SALINAS VALLEY — The Fourth of July was celebrated last Friday at Gonzales Central Park and Soledad Little League Park in the Salinas Valley cities, respectively.
The Gonzales celebration took place from noon until 6 p.m., while the Soledad celebration ran from noon to 8:30 p.m., concluding with a fireworks display.
At Gonzales, the day began at 8 a.m. with the Gonzales Rotary Fun Run, which had nearly 100 participants run through the streets of the community to the finish line on the corner of Central and Sixth streets.
Just after noon, a parade rode down Fifth Street with participants including the Gonzales High School Marching Band and cheerleaders, Gonzales Little League All-Star baseball teams and a group of horseback riders.
After the parade, hundreds gathered at the park to enjoy food and drinks, including the famous barbecued ribs cooked by the Gonzales Rotary.
Live music at the celebration included the Los Survivors with homegrown talent Steve Vasquez and Brian Shaw, Valley Roots and La Impactante Banda/Tierra de Jalisco. DJ Sonido Bravo with Steve Politron provided the sound system.
Just before noon in Soledad, a Kids Parade took place, starting from Main Street Middle School. There was a Fourth of July themed contest with various awards presented to the best dressed.
At the Soledad Little League Park, residents and visitors enjoyed group games, including large tug-of-war competitions, watermelon and pie eating contests and inflatable bounce houses for the young ones.
Music at Soledad included King Bee Blues Music, La Banda Guerreros and La Progresiva Banda de Michoacan. The King Bee Blues Music featured Gonzales resident Rick Zuniga on harmonica, while La Progresiva mixed in with the crowd as they performed.
Concession food stands at Soledad included the Soledad Lioness Club, Folklorico Coastal of California, Victory Outreach, New Beginnings Church and the Soledad Warrior Cheer and Football team.
“The Fourth of July celebration has been going on now for over 20 years,” said Soledad City Council Member Eva Banuelos. “As always, the day concluded with the fireworks show that began before 9 p.m. The fireworks were deployed from Gallardo Park. The fireworks are paid for by the Fourth of July Committee along with Soledad Parks and Recreation. The show lasted nearly a half hour this year.”
Other local Fourth of July celebrations also took place in Greenfield and King City this year for their communities.
