All the good things associated with the Fourth of July – crisp wedges of watermelon and ice cold lemonade and patriotic displays – are enough to make any red-blooded American say, “WOW!” So it seems only appropriate that WOW is the acronym for this year’s Fourth of July activities in Oconee County.

WOW stands for Watkinsville Oconee’s Wonder4th, explained Watkinsville mayor, Jim Luken. Luken said WOW sums up the activities that are planned not only for the Fourth, but also for the Friday evening before Independence Day.

“First Friday falls on July 3, and we have a big First Friday planned,” Luken said. “Then, there will be a lot of activities the next day on the Fourth.”

July’s First Friday will be a departure from previous First Friday events. In the past, most merchants individually planned activities and promotions for the first Friday of each month. In July, First Friday will feature an organized art tour of Watkinsville.

“The county has loaned us two buses, and we will have shuttles to take people to various locations that sell and display art,” Luken said. “The shuttle will also stop at several restaurants so people can take a break and get a bite to eat.”

The WOW weekend will continue on the morning of the Fourth, said Peggy Holcomb.

Holcomb, Oconee County’s director of tourism, said this year’s Heritage Celebration will kick off at 10 a.m. and will last until 2 p.m. on Saturday, July 4. 

All of the activities will take place at Eagle Tavern on Main Street in downtown Watkinsville.

“We will have a huge kids’ corner with hayrides, sidewalk chalk, bubbles, a dress-up area and a petting zoo,” Holcomb said. “We will also have a police car and fire engine on display for children to see.”

Holcomb said the James Hunter Band, a local favorite, will be on hand to entertain visitors to the Heritage Celebration. The Eagle Tavern will be open for tours, and there will be a watermelon-eating contest at noon.

No Fourth of July celebration would be complete without food, and Holcomb said a variety of summer treats, including lemonade and barbeque, will be available on the Fourth.

The downtown Watkinsville festivities will conclude that evening with a Concert on the Lawn at Ashford Manor. Greg Hester’s Van Morrison Tribute, Holcomb said, will be the perfect way for families and couples to end their Fourth of July by listening to good music and visiting with friends and neighbors.

Although many neighborhoods and families will shoot off fireworks on the night of the Fourth, there are no big, organized fireworks shows scheduled for Oconee County. For that, people will have to travel next door to Clarke County.

Earlier, Athens-Clarke County officials said budget cuts meant the annual fireworks extravaganza at Bishop Park would be a no-go for this year. But, telling residents there would be no fireworks on the Fourth was akin to telling a bunch of kids Santa Claus would not be showing up on Christmas Eve. 

The community quickly scrambled, and in no time, $10,000 was raised to put on a pyrotechnic show even Yankee Doodle would be proud to watch.

The fireworks will begin at 9:30 p.m., said Randy Haygood, but a whole slew of family activities will start at the park at 6 p.m.

“We will have inflatables to jump on, and arts and crafts, and a bunch of old-fashioned games like sack races and three-legged races,” said Haygood, Athens-Clarke County’s athletic division administrator.

Haygood said families are welcome to bring blankets and chairs to the park, but to leave alcoholic beverages and grills at home.

With no fireworks scheduled in our county, Haygood knows a bunch of Oconee folks will come to Athens on the Fourth. That, he said, is no problem.

“We know we will have a lot of Oconee people, but that’s OK,” he said, laughing.

Mary Anne Carroll is a reporter for The Oconee Leader. She can be reached at 706-310-1104 or by email at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

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