Show Your Independence

By Desa Philadelphia

Think if you've seen one Fourth of July, you've seen them all? Not if you haven't been to these places:

--MEXIA, TEXAS Boomin' on the Fourth in Mexia is a weeklong festival that ends on Independence Day with a rodeo, concerts and, of course, an office-chair race through downtown.

--NORRIS, TENN. Ever shot an anvil? Here's how. Place one large blacksmith's anvil upside down on the ground. Fill its cavity with a fine grade of gunpowder. Place a second anvil on top of it. Ignite the gunpowder and watch the top anvil fly as high as 125 feet into the air. Or if you would prefer just to watch, the Museum of Appalachia in Norris has an anvil shoot to celebrate the Fourth.

--PORT TOWNSEND, WASH. On Independence weekend, fiddlers from across North America will gather in Port Townsend for the Festival of American Fiddle Tunes. The fiddlers--experts on violin and banjo--will play traditional tunes from their hometowns across the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

--MENDOCINO, CALIF. The Fourth of July parade in this small coastal town usually reflects the interests of the citizens, who consider themselves, well, unique. Floats have featured the Big-Haired Women, the Marching Miniature Pigs (and their owners), the Petaluma Chicken Pluckers, and the Marching Susans, whose kazoo players were all named Susan.

If you don't fancy flying across the nation for an anvil toss, James Heintze, the librarian at American University in Washington, has a website, american.edu/heintze/fourth.htm that lists dozens of events, as well as pretty much anything else you wanted to know about Independence Day--except barbecue recipes.

--By Desa Philadelphia