Dateline: June 13, 2002

Clarendon plans big 4th of July Celebration 

Plans are set for Clarendon’s 124th annual Saints’ Roost Celebration to be held Thursday, July 4, through Saturday, July 6.

This year’s celebration features all the old favorite features, including the Shriners Barbecue, the Depression Lunch, Henson’s Turtle Race, and the Arts & Crafts Fair. A few changes have occurred in this year’s celebration, but there will still be plenty of activities for young and old to enjoy during the three-day celebration.

The celebration begins on the Fourth at City Park with the Arts and Crafts Fair. The fair begins at 10:00 a.m. and will wrap up at 4:00 p.m. If you would like to be a part of the action by exhibiting at the fair, contact the Donley County Extension Office at 874-2141 to reserve a space.

The Old Settler’s Reunion will begin at 10:30 a.m. at the City Park. The Shriners will begin serving a delicious barbecue lunch at 11:00 a.m. The annual Lions Club Cow Patty Bingo will be held at 1:30 p.m. also in the park.

The Bicycle/Tricycle Parade will be held right before the big parade at 2:00.  Kids will check in at 1:15 at City Park and will line up at 1:45 on Kearney Street beside the park.  Kids 12 years old and younger will ride for only one block by the park so they can enjoy the rest of the parade.  Bicycle and tricycle entries will be judged for best in each age division.  Motorized entries will not be judged.  Registration forms will be available in next week’s Enterprise and may be dropped off or mailed to the Chamber of Commerce office.  Entries are due July 1, 2002.

The annual Fourth of July Celebration Parade will kick off at 2:00. The line up for the parade will begin at noon two blocks west of the City Park. The parade route will be from the baseball fields on Seventh Street to Kearney, then up Kearney to Third Street, west to Jefferson, and then back to the ball fields. Registration forms will be available in next week’s Enterprise and may be dropped off at Eads Furniture or the Chamber of Commerce office.  Entries can also be mailed to the Chamber of Commerce.  Entries are due June 28, 2002. For more information on the parade, call 874-2421 or 874-3412.

The Clarendon Outdoor Entertainment Association will sponsor a Jackpot Bullriding contest at the Rodeo Grounds Thursday evening beginning at 7:30 p.m.  Entries for the contest will be taken July 1 from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Call 806-668-4458 to enter.

A junior calf and steer riding contest for kids ages 4-12 will be held each night along with the calf scramble for kids ages 12 and under. A free $200 beef certificate will be drawn each night.

The annual Calf Scramble and Wild Mare Race will also be held each night of the rodeo. Prizes will be awarded in the calf scramble for kids ages 12 and under.

KEFH Radio will host a free dance on the slab at the rodeo grounds on Thursday beginning at 8 p.m.

The fun continues on Friday, July 5, with the Donley County Horse Club Stick Horse Rodeo. The rodeo will be held in the vacant lot across from the Post Office beginning at 10:00 a.m. The rodeo is a fun event for all children nine and under. There will be a small entry fee for each event.  This is a fund-raiser for the Horse Club, and all fees will help support their activities.

The annual Depression Lunch will begin at 11:00 a.m. on Friday inside the Main Street Ministry. The First Baptist Church will help serve the beans and cornbread for a low price. They will also be selling drinks and delicious desserts.

Clarendon Outdoor Entertainment Association and McLean Feedyard will present the annual Ranch Rodeo beginning at 7:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday night at the rodeo ground with 20 different teams from ranches around the area.

Local teams include O’Brien Ranch, Finch/Thornberry Ranch, Matthews/Darsey Ranch, Hall Ranch, JA Ranch, 3H Cattle Company, Bar W Ranch, Peace Pipe Ranch, Rafter S Ranch, and the RO Ranch.

Ranch rodeo events will include Bronc Riding, Wild Cow Milking, Calf Branding, Team Doctoring, and Team Sortin’.

The rodeo dance will begin at 9:00 p.m. at the Panhandle’s largest open-air dance floor at the Rodeo Grounds with Santa Fe Band on Friday and Tommy Alverson on Saturday night.

The RHAA Ranch Horse Competition begins at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday morning at the rodeo grounds. The event is sponsored by McLean Feedyard and the Clarendon Outdoor Entertainment Association.