LAKE HUGHES – Lake Hughes residents are gearing up for one of the biggest events of the year.
The 65th annual 49er Day Parade and Music Festival will take place Saturday, July 26.
This year’s theme is Phoenix Rising, which represents the Lake Hughes community’s rise from the ashes after the devastating Powerhouse Fire last year, according to organizers.
Festivities begin at 10 a.m. with a parade along Elizabeth Lake Road, which starts at the corner of Lakes Hughes Road and New Vale Road and ends at the Lakes Community Center, located 17520 Elizabeth Lake Road. Parade announcers will be staged at the Rock Inn, located at 17539 Elizabeth Lake Rd.
Amanda Hansen will sing the national anthem and the color guards will be the Leona Valley Gymkhana Queens. The parade will also feature equestrian units, floats, classic cars and more.
The 49er Music Festival starts following the parade at the Lakes Community Center.
There will be a wide array of food and drinks available; beer, wine and margaritas; and more than 20 vendors selling arts and crafts from all across the Antelope Valley.
Kids will be treated to a variety of games and entertainment, including a 30-foot water slide and a dunk tank. There will also be a wildlife presentation put on by Ranger Dave from the Devil’s Punchbowl Ranger Station.
Adults can enjoy nonstop music, from 11 a.m. until midnight. This year’s bands include Copperhill, The Working Stiffz, Mayde in Ireland, Vagrant X and the Soulutionaries, offering a wide selection of music from rock and roll to reggae.
Festival admission is just $4, with free admission for children under age 12 and seniors over age 75.
Chance tickets sell for $1 to win prizes, including the grand prize – a 14kt white gold necklace with a pearl and diamonds. The Honorary Mayor will be announced at 7 p.m., and the drawing for the Grand Prize will take place at that time. The silent auction closes at 7 pm.
The annual 49er Day Parade and Music Festival is the major fundraising event of the year for the Lake Hughes community, according to organizers. The event funds several free-to-the-community events held during the year and helps with the upkeep of the community center. The Lakes Community Center is a non-profit organization.
“It is the 80th ‘Pearl’ anniversary of the Lakes Community Center building, and we feel lucky to be here after last year’s fire burned some outbuildings and came right up to the main building surrounding it,” stated event organizer Allaire Paterson. This year also marks the 65th “Sapphire” anniversary of the 49er Day tradition of a parade and music festival in Lake Hughes, Paterson added.
For more information on this year’s 49er Day Parade and Music Festival, visit the Lakes Community Center Association’s Facebook page here, or visit http://www.thelakescommunitycenter.com/.
View a flyer for this event here.