A Grand Tradition, The theme of this year’s Independence Day Celebration, hosted by the Horseshoe Bend Area Chamber of Commerce, will be, “A Grand Tradition.” The grand marshal for the parade will be Ms. Cleffie Bates (Grandma Cleffie) who will lead the parade through the streets of Horseshoe Bend at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, July 4, 2016.
Grandma Cleffie resides in Myron, Arkansas and turned 100 years young on May 23, 2016. In addition to farming and gardening, she cooked at the clubhouse restaurant in Horseshoe Bend for several years. Parade participants are encouraged to decorate their floats in coordination with the theme, A Grand Tradition. Floats will be judged by the following categories: Theme, Originality, and Appearance for Independence Day. Parade entry forms are available at the Chamber office, and parade line up will begin at the Methodist Church.
A festival full of live entertainment, vendors, and games for the kids will be held in the mall parking lot from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Austin Pool, native to Calico Rock and Melbourne, will perform from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. Following Pool will be Mister Morphis from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. Mister Morphis is a one man Americana band out of Little Rock. James Miller, local Horseshoe Bend artist known for covering some great country tunes, will take the stage from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.
New this year, there will be a hot dog eating contest at 11:30 a.m., and by request, the garden tractor pull will return at 12:30 p.m.
Don’t miss the flotilla parade on Crown Lake, beginning at 5:00 p.m. Then there will be a wonderful fireworks display at Turkey Mountain Golf Course at dusk.
For more information about parade line up/float registration, to reserve booth space, or to be a festival sponsor, please call the Horseshoe Bend Area Chamber of Commerce at 870.670.5433 or email: horseshoebendarcc@yahoo.com<mailto:horseshoebendarcc@yahoo.com>
***PHOTO CAPTION: Grandma Cleffie Bates will be grand marshal at the Horseshoe Bend Area Chamber of Commerce parade on July 4 at 10:00 a.m.
