Celebrate America
Celebrate America

Celebrate America will feature members of The Beach Boys. Country artist Lee Greenwood will perform “God Bless the USA” during fireworks display on June 29 at Huntsman Springs in Driggs.

Now in its fourth year, Huntsman Springs will again host the Independence Day event, Celebrate America, this year on Saturday, June 29. The day’s events will start a little later and the evening will feature entertainment from original members of The Beach Boys and a special appearance by Lee Greenwood. Greenwood will perform his best known hit, “God Bless the USA” during the fireworks display.

Tony Snoey, President and COO of Huntsman Springs said last year they got a lot of feedback that the event, starting at 10 a.m. and lasting through the firework display at dark, was too long. A lot of people came during the day then left and never came back for fireworks. In response and to keep things fresh, this year the celebration will begin at 4 p.m. with gates opening at 3 p.m. They’ve decided to condense the day to the afternoon and won’t have the air and car show this year.

As for the entertainment, David Huntsman said they’ve been thinking about this lineup for a couple of years. He watched a firework display on the National Mall in Washington DC and remembers Greenwood’s tune playing during part of the show.

“There’s nothing more patriotic than that,” he said.

Original members of the Beach Boys, Al Jardine and David Marks will take the stage as the Surf City All Stars. Huntsman said they play music everyone from five years on up can enjoy.

Jon Huntsman, the visionary behind Celebrate America and founder of the Huntsman Cancer Institute, will speak again this year. Jon Huntsman sponsors the event as a way to give back to the communities throughout Teton Valley. He spent much of his youth in the area, and it made a lasting impression on his family.

“Southeast Idaho holds a very special place in our hearts, and we are delighted to invite everyone to join the festivities we will host again this year as our gift to the community. We hope it will lift their spirits and serve as a unique opportunity to celebrate the birth of our nation,” he said.

Snoey said they know some people like having fireworks on the actual Fourth of July, but have decided to hold the event every year on the Saturday before the Fourth of July in the city of Driggs. He said part of the reason is to be consistent, but they also want to make it an event more people can attend.

The annual celebration has grown from around 8,000 people attending in 2010 to 14,000 in 2011 to around 20,000 in 2012. Organizers are expecting a similar crowd this year for the patriotic extravaganza.

Although the entire program is open to all, free of charge, a donation to the Huntsman Cancer Institute on the day of the event is encouraged because 100 percent of the proceeds will go directly to cancer research.

Snoey and David Huntsman said they are simply asking individuals or families to donate what they can afford. There won’t be anyone checking tickets. David Huntsman said the cancer institute and research is a big part of their mission.

“We’re in a position to give and want to use our profile and position to continue that good work,” said Huntsman.

Beyond the onstage events there will again be plenty of face painters, roving entertainers and bounce houses to keep the young ones entertained throughout the evening. And of course, the area’s favorite food vendors will be on hand throughout the event to provide everyone’s favorite treats, from corn dogs to funnel cakes.

This year’s program will include a powerful Veterans tribute, a rousing Dueling Pianos performance, and a giant beach party.

“Our goal is to put on a wonderful event and make people feel good about living here,” said Snoey.

“If we’re going to put on a show, we’re going to make it a good one,” said David Huntsman. “We want people to come back every year to see if we top what we did last year.”

And though you might be able to see the fireworks from many different places in the Valley, David said he wanted to encourage people to watch the display from the Huntsman property. The display is choreographed and there is additional pyrotechnics going on around the stage.

“You have to be sitting there to truly appreciate it,” he said.

To learn more about Huntsman Springs and this years’ schedule, visit the event website at www.celebrateamericaevent.com, friend them on Facebook by searching facebook.com/HuntsmanSpringsCelebrateAmerica and follow them on twitter at @huntsmanshow.

This article appeared in the Teton Valley News on June 26, 2014