Fourth of July celebrations are coming up, and what better way to spend time than by joining the festivities in Marathon?

The event kicks off on July 2 as Tejano band Pudo Party All Starz will usher in the patriotic fiesta. Then on Saturday, July 3, the family friendly Dog and Pony Show Parade will start at 10 a.m. The parade will feature dogs, horses, and even donkeys. The public is invited to join in by riding bikes, walking, or bringing dune buggies and other small vehicles, but nothing loud.

After the parade, guests can head over to Post Park where the Marathon PTO will host a bouncy house, a kids’ fishing competition, games, a water slide, and more.

Country and western dancing under the stars will be the premier event that evening, as Craig Carter and the Spur of the Moment Band will delight with cowboy tunes for all the revelers. Marathon PTO President Becky Garcia said, “Our children have big dreams, and they are awesome! We want all our children to graduate, and become leaders of their community. Please join us for the 4th of July, as this is one of our biggest fundraisers.”

Marathon Motel and RV Park will host the chili cook-offs this year, with two categories - the Cowboy Chili Cook-off and the Mustang Chili Cook-off. The event will raise points for the cooks when they compete in the big chili finale in Terlingua this year. Setup starts 8 a.m. Saturday, with cooking at 9 a.m., and turn in at 2 p.m. On Sunday, cooks can start when they want, but turns ins are at noon.

Brad Wilson said the Marathon Volunteer Fire Department will raise money through silent auctions and concessions, and those funds go directly to pay for fire department overhead, and upkeep and replacement of equipment.

He said the fire department is always looking for new firefighters to join their team of seven, and added, “It’s a nationwide shortage, and everyone everywhere is going through the same shortage of volunteerism. It is not what it used to be, but we are always looking for people to come in and kind of learn the trade and stick a little while longer.”

There will be no shortage of fun Fourth of July weekend, so head on out and experience all Marathon has to offer.