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Ozona To Mark Fourth In Own Style

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By Mark  Schantz | The Suncoast News

Published: June 28, 2008

OZONA - This coastal village plans to show its patriotic colors with an Independence Day fireworks display and its first annual July Fourth Golf Cart Parade.

Each year at Christmas it has become a holiday tradition to bedeck golf carts with lights, inflatables and banners. Revelers ride through the village drumming up holiday spirit and cheering each other on a bid for the wildest golf cart.

Lisa Anstett, co-chairwoman of the Ozona Village Improvement Society Independence Day Extravaganza, said at a recent OVIS meeting everyone decided it would be great fun to have a patriotic golf cart parade on the Fourth of July.

It was short notice, but everyone rallied to start the tradition this year, she added.

The golf cart parade begins at 11 a.m. Friday, July 4, on the east side of Orange Street, near the intersection with Tampa Road.

Carts can be decorated in red, white and blue, with flags, lights and banners.

This is the first annual patriotic golf cart parade and we hope everyone participates, she said. Next year it will be even bigger and hopefully grow to the size of the Christmas parade, she said.

Ozona has been declared a golf cart community by county officials, which allows residents to utilize golf carts on local streets. Many residents use carts instead of cars to travel to local restaurants, such as The Ozona Pig and Molly Goodheads Raw Bar, or the U.S. Post Office.

This parade will be different than at Christmas in that it will be lead by youngsters riding bicycles, Anstett said. Youngsters are asked to help lead the parade and dress up their bicycles in the patriotic theme. Bicyclists are asked to line up near the entrance to Ozona Elementary School.

Anstett said after the parade everyone is expected to go to local Ozona restaurants or their own barbecues to enjoy the day.

Vendors are also being accepted for businesses that would like to sell their wares on Orange Street before and after the parade, she said.

Around 9 p.m. OVIS will present its first annual fireworks display. OVIS, residents and business people rallied to collect about $7,000 for a 10 to 15 minute fireworks display, she said. If OVIS can collect just $3,000 more the display can last 25 minutes.

"It was really great. Everyone just got together and donated enough to have a nice fireworks show," she said.

The fireworks will be shot-off from a barge in the cove off the southern end of Shore Drive. They should be visible from Orange Street, near the marinas, and all over Ozona, according to Anstett.

Members of the military who live in the Palm Harbor and Ozona area, she said, are asked to contact OVIS so they can be given a place of honor to ride in the parade.

Anyone wishing to donate to the fireworks display or members of the military looking to ride in one of the carts can call Anstett at 727-385-5951.

Mark Schantz can be reached at 727-815-1075 or mschantz@suncoastnews.com.

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