Peanut Drop winners included seven winners of the $25 prizes with ages ranging from the youngest at five year old Hudson Moore to four $50 winners, with the youngest at 6 years of age being Alexis Thomas, to the grand prize of $100 going to 16-year-old Addison Higdon.
Brian Wilson, special events coordinator for the Town of Andrews, and Mayor James Reid both voiced concerns over smaller crowds this year. However, since every town in the six far-western North Carolina counties were also having celebrations on the Thursday holiday, it was to be expected.
“We’re competing against the weather and a lot of people are probably enjoying the lakes today,” Reid said as he began calling contestants to the pool activities.
Wilson added, “It’s a beautiful day. Folks may be wanting to spend it other places, but our crowds will show up for the fireworks, and we won’t disappoint them with the display this year.”
The annual celebration had plenty to offer attendees with field games including egg tosses and sack races, but clearly the popular spot of the day was the town’s pool nearing capacity throughout the 10-hour event.
To beat the heat and humidity, the pool was the obvious choice with contests including the annual big splash, belly flop and most creative dive in both children’s 15 years of age and under and adult categories.
Pool activities winners included Aidan Bryant for the big splash in the 15 and under category, with “Olympian” of the day Nicco Williams taking three first-place medals for the adult big splash, creative adult dive and belly flop, alongside town pool lifeguard Eli Aguilar in second place after a “belly flop-off,” which included Reid as a surprise non-competing entrant.
One of the pool’s three co-managers, Jessica Murray, said that so far the pool’s season “has been incredibly busy and off to a good start” this summer season, the holiday notwithstanding.
Making his rounds as the “America-lorian” this time was again Cherokee County’s own fantasy character Raul Paneto dressed in his patriotic finest, American flag draped about his shoulders, waving in the breeze, and making his way round the recreation park posing for pictures with Karen and Ricky Tankersley, of Peachtree, among others before heading out to various other events.
Peneto said he was “trying to make the rounds of every event close by” to provide his own brand of celebrity to the crowds seeking those snapshot keepsake memories.
The Tankerleys were also out and about to “find out what’s going on at other places today” before they planned on heading back into Andrews for the fireworks display at “dark-thirty.”
Among the food vendors were DragonAss Barbeque, Honey Bug BBQ, Tasty Tidbits with their gourmet roasted snack items, Snowie of the Mountains with plenty of shaved ice to beat the heat and What’s Poppin’ with plenty of kettle corn to make the day complete.
AeroJump again provided bounce houses and slides to keep kids of all kinds occupied throughout the day with one of their largest displays to date at a town event.
Face painting was also popular on the agenda as Grace Johnson of Grace’s Face Painting had the shadiest and most coveted spot on the park’s grounds to indulge anyone wanting to show their patriotic pride with offerings including the Flower Rainbow, with hints of red, white and blue starbursts amongst the petals.
The lone musical act was The Steve Jordan Band going on later in the evening to play until fireworks started around 9:30 p.m.
“We’re already thinking of next year’s event and ready to plan. This year coincided with so many other events and the rodeo in town for the weekend,” Wilson said. “We’re looking forward to what next year brings for the holiday weekend.”
Details: Visit andrewsnc.org.