Everyone comes together to celebrate the 4th of July in a big way. Woodland Park hosts the largest community event of the year. People come in from miles around to join a variety of vendors at the amazing Memorial Park. 2025 is the 59th year for the Old Fashioned 4th of July Celebration. This year, the event is from 8 a.m. – 3 p.m. and is followed by the Symphony Above the Clouds, which begins at 5:30 p.m.

Sponsoring the massive daytime activities is SOAR, the organizer of the Nonprofit Cooperative of Teller County and the author of this column – Teller Gives Back. SOAR is considered the Independence Day Partner. This means SOAR provided $500 to the success of this community event. Other sponsors at the top level are the City of Woodland Park because they host the event at Memorial Park and Mountain Memorial Funeral Home because they host the Fishing Derby, which begins at 9:30 a.m.

You may not know that this event happens because it is managed by three nonprofits. They work hard to bring the community a fun and eventful activity. This year, the Divide Mountain Explorers are the coordinators. They are seasoned volunteers after working on the project for three years. They work alongside the Lions Club who are managing logistics and the Colorado Phoenix Project who are managing the marketing. Every year, new things are added by the committee. Last year it was the dunk tank, karaoke, line-dancing, and games. This year it is the costume parade, which can include dogs! The nonprofits are also working on bringing bounce houses to the park in 2025. Gold panning is returning for the third year and the watermelon eating contest is returning for year five.

This year an Arts & Crafts Market and the Children’s Entrepreneur Market are included alongside the regular 4th of July activities. This happens between 8 a.m. – 1 p.m. to keep with their normal Friday schedules. The Arts & Crafts Market is always set up on Henrietta on Fridays alongside the regular Farmers Market.

The following organizations are Star Spangled Partners: 2R Bar, Andrew Womack Ministries/Charis Bible College and Teller County Shooting Society. They set up in front of the Main Pavilion with SOAR. Two Beverage Champions, Bierwerks and Serranos, are setting up at the park for the day and staying into the night for the Symphony Above the Clouds. If you’re looking for a beer or margarita, we’ve got you covered. You can carry these drinks around inside the park and food court areas so you can enjoy the other festivities happening at the same time.

Reserve Our Gallery is a National Anthem Partner and will set up inside a permanent pavilion with kids’ art activities and Tan Man Honey. Stop by and visit with the artists involved and create your own masterpiece!

The 4th of July Partners are also going to set up at the Park. This group of organizations support the event year after year by giving back. They are Anslo Design Group, Coldwell Banker — Home Legacy Group, Edward Jones Investments — Lee Taylor, Grit to Greatness Performance Center, Kellie Case — The Case Advantage, Mountain View United Methodist Church, Peak Potential Behavioral Services and the Ute Pass Symphony Guild.

If you have questions about the event, feel free to call 719-661-1264 or 719-661-8079. And, don’t forget the Symphony Above the Clouds and fireworks on the evening of the 4th of July. Woodland Park has an enormous hometown celebration that’s just waiting for you!

Contact Gayle Gross at iwantto@soarwithnetworkfundraising.org or 719-233-9902 if you want your nonprofit to be part of this column or to be part of the Nonprofit Cooperative of Teller County. Gayle Gross has worked with nonprofits since 1998. Now, she facilitates SOAR’s Nonprofit Cooperative of Teller County. Meetings are on the second Tuesday of each month, 9:30 a.m. – 10:45. The group meets at Reserve Our Gallery or at a nonprofit’s location. Join the group on March 12 at the gallery.