MISSOULA — The 4th of July weekend is always a special holiday in the United States and in Missoula and the state of Montana. And for those looking for something fun to do this weekend, the Missoula Paddleheads and City of Missoula have an option for you.
For two days, the city and Paddleheads are partnering to create community celebration for the upcoming holiday, starting on Friday with a drone show at the conclusion of the Paddleheads game.
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Leading up to it simultaneously will be a free event at Silver Park called Stars and Stripes and Summer Nights beginning at 5 p.m., featuring live music, food, a beer garden and activities for the whole family.
Then, when the game is done, from both the ballpark and Silver Park, fans will be able to see the drone show celebrating America's 250th anniversary take off from McCormick Park.
"Importantly, what's happening here in Silver Park, you can come and spend your whole evening for free," Missoula mayor Andrea Davis said. "This is really about celebrating community. And if there's anything about celebrating the United States 250th quincentennial, it is that we can come together at times of adversity and celebrate amazing moments of our community. And that certainly is really what Missoula stands for."
On Saturday, the Paddleheads will host a massive fireworks show at the conclusion of their game that night, something people in the city have wanted since the fireworks show at the mall ceased, and also since shooting off fireworks in the city limits is illegal.
"Our motto is that we provide family fun entertainment that's safe," Paddleheads president Matt Ellis said. "And this fits perfectly into that motto. The families are going to be celebrating the July 4th together in a safe environment, and they're not going to be doing fireworks at their house, which is a huge safety issue for the community and for our law enforcement and fire department. It all fits into one beautiful bow. It's the perfect event for this community and for us to put on to help make this happen."
The fireworks show will also be at McCormick Park and can be seen from anywhere, but those in attendance or hanging out at Silver Park will have a front-row view to the events celebrating the holiday weekend. Both Paddleheads games begin at 6:35 p.m. For more details on the full events and what else is offered, see here.
"It's time for somebody in the community to step up and make it happen, and that's what the city and us decided to do this year," Ellis said. "We're excited to be able to pull it off, and we'll see how the reaction is and whether that's got any energy to do it in the future."
