Diana Whaley, Riverfront Spokane, Community Engagement Event Manager, 509.625.6600
Wednesday, June 20, 2018 at 4:45 p.m.
Photographer: James Richman
Spokane citizens have come to know Riverfront Park as THE place to be on the 4th of July, and 2018 is no exception. This year’s festivities will include familiar favorites as well as a few new elements to ramp up the fun factor.
Kicking off at 11:00 a.m., festivities this year will be emceed by local comedian and musician Michael Glatzmaier. Vendors for the event include the No-Li beer garden located in the Forestry Shelter on north Havermale Island along with food and market vendors along the Lilac Bowl and Clocktower Meadow. Attendees of the celebration can enjoy live and interactive entertainment throughout the day. The Clocktower Meadow will host a kids’ area with bounce houses and other activities to keep the little ones occupied until the big fireworks show.
Featured acts will be held at the Lilac Bowl stage and begin with Cecil the Magician. Cecil has been thrilling audiences in the Northwest for the past 25 years with his unique style of magic. His spellbinding, hilarious magic will entice audience participation and allow you to experience the impossible becoming possible. Jonathan Yeager, this year’s headline act, is joining us from Texas and will perform an interactive, comedic hypnosis show to delight all. Local musician Danial Hall will take the stage at 2:00 p.m. with a collection of original songs and his own special take on popular favorites.
Emcee, Michael Glatzmaier and David Honeycutt, will wrap up the stage entertainment with an interactive, improv musical act. In keeping with tradition, Spokane Jazz Orchestra will entertain us all into the evening.
The biggest change from last year’s celebration will no doubt be the newly reopened south bank of the park including the Looff Carrousel and Gift Shop, Skate Ribbon, Sky Ribbon Café, and Howard Street South Channel Bridge. Attendees of the celebration are invited to take a spin on the newly refurbished 1909 Looff Carrousel, skate or scoot around the Ribbon, or grab some tasty food or beverages from the Sky Ribbon Café.
Of course, no 4th of July celebration would be complete without a grand fireworks display. The firework show will kick off around 10:00 p.m. from the east side of Havermale Island by the Lilac Bowl and will last roughly 30 minutes. Just about any place with an unobstructed view of the sky above the east side of the park will be prime for viewing the fireworks display.
Event Schedule*:
11:00AM: Beer garden, food and market vendors open. Kids’ area in Clock Tower Meadow opens.
Lilac Bowl Stage
9:00PM: Kids area closes
10:00PM: Beer garden, food and market vendors close
10:00PM: Fireworks
Food Vendors*:
Market Vendors*:
*subject to change
