By Neil Farrell

There may not be a fireworks show in Morro Bay this year, but the City, which is coordinating the day’s events, will celebrate Independence Day with a family picnic and music show, bike parade, skateboard race and what promises to be a pretty cool pubic art project.
Of course, in Cayucos there will still be the traditional Lion’s Club Parade up Ocean Avenue starting at 10 a.m., the sand sculpture contest (at dawn on the beach by the pier), afternoon Bingo in the vet’s hall, and capped off with fireworks at the pier at 9 p.m. The Peddler’s Fair will also be held along the creek across from the vet’s hall.
Fireworks shows in Morro Bay, Cambria and Paso Robles have all been cancelled this year because of extreme fire danger in Cambria and a lack of money in Morro Bay and Paso. That leaves just Cayucos and Pismo Beach planning public fireworks shows in SLO County, so expect it to be especially crowded this year.
In Morro Bay, the celebration kicks off at 10 a.m. with the 6th Annual Morro Bay Mile Skateboard Race, sponsored by the Morro Bay Skateboard Museum, with the course starting this year at Morro Hay High, rolling over the new Morro Creek Bridge and Harborwalk extension, up Embarcadero to the Front Street parking lot (where the submarine Avalon is on display). Sign up at 9 a.m. at the high school’s west entrance. Cash and product prizes to the fastest skaters.
At noon, the City will officially open on the new bridge (ceremony on the north side) and then kick off the Annual Bike Parade. Decorate yourself and your bike in red, white and blue and show your patriotic spirit. Parade goes from the bridge to Tidelands Park (1.5 miles).
The parade is for non-motorized bikes only and children under-18 must wear a helmet. Park at Morro Bay High. Park your bike securely at the bike valet at Tidelands Park.
The family fun day at Tidelands Park start at noon runs until 5 p.m. There will be three bands — Boomer Surf Trio noon-1:30 p.m.; Panga from 2:30-3:30, and Green to White from 3:45-5 p.m. The City will have a flag ceremony at 2 p.m. There will be children’s activities and old-fashioned lawn games throughout the day. Sponsors are the City of Morro Bay, SLO County Bicycle Coalition, SLO County Bicycle Club, Morro Bay Skateboard Museum, and Aleshire & Wynder, LLP – Attorneys at Law.
Bring a picnic, as there will be no food available at the park. However, the trolley will be running making it easy to visit one of the Embarcadero restaurants. Also, no alcohol is allowed in City parks.
And to add to the festivities, a very special public art exhibit will be erected at Tidelands Park. Led by California-born artist, Mark Piers, and organized by local residents, Kerrigan Mahan and Melanie Williams Mahan, “Revolopolis,” is more than 60 human-like figures and other sculptures made from recycled Styrofoam, much of which was decorated by local school children.
Piers, who lives in Florida, said he will have six large installations, including three heads, and other sculptures of different shapes in addition to the smaller figures done by the school kids. Though there will be more than 65 “installations” in the Park, Piers said this is one of the smaller art projects that he’s done.
Normally, he told The Bay News, he does projects like this in April or early May to get more school kids involved, but they got a late start on the Morro Bay project. He gathers his materials from construction sites, he explained in a phone interview, from contacts in the industry and wherever else he can.
Most shopping centers built in the past 5-10 years, he said, have exterior surface embellishments, like arches and cornices, “and they’re all basically made of foam.” He picks foam packaging from products like TVs and recycles it into art.
The smaller figurines, which are still 5-feet tall, are like a blank canvas that whomever is decorating it, can paint and color however they want, and there are smaller pieces that can be attached for things like hats or hair.
One thing is for sure, such public art projects like this are rarely done in Morro Bay, making this 4th somewhat unique in that regard. Piers said he plans to unveil the art at the inaugural Art After Dark event in Los Osos set for 6-9 p.m. Saturday, June 27 at the Community Center, 2180 Palisades Ave.
And for those who like more traditional forms of art, the Morro Bay Art Association’s Annual 4th of July Art-in-the-Park will be held 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday-Sunday, July 3-5 in City Park on Morro Bay Boulevard.
There will be dozens of artists of just about every genre and media. Proceeds help support the Association’s “Students Matter in ART” or SMART grant program, benefiting high school art classes in SLO County, and children’s classes and other programs offered by the Morro Bay Art Association. Free admission.