Garnavillo will be pulling out all of the stops to celebrate the United States’s 250th birthday during its 53rd annual 4th of July event.

The festivities begin on Friday, July 3, with an ice cream social at the city park at 5 p.m. If anyone would like to donate a dessert to the event, they can be brought to the park before 5 p.m. Desserts can include, but are not limited to, sandwiches, ice cream and lemonade.

The Siebrecht Memorial Teddy Bear Parade will follow at 6 p.m., with music by Dave Poggenklass. There will be prizes for children and fire truck rides with the Garnavillo Firefighters Association.

July 4th begins with the KC’s Breakfast in the Park at 7 a.m. as well as the 5K Run/Walk sponsored by the Clayton County Sheriff’s Office. Participants in the 5K are instructed to meet at the Emergency Services Building west of the park.

Sounds of Nashville will perform from 8 to 10 a.m. before the parade. Roger and Shirley Balk are this year’s grand marshals. The theme for this year’s parade is an acknowledgement of the nation’s 250th birthday.

After the parade, the party doesn’t stop. Throughout the day until 4 p.m., there will be a quilt show and raffle sponsored by the Round Robin Row by Row Quilters in the school gym.

At 11:15 a.m., the Clayton Ridge Drill Team will perform on the south side of the park, and a bags tournament will ensue at noon.

The Star Power Dance Team will follow up with a performance in the park at 12:15 p.m. At the same time, a pedal pull for kids provided by B & B Pedal Pulls will take place in front of the school gym. The pedal pull is for children ages 4 to 11. Registration begins at 11:30 a.m.

People can start tapping their feet now because The Love Handles are scheduled to perform at the park shelter from 12:30 to 3 p.m. As soon as they’re finished, the Lucky Button Drawing and Quilt Raffle Drawing will take place.

There will also be a mechanical bull and bounce houses available throughout the day, along with food trucks and water activities.

The celebration caps off at dusk with a “gigantic” fireworks display.

Balks named grand marshals for parade

As we march ever closer to our country’s monumental birthday, towns across the country are preparing for big celebrations. And that includes Garnavillo, which plans to tip its hat to 250 years with an American bash.

One of the centerpieces of the Fourth of July proceedings is the parade taking place on Saturday morning, July 4. Shirley and Roger Balk will be grand marshals during the event.

Roger and Shirley have lived in the Garnavillo area for more than 48 years. They raised two children here and have owned the Garnavillo Mill since 2013.

“It’s an honor to be recognized by the community that ‘shines a light’ on the hard work and perseverance of maintaining one of the original businesses in the community,” wrote Shirley and Roger.

Roger grew up in Clayton and attended Garnavillo Community School. He began working at the mill in 1975, working his way up to general manager. Shirley grew up in “various places” throughout Iowa and graduated from Benton Community School. She worked with the Guttenberg Municipal Hospital and Clayton Ridge School District before joining Roger at the Mill.

According to the Balks, Roger’s 51 years of commitment to the Garnavillo Mill and his community were a major reason for their nomination as grand marshals.

“We are proud to be a member of this community and to be part of a business that has been here for 90 years as family-owned. Small businesses such as ours are proud to provide service not only to our local farmers and local patrons but also tourists or visitors to the community,” the Balks wrote.

The Balks look forward to spending time with family and friends at the Fourth of July festivities, as well as getting a chance to relax. They also anticipate meeting a significant number of visitors.

“The July 4th annual celebration brings many people to the community. Our Community Boosters work hard to bring this event to us each year,” the Balks wrote. “Not only is our park busy on the 4th, but the annual Teddy Bear Parade brings many to town on the evening of the 3rd. Just drive down Main Street on the evening before [July 3rd] and notice all the chairs and blankets saving spots for the parade.”