Although overcast weather initially threatened the Sugar House 4thof July festivities, in reality the cooler than Sunday’s thus far seasonal record breaking 101 degree weather, Monday’s cooler temperatures brought out the crowds.
Sugar House Park
By 10:00 a.m., many visitors had already claimed their spot at Sugar House Park twelve hours in advance of the scheduled 10:00 p.m. fireworks celebrations. Some set up tents; others brought those handy lightweight umbrella covered camp chairs. And, while many drove vehicles into the park, others, anticipating traffic jams after the fireworks, chose street spots in neighboring areas, though many residents had already cordoned off spots in anticipation of their own guests coming to enjoy the fireworks visible from their homes. When presented, those fireworks were as spectacular as ever, thanks to the efforts of Scott Workman and many other community supporters.
Sugar House Arts Festival
Concurrently, vendors offering food, crafts, artwork, jewelry, books, and information including campaign literature for political candidates, were setting up spots at the Sugar Arts Festival stretching south from 2100 South to Wilmington Avenue on 1100 East and west of there to include the Sugar House Monument Plaza. Live music played in the background. One of those vendors offered immediately available Tupperware, plastic products for kitchen use and storage that, in the past, were offered primarily via orders taken at home parties.
Restaurants and food vendors
While some of the park’s ‘day-campers’ brought picnics and/or food to cook on portable or park barbeques, others took advantage of the many food choices from both local restaurants and food vendors at the Sugar House Arts Festival. The latter included tasty organic entrees from a Whole Foods stand outside the store as well as more exotic choices like Tibetan food, Hawaiian barbeque, and more. Throughout the day, people were seen carrying buckets of chicken, gallons of soft drinks, and a variety of side dishes from the strategically located Kentucky Fried Chicken, just across the street from Sugar House Park.
Another popular food vendor offered old fashioned, southern style wood-fired open air barbequed meat prepared by volunteers from Kidz Business Expo who have, for the past two years, established a new Sugar House 4thof July food tradition. Like KFC, they were set up at a temporary, but conveniently located spot across from the park, a grassy meridian between 2100 South and the access road between it and the Sugar House Village (proposed Vista Strata development) to the immediate north. The fare was simple and reasonably priced, but absolutely outstanding—barbequed ribs or chicken; side dish choices of barbeque beans, grilled in the husk corn on the cob, or potato salad; soft drinks; and sweet potato pie for dessert. For those who can’t wait for next year's Sugar House 4th of July festivities to have this tasty food, the KIDSBIZ volunteers also barbeque on Saturdays throughout the summer at the 9thEast 9thSouth neighborhood business area.
All in all in all, the Sugar House 4th of July celebration activities were well supported and commercially successful.
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