July 4 festival draws big crowds despite afternoon rain

  • Photos by Nicole Wright/Staff Correspondent High Bar Soap co-owner Sabrina de Man and her husband, Roger, enjoy dancing to a Roger Miller tune before being inundated with customers on July 4.
    Photos by Nicole Wright/Staff Correspondent High Bar Soap co-owner Sabrina de Man and her husband, Roger, enjoy dancing to a Roger Miller tune before being inundated with customers on July 4.
  • Tonto the goat, owned and lovingly paraded around the park by Nadine and Jake Jumper, was arrayed in red, white and blue while waiting for a pet from everyone who passed by.
    Tonto the goat, owned and lovingly paraded around the park by Nadine and Jake Jumper, was arrayed in red, white and blue while waiting for a pet from everyone who passed by.
  • Returning to Andrews after playing the Spring Fling and the late-afternoon rainstorm was local favorite The Danny Dawson Band. Having recorded with legends like Waylon Jennings, Dawson offers a cover set of classics from outlaw country and originals with a distinct Western flair.
    Returning to Andrews after playing the Spring Fling and the late-afternoon rainstorm was local favorite The Danny Dawson Band. Having recorded with legends like Waylon Jennings, Dawson offers a cover set of classics from outlaw country and originals with a distinct Western flair.
  • The Briartown Baptist Church youth group was keeping cool in the shade on the Fourth of July in Andrews.
    The Briartown Baptist Church youth group was keeping cool in the shade on the Fourth of July in Andrews.

    Andrews Overcast skies actually provided shade for the annual Fourth of July Festival at Andrews Recreation Park.

    Crowds came for the opening ceremonies and plenty of games including horseshoes, corn hole, egg toss and plenty of pool-side action, with prizes for splashes big and small.

    Western North Carolina Youth Shooting Sports was also in attendance, offering information about supporting area youth through teaching archery and fundraising for area high school and 4-H clubs. Club Chair Joe Beasley said their organization has had two state champions in various divisions in recent years.

    Brandon West, who coaches Andrews’ middle and high school teams, said the club’s schedule is primarily from December through April with various events and tournaments held around the region.

    Though the skies were cloudy the heat was ramping up and Lil Snowie offered cool treats.

    Martin Mancuso and Sandra Rollins were enjoying a sweet treat as their breakfast in order to cool off in the late morning.

    Mancuso served 22 years in the U.S. Air Force. He was proudly displaying his hat and enjoying the local displays of American pride for the holiday.

    Among those displays was the singing of the national anthem by Kimsey Creasman, which felt like a Whitney Houston moment since Creasman only found out 10 minutes prior to the opening ceremony that she would be singing.

    “We found a YouTube video and did pretty good for not a lot of prep,” said Kimsey’s mother, Ashley Creasman.

    Along with the festivities and patriotism, there was a great chance to bounce around with AeroJump provided slides and bounce houses for kids of all ages.

    The main event at noon was the P’nut Drop in the outfield. Kids and adults alike flocked to await the plane’s dropping of thousands of peanuts. Various peanuts colored red, white and blue were worth prizes.

    Everyone grabbed their grocery sacks and “pokes” to gather up the snacks. As of 2 p.m., there was still no winner of the white peanut, leaving $50 for the taking next year.

    Late afternoon saw live music begin after all the games were completed. Trae Carlton provided the 4 p.m. entertainment with a blend of country music and original tunes.

    The full day of celebrating America’s freedom and independence ended with a spectacular light show of fireworks enjoyed by the crowds lining up in parking lots, private homes and various hilltop spots for the best vantage points in town.