Celebration features 'something for everyone'

It's the city of Hesperia's 20th birthday, and Hesperia is throwing itself a big, big party.

"We had kind of talked about the 20th for quite some time, if things were going well," said spokeswoman Kim Summers, who headed up the 20th anniversary celebration committee. "We had hoped to have the park and the civic center and the library. This event is kind of a gift to the community for being so supportive."

The committee has been planning the celebration since 2007.

"We literally tried to pack this with something for everyone at both ends of the park, at all times."

The day starts at noon, with a dedication ceremony for the new Hesperia Civic Park, located behind city hall and the library. There will also be a children's patriotic parade featuring patriotically decorated wagons. There will also be a crafts tent and a Home Depot will have a plant-potting tent, with plants for children to take home.

At 2 p.m., the city will salute all the Hesperians who have served in the United States military, with special recognition for those who have made the ultimate sacrifice.

"The military recognition is kind of the centerpiece event of the day," Summers said. "It's just going to be a beautiful ceremony. We're involving the American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the families of the fallen soldiers."

Thirty vendors, including 10 food vendors, will be selling their wares. And there will be a whole lot of barbecue.

"Hesperia now holds the rights to the Golden State BBQ Championship," by the decree of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Serious barbecue competitors from across the state will be "coming in all day Friday with their RVs. ... I think they start cooking in the middle of night."

And there will be still more:

"We're closing all the streets around [Civic Plaza]. Juniper will be a public safety fair. The sheriff's helicopter will be there ... as well as fire trucks," Summers said. "The back part of the park will be closed off for public works vehicles, Edison will have a truck there. We'll be giving away free Schwann's ice cream until it's gone."

There will also be live music, a magic show performed by parrots, martial arts exhibitions and raffles and drawings throughout the day.

"This is our first event of this type. The largest event we've had up to this point was the library opening, which was about 1,000 people. ... We're hearing we could have 6,000 to 8,000 people." "We're putting up as much shade as we possibly can."

The celebration will also have an Earth-friendly component, with vendors being discouraged from giving out plastic bags and recycling bins placed around the park.

There will be free parking all around Civic Plaza, with handicapped and VIP parking in front of city hall.

"We have permission from all of the big property owners, the church, the businesses on Main and even the school district," Summers said. "I keep telling everyone if we run out of parking, we've got bigger problems."

The day will end around 9:15 p.m. with a fireworks display accompanied by patriotic music.

"From what I'm hearing from everyone, everyone's very excited," Summers said. "I think it's going to be very successful."

For more information, call 947-1020.

Beau Yarbrough can be reached at 956-7108 or at beau@hesperiastar.com.