Independence Day
Anderson County communities mark July 4 with celebrations
-
Men in colonial garb fire their muskets with a crowd watching during last Friday’s Independence Day celebration at the Museum of Appalachia. - G. Chambers Williams III
-
Visitors to the Museum of Appalachia on July 4 are lined up to watch the 11 a.m. anvil shoot,partofthemuseum’sannualIndependenceDaycelebration. - G. Chambers Williams III
-
Runners set their own pace during the Norris Day 1K Fun Run, which began at 8:30 a.m. Friday to kick off the annual July 4 events in the Norris Commons area. - G. Chambers Williams III
-
Kids take off on their bikes during the bicycle race, part of the Norris Day activities in the town’s Commons area on July 4. - G. Chambers Williams III
Perfect weather and a variety of activities combined for a day of fun in celebration of Independence Day last Friday throughout the Anderson County area, capped by numerous fireworks displays illuminating the nighttime skies.
Thousands of people turned out for the July 4 events, with special events planned in Clinton, Norris, Rocky Top, Oak Ridge and Oliver Springs, as well as in many private venues, including Norris Lake marinas.
Museum of Appalachia officials reported a possible record turnout for its annual July 4 celebration, led by “old-fashioned anvil shoots,” which took place at the top of the hour nearly all day long.
Just after noon, staff selling tickets at the museum’s entrance reported a steady, heavy stream of visitors that they said began arriving before the official opening at 10 a.m.
As for the anvil shoots, they were the highlight of most visitors’ day at the museum.
For these events, the museum uses a pile of gunpowder to blast a 200-pound steel blacksmith’s anvil more than 100 feet into the air, with visitors looking on a safe distance away.
But that wasn’t all. The museum had much more for people to see and hear – including men in colonial army uniforms shooting off muskets in a field throughout the day, the Museum of Appalachia Band performing mountain music from the stage behind the main building, and booths featuring crafts and highlighting Appalachian culture spread throughout the grounds.
Ken Twofeathers, a member of the Choctaw Nation, greeted visitors with stories and artifacts of his culture at his booth, as did Ryan Worden, representing the Seneca Tribe.
There were actors in colonial garb throughout the museum grounds, with demonstrations of Appalachian cultural activities going on throughout the many pioneer buildings spread around museum site.
In Norris, July 4 events began at 8:30 a.m. with the start of the Firecracker 4K race and 1K Fun Run that kicked off the community’s annual Norris Day, celebrating the city that owes its existence to the creation of the nearby Norris Dam, completed in 1936.
In Clinton, the July 4 events began at 5 p.m. at Lakefront Park. They included inflatables for kids, a petting zoo, ax throwing, a game truck and more.
In Rocky Top, the day’s activities began with a collector car show from 9 to 11:30 a.m. at the George Templin Memorial Ballfield.
There was a children’s bicycle parade beginning at 4:45 p.m. from the parking lot of Truist Bank on South Main Street, followed by a celebration beginning at 5 p.m. at the city park that included a free concert.
Capping the day’s activities were fireworks shows in Clinton, Norris, Rocky Top and Oak Ridge, as well as at several of the marinas along Norris Lake.
