|
Celebrate independence, Taylor style By Philip Jankowski Fourth of July festivities are just around the corner, and for Taylor that means old-fashioned family fun in the park. A number of events reminiscent of a larger Taylor Independence Festival will be hosted around Taylor, some traditions and some reworks of old favorites. “The goal is to have a good old-fashioned Fourth of July celebration,” Jean Johnson, Main Street coordinator, said. Following are some of the events being planned for the holiday. Tennis Tournament The fun will begin Thursday with the 37th annual Taylor Tennis Tournament beginning at 8 a.m. at Murphy Park. The tournament will run through Sunday, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day. Residents are invited to come watch the tournament and cheer for their favorite family, doubles duo or single player. Several communities surrounding Taylor will compete for a traveling trophy measuring five feet in height. Last year, Lexington won the trophy and Taylor took second place. The youth division will compete Thursday and Friday in singles, doubles and mixed doubles formats. Adults and families will play Saturday and Sunday in the following divisions: husband-wife, father-daughter, father-son, mother-daughter, mother-son, brother-brother, sister-sister and brother-sister. Downtown Parade The Taylor community will celebrate the Fourth of July with a Red, White and Blue Walking Parade, which will take place downtown Friday morning. The parade will begin promptly at 9 a.m. Participants are asked to line up before 9 a.m. in the City National Bank parking lot south of Third Street between Main and Porter streets. Children are invited to bring tricycles, bicycles and battery-powered ride-on toys to ride in the parade. No motorized vehicles will be allowed. The parade will march down Third Street to Main Street, will continue north along Main Street to Sixth Street and will disband in the Temple College at Taylor parking lot. McGruff the Crime Dog and Sparky the Fire Dog will join the parade, along with Williamson County Commissioner Ron Morrison and Keith Hagler, owner of Taylor Auto Credit and Taylor’s Citizen of the Year. All participants in the parade are encouraged to wear patriotic gear, and children are encouraged to decorate their vehicles. At the end of the parade, prizes will be given for the most patriotic and creative entrants, as well as in other categories. Costumes, facepaint and decorated hats are also encouraged. Prizes will be given for the most patriotic and outlandish hats. Heritage Square Park A celebration in Heritage Square Park will immediately follow the parade Friday morning. Officials will raise the American flag, and residents will be invited to recite the Pledge of Allegiance and sing the Star Spangled Banner. Hot dogs and watermelon will be available in the park, along with food donated by Chicken Express, Taylor Meat, H-E-B, Wal-Mart and local civic groups. Children will have the opportunity to enjoy a variety of activities, including a fish pond, a duck pond and face-painting by the Taylor Artist Guild. Storyteller Trish van Til will also entertain children with Cat in the Hat stories, and children will be invited to make patriotic paper hats. Officials will recognize the 4th Infantry Division’s Combat Aviation Brigade at Fort Hood. Taylor and Hutto adopted the unit in April as part of the Adopt-a-Unit program, a countywide mission to support soldiers deployed in Iraq. The Heritage Park celebration will conclude at 1 p.m. Anyone wishing to volunteer at the event is welcome to do so. Jaycees Fajita Cookoff The Taylor Jaycees will host its 2nd annual fajita cookoff beginning at 9 a.m. in the American Legion Hall. Residents will use their culinary knowledge to prepare and cook fajitas to compete for a trophy and prize money. The size of the winner’s purse depends on the number of entrants. Residents are welcome to enter up until the competition begins. Contact Shawn Jonas, Jaycees management vice president, at (512) 803-5855 for more information, or download an entry form from the Jaycees Web site, www.taylorjaycees.org. Fireworks Show The Jaycees will also host a fireworks show in Murphy Park beginning at 9 p.m. Residents and out-of-towners are welcome to bring a lawn chair or blanket to enjoy the event. The Jaycees will sell glow necklaces and give out free paper fans at the event. Proceeds from the necklaces will benefit next year’s fireworks show. Hamburgers, nachos and other items will be for sale at the American Legion Hall throughout the day. “It’s a great place for people to hang out and watch the fajita cookoff, plus it’s a wonderful place to watch the fireworks,” Jonas said.
|
