Residents across the Virgin Valley celebrated America’s 250th anniversary with separate Fourth of July festivities in Mesquite and Bunkerville, each community marking the milestone with its own traditions, activities and fireworks.

In Mesquite, residents and visitors gathered Saturday, July 4, at the Mesquite Sports and Events Complex for the city’s annual Rockets Over the Red Mesa celebration.

Ahead of the evening festivities, volunteers and community leaders came together to line the roadway leading to the complex with American flags, creating a patriotic red, white and blue welcome for those arriving at the celebration.

Among those helping with the display were Mayor Jesse Whipple, Councilman Bill Ennis, City Manager Becca Schrupp, members of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Leigh Roessner, Amy Bradshaw and Athletics and Leisure Services Director Randy Laub. Local youth and leaders from Catholic and Latter-day Saint church groups also donated their time to the effort.

The evening began with an opening ceremony, followed by live entertainment, food trucks and family activities, including foot races and a huge water slide. As night fell, a spectacular fireworks display illuminated the sky above the red mesa, bringing the celebration to a colorful close.

Mesquite Athletics and Leisure Services thanked the community for coming together for what it described as a memorable evening and thanked event sponsors Reliance Connects, Eureka Casino Resort, Southwest Gas Corporation and the Mesquite Veterans Center for their support in helping make the celebration possible.

Just down the road, Bunkerville stretched its Independence Day celebration across two days, beginning Friday, July 3, with the town’s annual water fight. Always a rowdy and celebratory tradition, residents took to the streets with plenty of water and enthusiasm, bringing families, friends and neighbors together to cool off and kick off the holiday festivities.

Saturday’s festivities began bright and early with the traditional 6 a.m. blare of the Bunkerville fire engine siren, sounding the town’s wake-up call and signaling the start of Bunkerville’s annual Fourth of July 5K. A community breakfast and patriotic program followed.

Traditional races and activities followed, including an egg toss and watermelon contest, carrying on the small-town customs that have long made Bunkerville’s Fourth of July celebration a community favorite.

After a break during the heat of the day, residents gathered again in the evening for a bike parade before fireworks lit up the sky, bringing two days of celebration to a close.

Mesquite and Bunkerville reflected the patriotic spirit found throughout the Virgin Valley. Residents came together in their own communities to commemorate 250 years of American independence.