A Time of Revelry and Reflection
by Zoë Kirsch
This year's Independence Day festivities promise to be even better than last year's hoopla! The patriotic fun will begin two days early, kicking off at the historic Unitarian Meeting House, 11 Orange Street. This year is the church's 200th anniversary.
On Thursday, July 2, at 7:30 p.m., Gary Kowalski, author of Revolutionary Spirits - a book in which he takes issue with the current tendency to see the Founding Fathers as devout Christians forming a nation steeped in religious beliefs - will present "Revolutionary Spirits: A Conversation About the Enlightened Faith of America's Founding Fathers." His talk focuses on beliefs the Founding Fathers brought to the daunting task of forming the new nation. The lecture is presented by the South Church Preservation Fund, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the restoration and preservation of the historic Unitarian Meeting House. Tickets are $20 and available July 1-2 in front of Congdon & Coleman's on Main Street or at the door. Weather permitting, a reception in the garden will follow the lecture.
The dawning of Saturday, July 4th will mean the start of a day chock-full of diverting activities. Bright and early in the morning, Main Street will be closed to traffic so hard-working volunteers can transport dunk tanks, slice watermelons, and arrange pies. Meanwhile, the Unitarian Meeting House will host a free celebration, "Let Freedom Ring," from 9 to 10 a.m. The lineup includes organ music, a community sing-a-long, and a raffle. There will be a public reading of the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights, and children will be invited to sign a replica of the Declaration. Halfway through the revelry and immediately following the reading, raffle tickets will be sold and prizes awarded outside, to the accompaniment of a sidewalk organ grinder playing traditional patriotic tunes on a genuine 1880s "Celestina."
The raffle prizes? First place achieves a supervised climb up the steeple to view the old Portuguese bell and ring in another year of freedom. Runners-up can receive either a framed print by a well-known Nantucket artist or Red Sox tickets. Proceeds from the raffle and other church-related festivities will go towards the congregation, an outfit that, as Chris Lohmann, Vice President of the church's Board of Trustees pointed out, is "separate from the South Church Preservation Fund."
With prizes in hand (it could be you!) head to Main Street! Starting at 10 a.m., the cobblestone street will play host to an array of free activities for adults and children: a dunk tank, watermelon eating and pie eating contests for contestants of all ages, face painting, and puppet shows, to name a few. Adorn your bike, tricycle, or carriage with jolly streamers by 11 a.m. and you can ride it in the children's parade.
Further festivities will be provided from 9:30 a.m. to noon by the Nantucket Tea Party, a grassroots, non-partisan group open to all who want to involve themselves in reinforcing our country's principles. The Tea Party has organized a re-declaration of our American independence, as well as a presentation from Maurice Gibbs, a retired U.S. Navy Commander, about the historic Boston Tea Party of 1773, at 10 a.m. A reading of the Declaration of Independence, the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance, and the chance to participate in a Citizen Forum will follow the speech. For details, call The Nantucket Tea Party at 203-858-4646.
The popular waterfight at high noon between the Nantucket Fire Department and H. Flint Ranney’s opposing team and their historic pumper is yet another highlight. But heed this warning: if you are on either side of Main Street during the hullaballoo, you will get wet!
You'll have just a few hours to dry off, get a bite to eat, pack a picnic, grab a blanket, and head over to Children’s Beach around 5 p.m. There, kids of all ages can enjoy foot, sack, 3-legged, and barrel races, as well as tug-o-war. If it suits your musical fancy, head back to Main Street at 8 p.m. to be serenaded by the island's choice local a cappella group, The Cobbletones. After these activities, there is still time to stake out a spot at Jetties Beach to watch the fireworks at dusk (9 p.m.).
Although centered downtown, the July 4th festivities are not confined to Main Street. On July 4th at 8 a.m. the 19th Annual Firecracker 5k Run/Walk will commence. The starting line is at the Nantucket Health Club, 10 Young's Way, and pre-registration is recommended. Call 508-228-4750 for details. Furthermore, check out a seal cruise to Musekeget Island between 9:00 and 11:30 a.m. or a Harbour Tour and Ice Cream Cruise from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. Call Shearwater Excursions at 508-228-7037 to make reservations.
Nantucket Visitor Services is proud to once again sponsor the July Fourth fireworks. The sparkling entertainment will be launched from a barge anchored off Jetties Beach. Kate Hamilton, Director of Nantucket Visitor Services, said of this year's display, "There will be a couple surprises, which I will not," - here she chuckled amicably - "be revealing ahead of time. Grucci [the company in charge of the Jetties Fourth of July fireworks] is also doing a tribute to a pyro-technician who passed away. [Grucci] is a great company," she concluded, "They are always doing spectacular things and constantly surprising."
Need transport to see the fireworks? Beginning at 6 p.m. on Saturday evening, the Nantucket Regional Transit Authority’s Jetties Beach Bus will take passengers to the beach every 15 minutes from Broad Street in front of the Whaling Museum. Fare each way is $1.
Any decision to postpone the fireworks will be made public by 6 pm on July 4. Information will be available through Nantucket Visitor Services at 508-228-0925. If weather does interfere, the fireworks will be held the next evening Thursday, July 5, at 9 pm.
Events at the 2009 Fourth of July celebration will range from the silly to the serious. This weekend is the chance to be at once exuberant and contemplative, celebrating freedom in the United States and throughout the world while paying thoughtful attention to the history that won us our liberties.
