After three years of cancelled and reduced events due to COVID-19, Sandy City's big 4th of July celebration returned to its full glory in 2022.
The day started out with a flag raising and national anthem, sung by Sandy City employee Javier Talamantes.
Then it was time for the 4th of July 5k! To get everyone ready, one of the fitness instructors from Alta Canyon Sports Center led the crowd in a warmup.
Then the race was on!
QUICK PROMO: The next race in our 5k race series is the Balloon Fest 5k on Aug. 13. Participants will race through a route that consists of several glowing hot air balloons as well as Sandy landmarks like Hale Centre Theatre. The route even passes through the middle of Rio TInto Stadium. You won't want to miss this one! Learn more and register for the race by clicking here.
After the race, our annual Spikeball tournament kicked off.
Our Parks and Recreation staff put on a fantastic Youth Arts and Crafts Fair, featuring free face painting.
Another family favorite was the lineup of inflatables.
The Sandy Police Department's K9 unit also put on quite a show.
As the sun and temperature climbed to their highest point of the day, the Sandy Fire Department helped everyone to cool down with a little shower from one of their fire trucks.
Throughout the course of the day, a number of talented local musicians provided the soundtrack to the day's activities.
At 6 o'clock, the 4th of July parade got under way.
As great as the parade looked, the crowd looked even better.
After the parade, The Salamanders took to the main stage and gave an absolutely electrifying performance for two hours. They played everything from Whitney Houston to Boston and Dua Lipa to Shania Twain.
After two hours of rocking out, the crowd was ready for some fireworks! With music provided by Z104, thousands of onlookers enjoyed a patriotic display of "rockets red glare" and "bombs bursting in air."
Thank you to everyone who came out to celebrate the 4th of July with us. We also want to thank our sponsors, without whom the event wouldn't be possible: Costco, Kona Ice, Scheel's, Score Sports, The Orange Peel, Nothing Bundt Cakes, and Z104.