The Inter-Mountain file photo Cars line Davis Avenue during last year's Mountain State Street Machines Fourth of July Car Show. This year the car show will be held on July 4-5 in the Elkins City Park. A host of prizes will be handed out to those taking part and there will be food vendors at the event.

ELKINS — Downtown Elkins will come alive on July 4 as it joins other communities across the nation in celebrating America 250 and the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.        

The Elkins Fourth of July parade is scheduled to get underway at 5 p.m., and is expected to be filled with patriotic displays, creative floats, decorated vehicles, community spirit, and plenty of red, white and blue.

“So far we have about 50 pre-registered for the parade and that includes floats, twirlette groups and seven fire departments,” parade volunteer Kathy Vance said. “We also have the American Legion, Civil Air Patrol, and several local businesses who have already signed up. So we are further along than we were with last year’s parade, which was the first one we’ve had.”     

Local Rosie the Riveter Lorraine Moran, who will turn 103 years old in July, will serve as the Parade Marshall. Vance said the event will also feature re-enactors of Uncle Sam and Betsy Ross in the parade, and that a group of local pilots plan a flyover at the start of the event.   

The Mountain State Street Machines annual Car Show, meanwhile, will be ongoing throughout the day at the Elkins City Park. Day 1 of the Car Show will end at 4 p.m., and Vance said she expects some of the cars from the Car Show to take part in the parade. The Mountain State Street Machines’ Car Show will run through Sunday, and a host of prizes will be handed out to Car Show competitors. Food vendors will be set up alongside the City Park during both days of the Car Show.     

Prizes will be handed out as part of the parade’s bike decorating contest for children and there will also be a UTV/ATV decorating contest for the parade, which is being sponsored by Davis Trust, and prizes will be given out to the top floats participating. The winners will be announced at Elkins City Hall following the parade and cash prizes will be given to first, second and third place competitors in each category. Lineup for the parade will take place at Southern States on South Davis Avenue at 4 p.m.        

“This is the second year that we have had the Fourth of July parade,” Elkins-Randolph County Chamber Karrah Washington said. “The parade is going to have a little bit of something for everyone, so we are hoping a lot of people will come out and help us celebrate 250 years of America. We are really excited.”     

Those attending the parade can make their way to the Elkins Railroad Depot at the conclusion of the event, where Rick K will play this year’s Fourth of July concert at 7:30 p.m. The concert, which will take place at the Rotary Amphitheater Stage, is part of Our Town’s Summer Concert Series and is free to the public. There will be a huge downtown Fireworks display at the end of the concert, which is scheduled to conclude at 9:30 p.m.