It’s time to get patriotic on Whidbey Island. Organizations island-wide will be getting festive this holiday weekend with traditions old and new in celebration of Independence Day.
In Oak Harbor, the annual Fourth of July carnival is making a comeback. Beginning Friday evening, Whidbey residents can enjoy old-fashioned rides and games at the corner of Midway Boulevard and Bayshore Drive.
The carnival, put on by the Oak Harbor Chamber of Commerce, will take place from 4 to 10 p.m. June 30, noon to 10 p.m. July 1, 1 to 10 p.m. July 2, 4 to 10 p.m. July 3 and noon to 10 p.m. July 4.
The carnival is joined by a number of other fun events taking place over the course of the weekend. The chamber is hosting a car show on Pioneer Way from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, July 1. There will also be a street fair including arts and crafts booths, food trucks and a beer garden from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. July 1 and noon to 6 p.m. July 2 on Pioneer Way.
This year will also mark the chamber’s first “Whidbey Wags” pet parade and fair from 4 to 6 p.m. July 3 from Windjammer Park to Flintstone Park. There will also be snacks and games for participating pets at the end of the parade route.
On the Fourth of July, the traditional annual parade will take place on Bayshore Drive and Pioneer Way beginning at 11 a.m., and a fireworks show will light up the sky above the city that evening at 10 p.m.
North Whidbey Fire and Rescue will host a pancake breakfast on Independence Day. Breakfast, including eggs, sausage, bacon, juice and coffee, will be served from 7 to 11 a.m. at the fire station at 2720 Heller Road.
The meal costs $7 for adults and $5 for kids ages 6 to 12. Children under age 6 eat free. This meal is sponsored by the North Whidbey Firefighters Association.
The annual Maxwelton Fourth of July parade will take place on the holiday at noon. Registration and shuttle service begin at 10:30 a.m., and entrance is free. The Maxwelton parade is over a century old.