Parade, party, fireworks to highlight Star Spangled Bonita events

Face painting, hot-dog eating, pie baking, rocket-like pyrotechnics bursting in air and residents dressing in red, white and blue will give proof through the night that it's the time of year when the community comes together to celebrate Independence Day, Bonitan-style, at the fifth annual Star Spangled Bonita.

On Saturday, July 1, the festivities will kick off following the annual Fourth of July parade with a party in Riverside Park starting at 10 a.m. Then, on Tuesday, July 4, at the Village Center at Palmira, Golf and Country Club, the city will continue the Star Spangled Bonita event with a 30-minute pyrotechnic display with approximately $23,000 worth of fireworks.

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The Art League of Bonita Springs will have volunteer face painters once again at this year's event, held on Saturday, July 1.

This year's Saturday event in the park will include some of the same activities as last year, such as the Bonita Springs Best Blue Ribbon Pie Contest. Those residents who are interested in entering this year's contest, should pick up entry forms at the Bonita Springs City Hall. Pie bakers should pre-register by close of business day on Thursday, June 29. According to special events coordinator Arleen Houston, pies need to be at the event by 9 a.m. on Saturday.

In addition to a pie baking contest, new this year will be a hot dog eating contest, sponsored by Russell's Clambakes.

"Someone has the opportunity to become "Bonita's Top Dog" for 2006," Houston said.

Barry Witt, volunteer member of the city's Special Events Committee, said he is looking forward to the community aspect of this year's event.

"It's a community thing," Witt said.

"I enjoy the excitement of the children. It's still a wonderful thing. You have a tendency to forget that they're actually collecting memories that will stay with them," Witt added.

Witt, who has been involved with the event since its inception five years ago, said in the beginning the event barely existed because people were not aware it was going on. Each year, he said, the attendance grew and games expanded.

Special to the Banner

Each year the city of Bonita Springs annual Star Spangled Bonita event brings more and more residents out to the park for fun, food, music and games, as shown in the above photo of a past Star Spangled event.

This year the city of Bonita Springs expects a few thousand guests at both the party at Riverside Park and the fireworks show on the Fourth.

In addition to the number of people attending, each year the activities expand. According to volunteer Bob Keck, 13 races will take place with prizes. The races will range from sack races, to beach ball shuttles, to dashes, and will be broken down into age groups, including several races geared for the entire family.

New this year is the "Beach Ball Shuttle" where contestants put a beach ball between their knees and shuttle from start to finish. Another race, which is always popular Keck said, is the Peanut Race where families put a spoon in their mouth with a peanut on it and race for about 40 yards.

Other child activities include face painting by the Art League of Bonita Springs, children's games, a water slide and train rides.

"It's getting bigger and it's a whole lot more fun," Keck said of this year's event.

Bob Leary's New Orleans Dixieland Quartet will provide entertainment at Riverside Park following the parade.

The fireworks display on the Fourth of July will include an American Flag graphic, a Liberty Bell graphic, 240 aerial shells, approximately 300 assorted grand finale shells, and 55 multi-shot devices producing more than 5,000 effects.

Star Spangled Bonita will take place Saturday, July 1 at Riverside Park located at 10451 Pennsylvania Avenue, off Old 41 Road, from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m., and Tuesday, July 4 at the Village Center at Palmira, Golf and Country Club, located at 14751 Bonita Beach Road, at 5:30 p.m. The fireworks show at dusk is free to the public with a complimentary bus shuttle to and from Palmira at the Flamingo Island Flea Market. Lawn chairs are encouraged, but the city is asking residents not to bring coolers.