MANCHESTER — The fourth of July is right around the corner and this year's celebration will be marked by a change in venue.
This year the town will close down the section of road from the area known as "malfunction junction" to Cottage Street from 5 to 9:30 p.m. The festivities will be taking place at the Town Green and along Depot Street between the junction intersection and Cottage Street.
The traffic will be re-routed through the use of Cottage Street and Wyman Lane. Wyman Lane — normally a one way street — will be opened up to two way traffic for the duration that Depot Street is closed.
In past years the celebration has always been held at the Manchester Parks and Recreation Department, but interim director of the parks and rec department, Amy Herrmann, said that they felt it was time for a change.
"People used to come to the rec park and camp out here for the entire day," she said. "We decided changing the venue would give it a new look and our hope is that sending people downtown would give the downtown businesses some business as well."
Though avoiding complications would be ideal, Herrmann said she expected that it would be almost inevitable given that it was the event's first year in a new venue.
Activities for the celebration — which are scheduled throughout the day — begin at 9:30 a.m. with a 5k run-walk. Registration for the event will take place from
Residents and non-residents alike will be permitted to use the pool free of charge at the parks and rec department from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
A soccer game between the Vermont Voltage and the Southern Vermont All-Stars will also be part of the festivities. The game begins at 5 p.m. at Applejack Field and admission is $5 at the gate.
Concerts on the Manchester Town Green are also a big part of the schedule. The first band, Tin Penny, will be playing on the green from 4 to 5 p.m. They will be followed by the Marble City All-Stars who will perform from 5:30 to 7 p.m. and the night will end with the music of the Mark Harding Band, which will take place from 7:30 to 9 p.m.
The evening will conclude with the fireworks display, which will begin at 9:30 p.m. at the parks and rec department. As in past years, Casella Waste Management contributed money for the fireworks display. However, because Casella has had to make budget cuts due to the economy, Herrmann said they were unable to donate as much as they have in the past. Herrmann said that had it not been for the generosity of numerous members of the community — in addition to Casella's contribution — the fireworks display would not have been a reality.
"I think we had more (donations) than in the past years and it's a tough year for everyone so it was a pleasant surprise to have the community pull together and help out," she said.
For a listing of the times of scheduled events, go to Page B1. For more information, about events scheduled for the weekend, call 362-1439.
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