Top Ten Whys and Ways to Celebrate July 6th

2019’s July Fourth, aka Independence Day, a dog’s least favorite day of the year and the point just about half way through the calendar will also be called Thursday. This means we’re looking at a four-day weekend.

If anyone needs reasons to party like it’s July 4th on July 6th, we’ve got a few historical highlights and celebration suggestions to support those efforts. Consider:

1. On July 6th, The Lindell Band will be playing the Mancos Brewing Company at 6PM. Their locally brewed sounds pair well with patios and flip flops while the MBC is guaranteed to keep your thirst low and the vibe high.

2. Boaters could go for a float before the show in celebration of Portuguese Sea Captain Diogo Cao finding the mouth of the Congo River on July 6th, 1484. Many people, especially the locals, were surprised to hear it was lost.

3. Stay sporty southwest Colorado! Jump on a pedaled pony and take a spin in recognition of this day in 1903 when George Wyman’s one-man motorcycle rally arrived in New York City just 51 short days after leaving San Francisco.

4. Lace up those runners and go for a jaunt to honor the 100m record of 10.6 seconds set by Donald Lippincott in 1912. This was entirely faster than any stretch of road covered by George Wyman during his cross-country motorcycle ride.

5. Get out your ruby slippers and enjoy a stroll in the woods. Richard the Lion Heart found his courage (finally) and was crowned King of England on July 6th, 1189. Dorothy then became queen. The Scarecrow and Tin Man also received royal appointments

6. Take a break from the party, cozy up in a yawn chair and enjoy a few chapters of William Wells Brown’s book “Clotel”. Released on July 6th in 1853 this was the first novel published by an African American author.

7. Go to the movies in celebration of this day in 1928 when the first all talking motion picture, called the Lights of New York, debuted in NYC. People later reconsidered calling it the Sounds of New York since, you know, sound.

8. Since partying for the long haul requires a creative beverage menu, how about adding malted milk? This way we can honor when, on this day in 1886, Horlicks of Wisconsin offered the first malted milk to the public. Before that, this had been a largely private beverage.

9. Snow cones anyone? Weather nerds will want to celebrate the fact that July 6th, 1928 is when a hailstone weighing 1.5 pounds (the largest recorded at the time) fell in Potter Nebraska.

10. In 2003 the 70m Meter Eupatoria Planetary Radar sends a METI message to five stars. Take a break from dancing to The Lindell Band and enjoy our amazing night sky.