4th of July Parade and Party in Tusayan to Feature Michael Grimm

Tusayan’s 38th annual Fourth of July parade and party this year will feature the usual hot dogs and other foods, cotton candy and other snacks, beer and wine, family activities, parade with colorful floats, and live music by local bands. In addition, the festivities this year will include a performance by America’s Got Talent singer-songwriter Michael Grimm. The event, sponsored by the Grand Canyon Chamber and Visitor’s Bureau, is scheduled to begin at 2:30 pm on July 4. The theme this year focuses on the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service.

Other planned activities include a Kid’s Zone with games and races, sponsored by Pink Jeep, and a bicycle-decorating contest, with prizes for the winner. These activities are to take place in the parking lot between R.P.’s Stage Stop and the Imax Theater. The music performances, after the parade, will also be held in the parking lot.

Michael Grimm will be the main featured musical performance, backed up by Exit 64. Grimm achieved fame in 2010 by winning the $1-million prize in the first America’s Got Talent competition. In 2011, he released his first major-label album, which included appearances by such accomplished artists as Ann Wilson (of Heart), Ian McLagan (who played with Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen), and Davey Faragher (who played with Elvis Costello and Cracker).

The event organizers expressed hope that the festivities this year, unlike last year, will not be interrupted by monsoon rains. To help avoid that possibility, they moved the start of the activities this year to earlier in the day. The Grand Canyon Chamber is currently accepting applications for parade entries and food venders. The Chamber requires a 50-50 split for food vendors, but it is open to allowing the vendor to donate all the proceedings if it so wishes.

Outside of the cost of food and snacks, attending the parade and party is free to all members of the public.

More information about the event, as well as about submitting parade and food booth entries, can be obtained by emailing Clarinda Vail at cjvail@msn.com or by visiting the Grand Canyon Chamber and Visitor’s Bureau in Tusayan.