Happy Independence Day from Eagle Leather! A Weekend Full of Events and Shows That Will Keep Everyone Entertained
What better way to kick off your Independence Day weekend than with a barbecue at Eagle Leather? Starting about noon on Sunday, July 3, we’ll be serving hot dogs and hamburgers with all the fixings as well as coffee and soft drinks. It’s a family picnic and a great opportunity to meet other motorcycle enthusiasts. You can share information about favorite routes and maybe even make plans to join a group ride later in the weekend. Spend some time browsing in the Eagle Leather store, because Mike has put hundreds and hundreds of items on sale. These aren’t things bought just to put on sale. They might be jackets the manufacturer stopped making, or chaps with only one or two sizes left, or helmets we ordered too many of—it’s all great Eagle Leather merchandise.
Also on Sunday, consider heading for the Tacoma Narrows Airport for the Gig Harbor Wings and Wheels. It runs from 11:00 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Wings part includes historic planes, fly-bys, and the chance to take flight in a vintage Douglas DC-3. The Wheels part features a classic car and motorcycle show as well as jet-car races. There’ll be vendors, a beer tent, and a kids’ activity zone. Register ahead of time and pre-book flights and parking by clicking here.
Monday the Fourth is Tacoma’s Freedom Fair along the Ruston Way waterfront. It’s the South Sound’s biggest annual event. All day long you’ll find music at half a dozen bandstands featuring all kinds of bands, seasoned or up-and-coming, playing jazz and blues, rock and rap, country and Christian music. Put a tip in the hat of John the Magic Man as he performs his roving act in the ancient “busker” tradition.
Don’t bother bringing a picnic basket. This year there will be three sites for the Fair’s International Food Court. You’ll find exotic dishes from faraway places—Thailand, the Caribbean, Mexico, Peru, China, Japan, Greece, Polynesia, and more—and down home favorites like corn-on-the-cob, burgers, and lemonade.
Over a hundred arts and crafts vendors will offer an assortment of clothing, toys, jewelry and so much more. It’s the perfect place to find unique gifts and items to decorate your home, especially if you want to showcase our Pacific Northwest.
Between 1:30 and 3:30 you’ll thrill to the Air Show with some of the best aviation acts in the country. If you want the Freedom Fair to continue, make a donation at entry gate. Souvenir pins and stickers that can get you a discount at participating vendors are available—first-come, first-served—to donors. Or, for fifty bucks, you can become a Freedom Fair Fan and get a VIP pass to the Freedom Fair, a gift bag, a catered lunch, and VIP seating for the air show and the fireworks.
Ogle the classic cars, hot rods, and muscle cars at the Car Show between 10:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. And don’t miss the world champion BMX riders’ acrobatics at 3:30 and 5:30 p.m. The Tacoma Freedom Fair Beach Vault is in its eighteenth year. Pole vaulters young and old will strive for a personal best alongside several of the elite athletes who’ve just competed for the U.S. Olympic team.
At Camp Patriot, you can hear music, enjoy a hot-dog-eating contest, let the kiddies loose on the inflatable toys, and watch the filming of the TV show, American Forces Icon.
At 10:10 p.m. the fireworks extravaganza kicks off over Commencement Bay. Hundreds of shells will be fired from a barge—some will soar almost a quarter-mile into the sky; others will change colors; and still others will shower flowery sparkles over the Bay.
Yet, there’s no denying it: Unless you plan to ride exclusively around the Southern United States, you’ll face some chilly winters. And even before it...
