by Johnathan J. Gerstenberger

The sunshine and warm weather last week had folks rolling out the barbecue and spreading on the sunscreen in anticipation of Fourth of July celebrations throughout Sanders County.

Both Noxon and Thompson Falls held events to celebrate Independence Day. Thompson Falls held festivities throughout the day of July 2 and Noxon held festivities throughout the day of July 4th and the turnout for both was impressive.

"There are so many people out walking the town and supporting the community. It's nice to see so many people out celebrating together and having a good time. It's also nice to see the park put to such good use," said Rodney McKenzie, a former Thompson Falls resident who now resides in Missoula. "I used to go to Thompson to celebrate the fourth with my friends and family when I was a kid. I always had a very good time watching the fireworks back then. It's a lot of fun to come back as an adult and celebrate with my kids. Seeing how excited they get about the fireworks puts a big smile on my face." McKenzie added.

From jewelry to novelty flags and fun food, the Thompson Falls and Noxon celebrations boasted a wide selection of vendors. Noxon had a parade and fireworks show on Monday as well.

Johnathan J. Gerstenberger

Saturday in Thompson Falls, food and craft vendors lined Ainsworth Park for a Fourth of July celebration.

"I used to live right outside of Noxon for a while when I was a kid. I used to get together with my friends when we were teenagers and go hang out at the Fourth of July celebration downtown. The parade always has a lot of fun floats and this year was no different and I have not seen so many people in Noxon for a long time. The town feels very alive today. Even with the sudden bit of rain people are still having a good time," commented Christina Goodwin from Trout Creek.

Both celebrations brought in out-of-town visitors.large crowds and a fair few tourists and out of travelers. It seems even folks from outside the county were happy with their decision to come celebrate in beautiful Sanders County. "There are so many neat booths set up and I noticed that they have a big bounce house for the kids. All of the kids seem to be having a lot of fun and I think the adults are as well," said Owen Clark from Kalispell, who was at the Thompson Falls celebration on Saturday.