Fourth fun’s back: After long hiatus, downtown Los Banos group hosts Independence Day event

For the first time since 2013, the Los Banos Downtown Association held a Fourth of July celebration for residents Saturday at Henry Miller Plaza.

Gene Lieb, an association member, said the reason for the break was because the group couldn’t generate enough funding in the intervening years.

Numerous sponsors emerged ahead of this year’s window for the event, said Sharon Silva, the association’s executive director.

Silva said she was more than eager to see it come to fruition, but the turnout exceeded her expectations.

“I would say we had at least 2,000 to 3,000 people show up for the event,” Silva said. “I’m glad we did it, there’s no regrets.”

Attendees were able to enjoy fair-style food, carousel rides, arts and crafts, games, local vendors and live music — and visit a beer and wine booth — prior to fireworks at the fairgrounds.

Silva and the association had planned the event since October. Silva wanted different activities to give residents the opportunity to celebrate as the city, state and nation emerge from the coronavirus pandemic.

“A big part of why we went through with it was for the families and the community,” she said.

The event not only allowed for the community to come together, it provided exposure to the downtown area as a whole. It also allows the association to think of other community events it might host, said Stacy Elms, the city’s community and economic development director.

“This event alone puts Los Banos on the map, on the radar in the region,” Elms said. “All of the components that are here, that the downtown association has brought (in putting this together) is huge. And those are the kinds of partners and relationships that we need within the community and build them so we can have more (events) like this.”

Lieb hopes Saturday’s celebration gave residents an opportunity to unite, with the county having more fully reopened in June.

“Los Banos is a melting pot of many, many diverse people,” Lieb said. “We have so many people that are born and raised here, and I just want to bring everyone together from all walks of life, and if a celebration like this can bring (people) together for a common cause and celebrate the Fourth of July, that’s my goal.”