Ely is gearing up for what figures to be one of the busiest weekends of the summer.
Rock The Park, followed by the community’s July 4 festivities, make for a double- whammy unlike anything else this year.
The annual concert at Whiteside Park is set for Friday, July 3, while the following day both the park and the city’s streets will be filled for the annual parade and associated activities.
Ely’s parade generally attracts thousands to the city streets and well over 100 entrants and this year should be no exception.
Given decades of history, Ely’s sidewalks will be full and it’s not uncommon for hundreds of lawnchairs to be placed the night before at favorite parade-watching locations.
But before the Fourth comes Rock The Park, which in its brief history has become an event in its own right.
Like the parade, Rock The Park is coordinated by the Ely Events Group and they’ve put together an impressive lineup for this year’s show.
It all starts at 4 p.m. with the toe-tapping music of Willy Martin and The Rangers.
“This five-piece group will have lots of honkytonk country music,” said Rob Wilmunen, vice president of the Ely Events Groups. “There will be lots of easy listening music to sing along with. Willy has played Rock the Park previously and is definitely a fan favorite.”
Get set for some nostalgia at 6:30 p.m., with the Whiskey River Band making a comeback in Ely.
The band made Ely a regular stop in the late-1970s and early-1980s, and a few surviving members from the original group have been joined by new artists and will play classic country rock from the 1960s through the 1990s.
“ Whiskey River has played at iconic venues all across the state and has been inducted into the Mid-America Music Hall of Fame,” said Wilmunen.
Closing out the evening, starting at 9 p.m., is Aftershock.
“This high-energy, fun band plays rock, pop, and country music from the 80s and 90s,” said Wilmunen. “Aftershock has played all over the upper Midwest including opening for Hairball several times.”
Area food vendors will be on hand for the concert and beverages will be on sale as well.
Rock the Park was started in 2022 and was meant to mimic “street dance” celebrations that take place elsewhere on the Iron Range. It started with two acts and has since expanded to include three.
Following the concert is Ely’s annual Independence Day celebration.
At the heart of it is the parade, which will be “pretty much the usual this year,” according to deputy city clerk and Events Group member Casey Velcheff.
Lineup is along Fourth Avenue East, adjacent to the school campus and ice arena, starting around 10 a.m.
“We’ll do judging from 10 to noon,” said Velcheff. “And we did double the prizes this year.”
The parade will follow its usual route, turning on to Harvey Street and going on to Second Avenue East and then Sheridan Street, traveling east and winding up on Eighth Avenue East next to the park.
Prizes will be awarded in both commercial and non-commercial categories, as well as for bikes/trikes, individual and group costumes and wagons.
Parade entrants can register in advance at 365-3224, extension 1, although same-day entrants are allowed.
Kids may also show up the day of the parade and they will be placed toward the front of the route so they can enjoy the remainder.
The Ely Honor Guard will lead the parade, along with area veterans in a military truck. Longtime Ely area resident and community volunteer Nick Wognum will serve as grand marshal (see related story).
Zup’s is sure to be part of the parade with the grocery store’s usual assortment of giveaways.
The Bulldogs of the 148th Fighter Wing, the Duluth- based Air National Guard wing, will conduct an F-16 flyover. The flyover will take place at “sometime between 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., we don’t have an exact time yet,” Velcheff said.
Once the time is finalized, it will be posted on the Ely Events Group Facebook page this week.
While the parade is a big highlight, it’s only part of Ely’s July 4 festivities.
The annual “Four on the Fourth” race around the Trezona Trail (8 a.m.) and a ceremonial flag raising at 10 a.m. at the Veterans Memorial highlight the morning events.
The park serves as a hub of activity throughout the day, with Ely’s YoungLife group putting on games, races and other fun events, along with a full slate of food and beverage offerings.
After the parade, Semers Park is the venue for several hours of events, with several musical acts performing at a family-friendly event that runs until 9 p.m. Ely’s city band, meanwhile, has a performance at the park bandshell immediately after the parade.
In what has become an Ely tradition, people will gather at the St. Anthony’s parking lot, along Pioneer Road and other great vantage points to see the fireworks display. It usually begins around 10 p.m.
Both Miners Drive and the Trezona Trail will be blocked from Seventh Avenue East to 17th Avenue East from 3 p.m. until after the fireworks No vehicle or foot traffic will be permitted.
