GOSHEN COUNTY – Goshen County has plenty of patriotic events planned leading up to the annual Fourth of July celebration on Tuesday.
Ahead of the official holiday, local vendor ZR1’s Fast Track Fireworks will host a free fireworks display around dusk on Saturday at 4594 U.S. Highway 26-85
in Torrington.
Residents can then enjoy a quiet Sunday before kicking off the week with LaGrange Volunteer Fire Department’s annual fireworks display and ice cream social beginning at 6 p.m. Monday. The ice cream social will take place in the Community Building on M Street, with fireworks to begin at full dark. The department will accept free-will donations to help fund next
year’s event.
Tuesday, Fort Laramie National Historic Site offers a full day of fun during its annual “Old Fashioned” Fourth of July.
The schedule is as follows:
9:30 a.m.: Military flag-raising and cannon firing
10 a.m.: Historic games (greased pole, penny dive, sack race, three-legged race, 50-yard dash, egg toss). Prizes will be awarded.
12 p.m.: National Salute (38-gun salute and cannon-firing including bagpipe and drum corps)
1:30 p.m. Trotters Equestrian Drill Team
2 p.m. Pony Express Program
2:30 p.m. Special “Hunter-Warrior of the Plains” program
3:30 p.m. Artillery demonstration
4:30 p.m. Junior Soldiers’ Drill (recommended for ages 7-12)

5:15 p.m. Retreat parade and cannon firing
Ongoing activities:
10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.: Samples of Army bread in the 1876 bakery
10:30 to 5:30 p.m.: Cold sarsaparilla, root beer, birch beer and crème soda at the Soldiers’ Bar
9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.: Bagpipe and drum corps on the porch of the Cavalry Barracks
12 to 2 p.m.: Historic firearms exhibit on display in the Cavalry Barracks
10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.: Trader’s Store and Laundress Area Stations open
Admission is free.
Meanwhile, the American Legion Travis Snow Post Unit No. 5 in Torrington will host a veterans’ appreciation event at 11 a.m. at 2102 Main Street.
Later in the evening, residents can choose to attend Fort Laramie Volunteer Fire Department’s free-will donation Independence Day Picnic featuring burgers, hot dogs, chips and drinks at 5 p.m. at South Park followed by fireworks at dusk, or Torrington Volunteer Fire Department’s display, also at dusk, in the city’s Industrial Park.
Governmental offices will be closed Tuesday, and residents should plan accordingly.
Individuals who purchase their own fireworks to celebrate Independence Day must take into account the current dry conditions as well as general fireworks safety tips in order to avoid disaster.
Friday evening, TVFD responded to a small grass fire on Buttermilk Road, believed to have been caused by teens lighting fireworks in the area.
“The grassy fuels are tall and drying out fast,” the TVFD wrote on its Facebook page. “Please be careful with the area that you choose to light your fireworks.”
In addition, last week Goshen County Fire Warden Bill Law announced a county-wide partial burn ban will go into effect Wednesday, July 5. This ban prohibits the use of fireworks, and although it will not interfere with Fourth of July celebrations at this point, Law said the ban could be subject to change if issues arise.
The National Council on Fireworks Safety (www.firesafety.org) recommends the following safety tips:
• Know your fireworks; read the cautionary labels and performance descriptions before igniting.
• A responsible adult should supervise all firework activities. Never give fireworks to children.
• Alcohol and fireworks do not mix.
• Wear safety glasses when shooting fireworks.
• Light one firework at a time and then quickly move away.
• Use fireworks outdoors in a clear area; away from buildings and vehicles.
• Never relight a “dud” firework. Wait 20 minutes and then soak it in a bucket of water.
• Always have a bucket of water and charged water hose nearby.
• Never carry fireworks in your pocket or shoot them into metal or glass containers.
• Do not experiment with homemade
fireworks.
• Dispose of spent fireworks by wetting them down and placing in a metal trash can away from any building or combustible materials until the next day.
The Business Farmer wishes all of its readers a safe and happy Fourth of July.