Hometown celebration offers food, fun and fireworks

  • Bill Belian/Contributing Photographer  Folks rushed onto the field at Konehete Veterans Park for the popular Peanut Drop during the Cherokee County’s Hometown Celebration on July 1.
    Bill Belian/Contributing Photographer  Folks rushed onto the field at Konehete Veterans Park for the popular Peanut Drop during the Cherokee County’s Hometown Celebration on July 1.
  • Anngee Quinones-Belian/Staff Correspondent  Ava Leigh Anderson, 8, has been fishing since she was 2 years old. She took part in the fishing tournament that was held at Konehete Veterans Park during the Cherokee County Hometown Celebration on July 1.
    Anngee Quinones-Belian/Staff Correspondent  Ava Leigh Anderson, 8, has been fishing since she was 2 years old. She took part in the fishing tournament that was held at Konehete Veterans Park during the Cherokee County Hometown Celebration on July 1.
  • Bill Belian/ Contributing Photographer  An airplane unleashed 50 pounds of peanuts some of which were colored onto the Konehete Veterans Park ball field for the popular Peanut Drop as part of the Cherokee County’s Hometown Celebration on July 1.
    Bill Belian/ Contributing Photographer  An airplane unleashed 50 pounds of peanuts some of which were colored onto the Konehete Veterans Park ball field for the popular Peanut Drop as part of the Cherokee County’s Hometown Celebration on July 1.
  • Anngee Quinones-Belian/Staff Correspondent  Savannah Neubauer found it difficult to know which end was up or down on the gyro ride at the Cherokee County Hometown Celebration in Murphy on July 1, and said, “It felt like it wasn’t real.”
    Anngee Quinones-Belian/Staff Correspondent  Savannah Neubauer found it difficult to know which end was up or down on the gyro ride at the Cherokee County Hometown Celebration in Murphy on July 1, and said, “It felt like it wasn’t real.”
  • Anngee Quinones-Belian/Staff Correspondent  Matthew Owens and his 3-year-old daughter, Paris, had fun in the fishing tournament held at Konehete Veterans Park during the Cherokee County Hometown Celebration in Murphy on July 1. When asked if she likes fishing dad said, “Her daddy likes to fish, so she likes to fish.”
    Anngee Quinones-Belian/Staff Correspondent  Matthew Owens and his 3-year-old daughter, Paris, had fun in the fishing tournament held at Konehete Veterans Park during the Cherokee County Hometown Celebration in Murphy on July 1. When asked if she likes fishing dad said, “Her daddy likes to fish, so she likes to fish.”

    Kids, adults and all in between enjoy holiday at the park

    Murphy Konehete Veterans Park was the place to be on July 1, and there was no shortage of people who came to the all-day festivities.

    The Cherokee County Hometown Celebration offered fun for everyone, like a fishing derby, horseshoe tournament, sack races, egg toss, balloon toss and the lively peanut drop. The Cherokee County Recreation Department put on the celebration, while the Town of Murphy provided the evening’s fireworks display.

    The Mountain Country Rod & Gun Club sponsored the annual Fishing Derby. There were about 29 participants with prizes given for the Largest Fish, Smallest Fish and the Most Fish Caught.

    A tie for the smallest fish was with Lincoln Hoyle and Mason Lovingood. Most caught went to Bryson Marquette, while the largest caught was Jaxson Barbra.

    The horseshoe tournament net some winners as well in the singles and doubles event.

    The first-place winner in singles went to William Phillips, second place was awarded to Dustin Phillips and third place went to Tommy Moss. In the doubles tournament, first place went to Tommy and Neal Moss, second-place winners were William and Dustin Phillips, and third place went to Adam Leatherwood and Mike Hall.

    The field was lined with people waiting for thousands of peanuts to be dropped from an airplane above. Among the regular peanuts were some red, white and blue ones that when found, earned the “grabber” a cash prize.

    One moment people were standing around chatting and in the next moment everyone was rushing the field to grab up as many of the protein filled shells they could hoping to scarf up a monetary prize winner.

    Logan Chase, 8, lives near Atlanta. When asked about his race to find peanuts and possibly a winner, he said, “How I feel about picking up peanuts is that I’m happy. I just want as many as I can get because I just want the snack.”

    It was apparent that he wasn’t interested in finding a prize winner; he just wanted to eat.

    When all was done, nothing remained on the ground except for a few crushed peanuts among some goose poo, feathers and puddles where previous rains had fallen. When asked why peanuts were chosen as the dropped treat instead of candy, recreation director Phillip “Peewee” Davis said, “Peanuts just float down, and they don’t hurt when they hit you.”

    In the balloon toss contest, the ones whose balloons broke upon catching them may have lost the competition, but they may have been the real winners with refreshingly cool clothing in the heat of the day.

    In the evening, people were treated to a beautiful display of sparkling colors in the sky. The fireworks were captivating as folks watched with anticipation for the next burst of noise attached to a multi-array of color and excitement.