HURRICANE, W.Va. -- Wondering what to do for the Fourth of July?
Putnam County officials are promising a weekend celebration, complete with the county's largest ever fireworks show, that will rival any area events.
"It's an opportunity for us to shine and show off what we've got," said Scott Williamson, director of Putnam County Parks and Recreation.
Weekend events also are for the expected 15,000 soccer players and their friends and family who will converge in the Huntington and Barboursville area today through the weekend.
The West Virginia Soccer Association ODP Program is hosting a night out for visitors to the area Friday night at the Hurricane Valley Wave Pool.
From 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., children and adults participate in a variety of activities including the wave pool and water slide, putt-putt golf, inflatable Jupiter Jumps, live music and a variety of food vendors.
Activities are pay as you go. Discounted tickets also are available for $20 and include a barbecue meal and all events inside the park.
Tickets will be on sale from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday at the team registration booth in the Huntington Pullman Plaza Hotel. Tickets also will be on sale from 2 to 6 p.m. Thursday at the tournament's opening ceremonies at Marshall University Stadium, or online at www.westvirginia2009.com.
On Saturday, Putnam County visitors and residents will have a variety of July 4 activities to choose from, in addition to Hurricane's fireworks.
Hurricane's July 4 activities will kick off with a parade through downtown from 4 to 5 p.m. The Valley Park Wave Pool also will be open all day.
The city of Hurricane also is hosting an event from 5:30 to 10 p.m., Saturday at the wave pool.
"People can go to the pool during the day, and then take in some of the other activities. They've got a little bit of everything," Williamson said.
HURRICANE, W.Va. -- Wondering what to do for the Fourth of July?
Putnam County officials are promising a weekend celebration, complete with the county's largest ever fireworks show, that will rival any area events.
"It's an opportunity for us to shine and show off what we've got," said Scott Williamson, director of Putnam County Parks and Recreation.
Weekend events also are for the expected 15,000 soccer players and their friends and family who will converge in the Huntington and Barboursville area today through the weekend.
The West Virginia Soccer Association ODP Program is hosting a night out for visitors to the area Friday night at the Hurricane Valley Wave Pool.
From 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., children and adults participate in a variety of activities including the wave pool and water slide, putt-putt golf, inflatable Jupiter Jumps, live music and a variety of food vendors.
Activities are pay as you go. Discounted tickets also are available for $20 and include a barbecue meal and all events inside the park.
Tickets will be on sale from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday at the team registration booth in the Huntington Pullman Plaza Hotel. Tickets also will be on sale from 2 to 6 p.m. Thursday at the tournament's opening ceremonies at Marshall University Stadium, or online at www.westvirginia2009.com.
On Saturday, Putnam County visitors and residents will have a variety of July 4 activities to choose from, in addition to Hurricane's fireworks.
Hurricane's July 4 activities will kick off with a parade through downtown from 4 to 5 p.m. The Valley Park Wave Pool also will be open all day.
The city of Hurricane also is hosting an event from 5:30 to 10 p.m., Saturday at the wave pool.
"People can go to the pool during the day, and then take in some of the other activities. They've got a little bit of everything," Williamson said.
The city has invested about $50,000 in the weekend event that will include a rock wall for climbing, 20 inflatable Jupiter Jumps, carriage rides, and a variety of other activities and giveaways, Hurricane Mayor Scott Edwards said.
Edwards also promised visitors and residents a "fireworks show that Putnam has never seen before."
"It's about 35 percent larger," he said. "It's our largest fireworks ever."
It's the community's chance to make this area shine and impress visitors to the area, he said.
Fireworks are expected to begin around 9:45 p.m. Saturday, Edwards said.
Parking is available at Valley Park and at Hurricane High School. A shuttle bus will transport people between the park tand high school from 5:30 to 11 p.m.
"Every time folks come in from out of the area, we put our best foot forward," Williamson said. "We're hoping that they will say these were nice [events] and there was lots of nice people, and we want to come back."
"This is our chance to snag them," Williamson said.
About 3,500 people came out to last year's July 4 celebration at Valley Park, Williamson said.
"We're expecting at least that many people, if not more," he said.
Reach Veronica Nett at veroni...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-5113.
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