WEST SIDE SOCIAL CLUB

One might question the West Side Social Club's 4th of July Committee for being on the quiet side lately, but that is from the truth! The committee has working feverishly behind the scenes in an effort to provide the best July Fourth celebration for the 250th Anniversary of our Independence!

 

The WSSC day-long activities, starting with the morning Children’s Events. This consists of early morning Fishing Derby, followed by the Pet Parade, Tricycle-Scooter-Cart Parade, Dollriage Parade, and Bicycle Parade, ending with Running Races and the Canoe/Kayak Race.

 

The Family Fishing Derby will take place along the shores of Lake Quannapowitt at 7 AM, it’s rumored the fish are biting at their best! Children, judged by age, will take their fish to the registration table to be weighed, the biggest fish in two categories winning trophies!

 

The Children’s Parades line up on the Upper Common, starting at 8 AM with the Family Pet Parade (all pets are welcome), with each parade category following on the hour.

 

The theme for this year’s Children’s Events is ‘ Years of Democracy,’ giving children and their families a wealth of historic events to choose from when designing their showcase. Starting from the signing of the Declaration of Independence, choices are endless. There are so many ideas to choose from with the broad spectrum of our democracy over the past 250 years. The West Side Social Club has always said this part of the day-long celebration is a favorite and truly looks forward to seeing the patriotic designs each year. This year will no different with all the Red, White, and Blue! Many trophies are awarded after parade, ending with the Ken Giles Award for the Best Presentation of the theme.

 

The Running Races will return, starting with the adorable Diaper Derby for those that are crawling but not yet walking. Such a sight to see! One year, not one baby moved from inner circle! The first three babies to make to the outer circle win a Build-a-Bear!

 

Running Races will continue with each age group for boys and girls, ending with parents! chaotic but tremendously fun, well-attended event that brings families together! Medals are awarded to first, second, and third place in each age category.

 

The morning events will finish up with the Canoe/Kay Race across Lake Quannapowitt. Participants will meet at head of the lake (Colonel Connelly Beach/Park) at 12 noon. After registration, the canoes and kayaks will be off, paddling to the lower common in hopes of winning a medal.

 

After the most entertaining July 4th parade provided by the Wakefield Independence Day Committee has finished, the West Side Social Club will present the Concert on the Common. The Buckley Brothers Band, a local Wakefield band known to rock the house, is back! So is Dan Clark, the Singing Trooper, who brings the true meaning of July 4th with his wonderful patriotic songs that lead into the finale. The Grand Finale of the spectacular Fireworks Display over the shores of Lake Quannapowitt is slated to begin around 9:30 PM.

 

This year’s show will be a crowd-pleaser, as the returning fireworks company, American Thunder, has promised to amp it up in celebration of our 250th Anniversary. As always, all of this comes with a cost, and due to various reasons, this year has shown a definite escalation in costs to the WSSC Committee. The WSSC has sent a donation mailing envelope to each household with the electric bill to make donating easier. Although it is fully understandable that all households can donate, the WSSC asks those that can to please do so. Every dollar is applied directly to the July 4th events provided by the West Side Social Club.

 

Otherwise, donations can be made by mailing them to the WSSC Fourth of July Committee, 4 Harrington Court, Wakefield, MA 01880. The Committee is looking forward to a celebration deserving of our monumental milestone anniversary.