ONLY IN AMERICA! July 4th in Woodlands needs your help!

The South County 4th of July Committee is seeking volunteers for 2010. The committee is a group of volunteers who organizes the 4th of July Parade in The Woodlands. This year, the committee is seeking 130+ volunteers to produce the 2010 parade, scheduled for July 3rd in The Woodlands Town Center. This year’s theme is ONLY IN AMERICA! Over the years, the event has evolved from a small hometown parade with families riding bikes to a large-scale parade attracting 20,000 – 25,000 spectators from around the region. Last year, the parade had approximately 145 entries and 2,000 to 3,000 participants. The parade route is approximately 1.3 miles and will begin and end at The Woodlands United Methodist Church. The parade starts at 9 a.m. and typically lasts an 1.0 to 1.5 hours.

Why volunteer for this event? The story of the birth of the United States is thrilling and inspiring, full of heroes and their words and deeds. We hope this inspires you as it does us. Volunteering for the 4th of July parade is your opportunity to give back to your community, in arguably the largest family oriented event in The Woodlands area. There are a number of volunteer positions still available. Breakfast and refreshments are provided on the day of the event. The volunteer orientation will be held Wednesday July 1, 7pm at the United Methodist Church. If you have volunteered before and would like a specific location and/or duty, please let the coordinator know.

AREA		Positions	TIME (on July 3rd)
Traffic		Traffic Control - 20	7:00 – 11 am
Staging		Staging - 57	6 am – 10 am
Staging		Emergency vehicle staging - 2	6 am – 9:30 am
	Judges Area	Judges/Judging stand - 2		7:30 am – 11 am
	Judges Area	Judges’ families - 2		7:30 am – 11 am
	Entry Check-in	Pre-Parade Entertainment – 4		7:30 am-10 am
	Parade Marshall	Parade Marshals - 24		7:30 am – 11 am
	Senior Tent	Senior Tent – 2		7:30 am – 11 am
	Hospitality	Dignitaries – VIP Breakfast – 4		6 am – 9:30 am
	Hospitality	Dignitaries Breakfast - Set up		2:30 – 4:30 pm  July 2

Please fill out the volunteer form (this currently has to be printed from this site; make sure  you use the print option in the website or you will get more than one page printed. You can download the .doc file to your computer and fill it out electronically using WORD) and return to Kelly Dietrich at kdietrich@thewoodlandtownship-tx.org. If you’re not available to volunteer, we hope you and your family will join us to watch the parade on July 3rd.

2009 Fireworks in The Woodlands Texas - where to view

It is best to read this before going to the fireworks display unless you arrive very early. It is a popular event here. Many people have their favorite places to go. Here is some advice for those who do not know where to go.

This year will the the 12th annual display. I am lucky to have been at the 2nd but missed the first year. It's a great show for the family! Presented by Woodforest National Bank, the 20-minute show begins at dusk (approximately 9:15 p.m.). For the best views of this year’s fireworks extravaganza, grab a lawn chair or blanket and head to one of these locations: · Waterway Square (one of the locations for the Red, Hot & Blue Festival) · North Side of The Woodlands Waterway · East of Waterway Avenue Bridge · Turning Basin by Town Green Park Parking is available for $5 in the Town Center Parking Garage located on Six Pines Drive, the parking lot at the corner of Lake Robbins and Six Pines Drive, and 24 Waterway Parking Garage located on Lake Robbins Drive. Visitors may park for free at the orange, yellow and green lots along Timberloch Place. Trolleys will operate from 11 am to 8 pm on July 4.

July 3rd,4th,5th in The Woodlands - Trolley route modified

You might be one of those folks who want to leverage the Trolley system on July 3rd, 4th, and 5th. These three days, the system will be moving people on different routes about Town Center in The Woodlands, Texas(see below). July 4th will be a hot day, but based on last year's attendance and crowd enthusiasm, along with the local flare of the parade and fireworks display and other festivities, it will be well worth the time and discomforts of heat. Make sure to drink plenty of water.

Beginning Friday, July 3 through Sunday, July 5, The Woodlands Waterway Trolleys will operate from 11 am – 8 pm Friday and Saturday and noon – 6 pm on Sunday. This will enable visitors to leave their automobile in any available parking spot and hop aboard at one of the eight convenient stops, including: · Concierge Desk at Market Street – The Woodlands · Town Green Park (Entrance on Lake Robbins Drive) · The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion (Main Entrance) · The Fountains at Waterway Square · The Restaurant Basin (near The Woodlands Mall) · The Woodlands Mall South Entrance