July: Freedom’s song, Summer’s peak

Live out loud — it’s July! It’s hot enough to make us start to miss Winter and busy enough to keep us on the move. July is the first month of the last half of 2024.

Happy 4th of July! It’s time to appreciate our freedom and those who gave it to us on this Independence Day. To celebrate their victory over British forces during the War of 1812, U.S. soldiers raised a large American flag at Fort McHenry in Baltimore, Maryland. Poet Francis Scott Key was inspired by seeing this flag after witnessing the fort’s bombardment. He immediately wrote a poem called “Defense of Fort McHenry.” The name was changed to “The Star-Spangled Banner,” set to music, and then became the United States national anthem:

“O say can you see by the dawn’s early early light, What so proudly we hail’d at the twilight’s last gleaming; Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous flight, o’er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?And the rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air, gave proof through the night that our flag was still there, O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave, o’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?”

This is just the first verse of our national anthem; look up the entire song and better understand the price of freedom and how strong and blessed we really are.

On Thursday, July 4, the City of Paso Robles hosts a celebration and fireworks at Barney Schwartz Park to celebrate our independence. It’s a fun-filled event for all ages beginning at 2 p.m. Go to travelPaso.com for all the details.

July 5 is the annual Aphelion, when the Earth is at its farthest point away from the sun and still as hot as usual.

We have a couple of quiet weeks before the California Mid-State Fair arrives.

It’s the “Biggest Little Fair Anywhere” and reminds the locals, it’s also the hottest weather we’ve had all year. There is truly something for everyone starting Wednesday, July 17, and ending Sunday, July 28. Paso will be filled with the smell of food, an influx of people and music galore.

Our July super-moon, the Full Buck Moon, appears during the fair on Sunday, July 21.

The name is because the deer’s antlers are fully grown at this time of year. They then begin to shed and produce a larger, more impressive set as the years go by. Take time to enjoy the moon and the night sky.

On Thursday, the 25th, you’re invited to the Downtown City Park for the Annual Free Pancake Breakfast sponsored by the Mid-State Fair and hosted by Main Street Association, from 7:30 until 10:30 a.m.

This breakfast has always been dedicated to our community members by the Mid-State Fair as a thank you for your tolerance with any inconvenience the fair may bring.

The Main Street Association is gearing up for the last half of the year. We have special events every month. We consist of businesses and citizens dedicated to preserving, restoring, and promoting downtown. Come meet the friendly merchants who work hard to offer quality goods, personal service, and competitive prices. We take pride in our downtown so that you will have a nice place to shop. We pride ourselves on always staying positive.

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