Montreat to ‘Let Freedom Ring’ for the Fourth of July
Traditional summer events planned in the Swannanoa Valley
Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
June 27, 2022
The Montreat Fourth of July Parade, hosted by the Montreat Conference Center, will return for its 53rd year, beginning at 10:30 a.m., Monday, July 4. Photo by Fred McCormick
A summer tradition is returning to the cozy confines of Montreat, beginning at 10:30 a.m., Monday, July 4, when the Montreat Conference Center hosts its 53rd Annual Fourth of July Parade.
The event, which draws hundreds of spectators to Lookout Road and Assembly Drive, will highlight a day of festivities in the cove, and throughout the Swannanoa Valley.
Runners will meet at the iconic entrance of Montreat at 7 a.m., for the Annual Gait Race 5K, to kick off the schedule of events. The Montreat Store and Moore Center Building will open at 9 a.m., as attendees settle along the route. A flag raising and performance of the national anthem will be held at 10 a.m., preceding the parade, which will celebrate the theme, “Let Freedom Ring” and feature marshals Ron and Ann Vinson.
The traditional parade features generations of conferees representing multiple clubs and organizations, including Montreat College, the Montreat Scottish Society, the Town of Montreat, the Tarnished Brass Band and dozens more.
Retired U.S. Army Colonel Scott Reed was one of several veterans featured in the 2021 Montreat Fourth of July Parade, which is returning for its 53rd year. Photo by Fred McCormick
Activities following the parade include an ice cream social and open house in the William Black Lodge, from 2 - 4 p.m., a silent auction in the Craft Shop from 2 - 5 p.m. and the Fourth of July Big Circle Mountain Dance at the Patricia Cornwell Tennis Complex, from 7 - 9:30 p.m.
A complete list of events hosted by the Montreat Conference Center is available at montreat.org/events/foj22-celebration.
Local July 4th celebrations will continue later in the evening when the Town of Black Mountain hosts its annual fireworks display. The show will begin at dark and can be viewed from Town Square and multiple downtown locations.
The Swannanoa Valley Museum & History Center offers a unique viewing experience throughout its Independence Day Sunset Fireworks Hike. The moderate three-mile hike up Sunset Mountain is $50 for SVM members, $65 for nonmembers and $35 for children under the age of 18. Hikers will learn about the history oft he town during a picnic dinner, before watching the fireworks. Children must be at least 10 years old to participate in the trek, which begins at 7 p.m. More information, including an online registration option, is linked here.
The Black Mountain Neuro-Medical Center, which last held its annual Independence Day Celebration in 2019, does not plan to host a fireworks display in 2022.