Centralia Police Department officer Angie Humphrey squirts a water gun during the Windermere Summerfest Parade on July 4, 2014 in Centralia.
A young boy with a painted face points in the direction of clowns during the Windermere Summerfest Parade on July 4, 2014 in Centralia.
Andy Skinner waves out at the crowd of during the Windermere Summerfest Parade on July 4, 2014 in downtown Centralia.
A clown drives down Tower Avenue in a tiny car during the Windermere Summerfest Parade on July 4, 2014 in Centralia.
Since 1976, Summerfest has filled Centralia with Independence Day activities, and this year it’s back in full force with a new addition.
Like always, Fort Borst Park will be filled with free entertainment and games for kids and adults alike. Along with trolley rides, an egg toss, bubblegum blowing and flying disc throws, the games are staggered throughout the afternoon and will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
This year, with low water levels in Borst Lake, the organizing committee is bringing in a large fish tank stocked with 300 fish and equipped with poles.
Lee Coumbs, the chairman of the event, said the dry year has provided some problems in the park that will be addressed in future years. Since water levels are too low, the fish tank was brought in.
“Borst Lake is dry and people are going to respond to that, but we do have plans to refill the lake and make it cleaner,” he said. “We are going to get some fresh water and put it in there for future years.”
A breakfast sponsored by Sierra Pacific will kick off the festivities at 7 a.m. and will provide a free breakfast of all you can eat pancakes and sausage. Coumbs said he expects over 1,000 people to take part in the breakfast.
The event itself brings in about 2,500 people to the park. The destruction derby and fireworks display at the fairgrounds are even more popular. The stands are filled with spectators and approximately 3,000 people show up for the events.
This year, about 30 cars are signed up to participate in the destruction derby, which will take place at 7 p.m.
Other popular activities include the SWAT challenge. The event allows people to take the Centralia Police Department entry-level SWAT team exam. At the same time, the 10th annual “I Ran From the Cops” 8K or 1.5-mile health walk will take place.
A parade will start at 4 p.m. in downtown Centralia and is sponsored by Windermere Real Estate.
Half of the funds provided by Windermere will help support the parade, while the other half will go toward the restoration efforts at the Fox Theatre in downtown Centralia.
Steve Koreis-MacLeod, president of the Centralia Downtown Association, said there could be anywhere from 90 to 110 units in the parade.
This year’s theme is “Freedom Is Not Free” and the parade will include numerous military entries and at least two equestrian entries.
Fred and Laura Rider, the owners of the Lewis County Destruction Derby Association, and Tim and Maryann Browning will be the grand marshals of the parade. Both were chosen because the couples have helped with Summerfest in one capacity or another for over 30 years.
Plenty of opportunities will be provided all day long for anyone who wants to partake in Independence Day celebrations. Julie Liseth, a committee member of the event, said the event is always a popular one.
“The tradition of the event itself (is my favorite),” she said. “Even if we don’t have a ton of new things they are looking for those old favorites and we do see a lot of the same families year after year, so it’s pretty fun.”
All of the activities, minus the fun run, entrance into the destruction derby and the annual hot dog feed, are free to the public.
