Haines is gearing up for a Fourth of July celebration that’s packed with fun, family-friendly events and without the pandemic restrictions of the previous two years.

“It’s kind of an old-fashioned, traditional Fourth of July like we’ve had in the past years,” said Garla Rowe, who is helping to organize the Independence Day festivities.

Events start Wednesday, June 29 when the Fourth of July grand marshal and queen, Bill and Colleen Taylor, will be honored during at potluck dinner at 6 p.m. at the Haines Methodist Church.

Friends of Haines will provide ham, rolls, cake and ice cream, and everyone is invited to celebrate the Taylors, longtime supporters of the Haines Stampede Rodeo and other events.

A new event added this year is a teen street dance on Sunday, July 3 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Rowe said she had been trying to add an event just for teenagers. “We had a family that came forth, I talked to them a couple years ago, and they said ‘You know what? We think you’re right. The teens need something to do,’ ” Rowe said.

There will be a DJ for the dance.

As for events on the Fourth of July itself, the cowboy breakfast will run from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. at the Grange, Third and Cole streets. The Class of 2023 from Powder Valley High School is sponsoring the breakfast as a fundraiser.

Registration starts at 7 a.m. in the Haines park for the 5K/10K fun run and walk, which is a fundraiser for the Baker High School track program.

The Haines Mutual Improvement Club will have a pie sale starting at 9 a.m. at City Hall, 891 Front St. Proceeds benefit the Haines Elementary School.

Steffi Carter will sing the national anthem just before the parade, which starts at 10 a.m.

Rowe said organizers are requesting that there be no political entries in the parade.

“Kind of forget the rest of the world and celebrate America,” she said.

The Spec. Mabry James Anders Memorial Fund barbecue will start at 11 a.m. and the Haines Art Festival will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the park.

Barefoot & Bonafide will perform in the park at 11 a.m.

The Baker County Sheriff’s Office will serve free sno-cones in the park.

Rowe said organizers have also introduced the “water zone” at the end of the parade on the park side at the end of Front Street.

“If you want to get wet, you need to be in that water zone,” Rowe said. “And they can bring water guns too to fire back at the Fire Department.”

Rowe said they didn’t want the spectators and the little kids running out to the parade to get wet. They decided to have a water zone at the end rather than risk having kids run in the street.

Fireworks will start at 10 p.m.

Rowe said organizers always need donations to help pay for the fireworks show.

This year’s show cost $2,000 more than last year, without adding more fireworks, she said.

The Haines Stampede Rodeo runs both July 3, starting at 5 p.m., and July 4, starting at 1:30 p.m.