Celebrate!
Fourth of July party ready to explode

Norman Benally, 4 (left) and Shannon Yellowhorse, 9 cruise down Coal Avenue July Fourth, 2006, as participants in Gallup's annual Forth of July Parade. [Independent file photo]

By Bill Donovan
Staff writer

GALLUP — It’s Gallup’s biggest party, and the folks at KGAK are busily preparing for this year’s Fourth of July event.

This marks the ninth year that the Navajo-language radio station has sponsored “Party in the Park” with the city of Gallup, and Eric Gonzales, who is coordinating the event, said everything looks as if it will be another good year.

Last year between 12,000 and 14,000 people, some from as far away as Oklahoma, attended the event, which includes fireworks, gourd dancing, bands, a parade through downtown Gallup and lots of vendors selling all kinds of food and providing all kinds of games.

The event was started by Eric’s father, Don Gonzales, who decided in 1999 that Gallup should have some kind of event to mark the Independence Day holiday. At that time, there was only a fireworks display put on by the city, but Don Gonzales managed to organize a series of events that would run throughout the day.

Eric Gonzales took over from his father when he died four years ago of complications arising from diabetes, but he said he tries to follow his father’s vision each year by providing entertainment for the entire family at little cost.

There is no charge for admission to the sports complex, and Gonzales said vendors are still being requested to keep their prices as low as possible so that large families can come to the event and enjoy themselves without worrying about how much it will cost.

“We’re expecting more people this year because of the high price of gasoline,” he said. Gasoline, at almost $4 a gallon, is expected to convince a lot of people to stay at home this Fourth instead of traveling to Albuquerque and other places, he said.

The event is already the biggest one-day gathering in the city, and the sports complex is expected to be packed throughout the day.

Gonzales said he expects that it will cost about $5,000 to hold the event this year, and the radio station is coming up with the money by selling hamburgers and accepting donations. One year it cost about $10,000 but that is when several out-of-the area bands were booked to perform. This year, as last year, the bands will be local.