MARILEE WALLACE — Cd’A Chamber: For an unforgettable 4th

The Fourth of July in the Lake City — it just doesn’t get any better than this!

The Coeur d’Alene Chamber of Commerce is working hard for our business members and community at large to make your Fourth of July one you soon will not forget. The Fourth of July Festival, sponsored by Numerica Credit Union, starts off with the American Heroes Parade at 10 a.m. Starting point of the parade route is Sherman and 15th and moseys down Sherman Avenue ending up at Government Way. This year’s theme, Reunited Coeur d’Alene, reminds locals and visitors to our beautiful lake city to come together as a community. We ask you to be mindful of all safety regulations and social distancing to keep everyone safe and to be respectful of your surroundings.

After the parade, we encourage celebrating your 4th exploring and enjoying our community. Coeur d’Alene City Park activities will include open air picnic spaces with food vendors. The downtown merchants will have their doors wide open for shopping. Check out the North Idaho restaurant scene for foodie-worthy menus and be sure to have a swimsuit on hand to enjoy the refreshing waters along the 135 miles of shoreline that is Lake Coeur d’Alene.

Mid-July, the Chamber’s Natural Resource Committee hosts the annual Osprey Tour. This educational event takes spectators out on the lake to witness the banding of young ospreys and learn about their natural habitat. Boat space is limited and is always a sell-out event. Be sure to call Joan Ford at our front desk to reserve your space — 208-664-3194.

Another fun event for our business members is the annual Putt Putt Golf Tournament, hosted by Miller Stauffer Architects. Our members team up, dress up and network together for a fun night of non-competitive putting challenges. Did I say non-competitive? Hmmm… July 30 is the date, so watch the Chamber’s website for signup details.

Finally, we think it is important for you to know that the Chamber building acts as the main visitors center for our region, and we would like to share with you what we hear on a daily basis. Our lobby typically sees more than 25,000 visitors a year, but this year is, of course, unusual. Even though our numbers are much less, we still hear, and read online comments, about how extremely beautiful our area is. Even more impressive are the comments we get about our citizens — how helpful, kind and accommodating we all are.

We do live in a gloriously beautiful area, but it is the people who truly make this place magical. Our staff and volunteers intend on continuing to represent your interests as best we can, and we thank you for keeping up the great work and attitude that bring our little spot on this earth global attention for our kindness and hospitality — nicely done!

Have a safe and spectacular Fourth of July!

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Marilee Wallace, IOM, is the Coeur d’Alene Chamber of Commerce VP membership.