Friday is the Fourth of July which means freedom, free food and free activities across the Verde Valley.

Sedona Summer Splash

The Sedona Parks and Recreation Department will host the Sedona Summer Splash! from noon to 4 p.m. at the Sedona Community Pool, 570 Posse Ground Road. The free event includes open swim, games and food trucks offering ice cream and snow cones to help attendees cool off.

“It’s the fun that the community has come to love prior to heading westward for the evening fireworks in Cottonwood,” Parks and Recreation Special Events Coordinator Jason Vargo said. “We are going to have some new fun and games inside the pool deck… We will have a free raffle with kid and adult prizes that have been donated by local companies… There’s going to be a pie eating contest… which is a fun whipped cream game that the kids enjoy getting messy with; along with some other contests.”

Every attendee gets a free raffle ticket with a drawing held every hour on the half hour, however the schedule for the other contests hasn’t been determined yet.

Due to the pool’s 375-person capacity and the event’s popularity Vargo said water slides will return this year, along with other outdoor attractions like slip-and-slide inflatables, sprinklers and cooling fans will be set up outside of the pool for attendees.

Providing the soundtrack for the day will be DJ Frsh and while his tracks are to be determined, “The only thing certain is that his unique mixing of styles, genres and songs will blow your mind and keep you entertained the entire time,” Vargo said.

“Parking historically has not been an issue for this event,” Vargo said. ”But we remind people that the Sedona Shuttle Connect is an opportunity to get to and from this and any other event conveniently for a very low price.”

For more information call Sedona Parks and Recreation at (928) 282-7098.

Elks Lodge BBQ

The Sedona Elks Lodge at 110 Airport Road is hosting its annual community barbecue from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

The Rhythm and blues band Simply Renee performs from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. There’s a $20 meal that includes a choice of hamburger, hot dog or bratwurst, plus potato salad, coleslaw, baked beans and dessert.

For more information call the Sedona Elks Lodge at (928) 282-7571.

County officials are encouraging the celebration of the holiday however they’re also stressing the risk of wildfire because multiple jurisdictions have entered Stage 2 fire restrictions.

“To ensure a safe and enjoyable holiday for all … it’s crucial to be aware of the fire restrictions in place,” Yavapai County Communications Manager David McAtee wrote in a press release. “While specific stages may vary by jurisdiction, expect that open flames and charcoal grills may be limited. For the most up-to-date information on fire restrictions in your area, visit YavapaiReady.gov/FireBan.”

Cottonwood

The city of Cottonwood’s Fantastic Family Fourth of July takes place in Cottonwood Kid’s Park located at 350 S. 12th St. from 4 to 9:30 p.m. with the city serving up free hot dogs, watermelon, soft drinks and chips from 4 to 6 p.m.

“All capped off with Northern Arizona’s best fireworks display at 9 p.m.,” Parks, Recreation & Library Director Jak Teel said.

“But additionally, people should leave the fireworks to the professionals,” Teel said. “We want everybody to wake up with two hands and 10 fingers the next day. Allow us to do that as we put on a great display.”

Additionally food trucks will set up and a $10 wristband gets you into several inflatable attractions.

An F-35 Lightning II flyover is scheduled to take place, however, a time hasn’t been set yet Teel said because he is currently coordinating that among several other cities. The flyover time will also determine when the VFW Patriot Salute will take happen because “during the flyover it’s a requirement we play the national anthem,” Teel said.

For more information about the event, call (928) 639-3200 or visit cottonwoodaz.gov.

Clarkdale

Clarkdale’s Old Fashioned 4th of July kicks off at the Clarkdale Town Park at 1001 Main Street with a Welcome Address from Mayor Robyn Prud’homme-Bauer and Color Guard Presentation by Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7400.

“The estimated attendance for this event is we usually hit between 1,000 to 1,200 … we try to have different things to make it a celebration for as many groups as we can,” Town Public Information Officer Chell Smart said.

Immediately following the opening ceremony, the Clarkdale Police Department and the Verde Valley Fire District will be serving up a pancake breakfast for $4 for children and $6 for adults.

At 8 a.m. free carnival games like bottle toss get underway as well as antique fire truck rides from VVFD.

“Our celebration has been happening for almost 50 years,” Smart said. “The main focus is our children’s parade. So we encourage all of our local children to come out to decorate their bicycles, their wagons, or just themselves and march down Main Street.”

The Kids’ Parade Registration opens at 8 a.m. No registration is required and participation is free. The parade route runs from Clarkdale-Jerome School to Clarkdale Town Park, spectators are encouraged to bring a chair.

Parade participants must be 18 or younger; kids 6 and under need an adult or teen age 13 or older with them. Only leashed household pets under 50 pounds are allowed; no hooved animals. Minors need a signed waiver. Helmets are recommended for bikes, skateboards and scooters. No commercial entries or gas-powered vehicles. Candy must be handed out, not thrown. One prize per participant.

The town will award ribbons to five first-place, five second-place and five third-place entries. Extra points will be given to entries that showcase small-town charm, celebrate Clarkdale’s history, highlight the Verde River, or feature local art.

Around 9:30 a.m., at the gazebo the winners of the Kids’ Parade will be announced and the Cottonwood Community Band closes out the event with a patriotic concert.

“We have the majority of parking by the school, so we encourage people to park there,” Smart said. “We will also have parallel parking that is all outside of the event zone. The event zone will be clearly marked and we’ll have overflow parking over in the Town Hall area. … And there are often spaces available over at the post office. If people get there earlier, they’re going to have an easier time finding close parking.”

To help beat the heat water stations will be available throughout the park and the town has additional tenting setup this year to provide shade.

“This tradition is a big part of the fabric of the Clarkdale community, it brings together people of all ages to celebrate our love for the country,” Smart said.

For more contact the Clarkdale Parks and Recreation Department at (928) 639-2460, or visit clarkdale.az.gov/fourthofjuly.

Lake Montezuma

The Beaver Creek Kiwanis’ is bringing the fun to Rollins Park at 4235 Zuni Way in Lake Montezuma starting with a pancake breakfast at 7 a.m. and a parade at 9 a.m.

“We usually have over 500 people at the event and everybody has such a great time,” Kiwanis Club President Carol Keeton said. “We have lots of games, activities, food and entertainment … I call it a Mayberry, USA, Fourth of July Celebration.”

“There’s parking across the street where the old golf course is and there’s several other places around the park [for parking].”

The Beaver Creek Parade leaves Sycamore Park at 9 a.m. and travels south on Montezuma Avenue and ends at Rollins Park. Motorists should be prepared for this section of Montezuma Avenue to be closed from 9 to 9:30 a.m.

Kaleidoscope Redrocks is performing patriotic songs along with an eclectic mix of genres from 10 a.m. until noon.

“At noon, be sure to catch the duck races at Sycamore Park, a fun tradition in the creek for over 50 years,” the band wrote in a press release. “Enjoy hot dogs, ice cream and refreshments during the show, all courtesy of … Kiwanis.”

There’s no cost for anything including face painting but donations are still requested to support the Kiwanis’ youth programs that benefit the Beaver Creek School and other community projects.

The Grand Marshal is Jim Willis, a 30-year veteran of the U.S. Army, including special duty with the Secret Service and the Central Intelligence Agency and a 15-year employee of the U.S. Postal Service.

For more information contact Keeton at (928) 606-4050 or cjrock@mac.com.