Murphy – Konehete Veterans Park exploded with activities Thursday for the Hometown Independence Day Celebration, and the heat was not a deterrent.
Visitors and locals alike had a full day of festivities to enjoy with the fun starting at 10 a.m. The pet-friendly event offered horseshoe and fishing tournaments, craft and food vendors, water balloon and egg-tossing contests and sack races, as well as large inflatables for kids, carnival games, hot air balloon rides, music and, of course, fireworks after dark.
The Murphy and Peachtree volunteer fire departments competed against each other in a Bucket Brigade water relay race that drew a crowd of folks rooting for their favorite team. Murphy won the relay, with the Peachtree team led by Capt. Jason Peters giving a valiant effort.
Wells for Nora is the result of a heartfelt desire by Murphy High School student Nora Starks, who wanted to raise funds to build and repair wells in underdeveloped countries. She passed away in a tragic automobile accident prior before seeing her vision come to life.
Starks’ friend, Bob Massey, presented the idea to the Rotary Club of Murphy, which raised more than $5,000. The wells have provided more than 40,000 people around the world with fresh water. The Bucket Brigade was held in her honor.
At noon, the much anticipated peanut drop had many people converging on one area of the field, looking for those few colored peanuts that included a monetary prize.
People were eating, cooling off with cold beverages, shopping, laughing and conversing with each other, while pets perused the park. Folks lined up for a tethered hot air balloon ride offered by Re/Max.
One employee’s 3-year-old son, Parker Beaver, asked, “Mama, is that your office?” as he pointed to the balloon floating up into the air.
The day moved gently into an evening of fireworks, which had folks and tired children “oohing” and “aahing” over bouquets of color lighting up the night sky.