Activities planned July 3-5

 Clarendon is ready to welcome visitors to the 137th annual Saints’ Roost Celebration this Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, July 3, 4 and 5.

All the planning and preparation is in place, and a weekend full of family activities for kids of all ages.

Downtown merchant sales and a Depression Lunch from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. will start the celebration on Thursday, July 3, and the Clarendon Lions Club will dedicate and cut the ribbon on the new playground in Prospect Park at 11:30 a.m. Cookies and punch will be served following the ribbon cutting.

The Clarendon Outdoor Entertainment Association will hold its Junior Ranch Rodeo Thursday evening beginning at 7 p.m. with a dance to follow. Kids events will precede all three nights of rodeo with mutton bustin’, calf rides, steer rides, and donkey rides.

The bulk of this year’s activities will take place on Friday, July 4, with the Craft Fair starting at 9 a.m. on the Courthouse Square. The Craft Fair is sponsored by the Donley County 4H.

Ed Montana will be handling the parade and celebration announcing and will also be performing live music during the festivities on the square.

The Old Settler’s Reunion and Kids’ Tricycle and Bicycle Parade are both starting at 10 a.m. The kids’ parade will line up at Keith Floyd’s shop at Third and Sully.

The CHS Class of 1984 will be holding their 30th reunion during the celebration and enjoying barbecue together on the square.

The Shriners’ Barbecue begins at 11 a.m. Tickets are on sale now at the Enterprise for $10 each.

The Western Parade will begin at 2 p.m. with the Lions Club Cow Patty Bingo to follow. This year’s parade route has been reversed due to construction on Sixth Street. See the adjacent story for details.

The COEA’s Ranch Rodeo will be held on Friday and Saturday, July 4 and 5, at 7:30 p.m. with No Dry Country providing dance music on Friday, and the Matt Martindale Band playing on Saturday.

The annual Henson’s Turtle Race will be held on 3 p.m. on Saturday, and organizers will introduce an adult division for the more experienced turtle jockeys. There is no charge to enter the kids’ race, but there are entry fees for adults, with the winner getting half the pot and also getting a choice of charities for the remaining money.